[3658] in bugtraq
Re: BoS: Magic password of some linux-box(Hardware..)
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Brian F. Knoll)
Wed Nov 20 17:18:18 1996
Errors-To: <handcuff@concentric.net>
Date: Wed, 20 Nov 1996 21:04:22 -0000
Reply-To: "Brian F. Knoll" <handcuff@concentric.net>
From: "Brian F. Knoll" <handcuff@concentric.net>
X-To: moost@xs4all.nl
To: Multiple recipients of list BUGTRAQ <BUGTRAQ@NETSPACE.ORG>
> > A few days ago, my friend mistyped his console password, "condo,".
> > The BIOS vendor of his system was AWARD.
> > Then, The BIOS accept the password like a real password and booting,
> > gives the permission to set up the bios.
> > I thought that it was a bug of a version of award bios.
> > But, It's not true. Unfortunately almost versions of award bios has the
> > magic password "condo,"
>
> Some manuals of mainboards describe this 'feature'. Most Award bioses
I've
> come across respon to the password AWARD_SW (mind the case) and will
allow
> altering of the bios or just regular booting.
>
> Ofcourse this is meant as a sort of 'last' recover option, but for me it
> seems a little foolish to make this default to all Award Bioses..
>
Does anyone know if only the Award BIOS is susceptible to this? In other
words, are other BIOSes, such as AMI BIOS, susceptible to the same sort of
behavior?
Brian
