Follow this procedure to recover and reset the IWSVA root password. This is useful in the following scenarios:
- The administrator forgot the password.
- The document containing the password is either lost or outdated.
- There was a change of administrators and the previous one failed to relay the password to his replacement.
Because IWSVA provides HTTP and FTP content scanning and protection, console access is important to ensure regular updates and to customize settings according to the organization's needs.
To reset the password:
Option I: Using the IWSVA installation CD
Refer to the KB article: Changing root account password for Interscan Web Security Virtual Appliance (IWSVA)
Option II: Via single-user mode
- Access the command line directly from the IWSVA box. Do not use Putty or any SSH tool.
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During boot up, press E from the GRUB menu to edit the command entry.
You may be asked to press ESC first.
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Use the arrows keys to go to the “kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.18-128.1.OpenVA.2.8.1039 ro root=dev/IWSVA/root” entry. This is usually the second line.
- Press E to edit the entry.
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Press the space bar and then type “single” at the end of the line.
- Press the ENTER key to save the changes.
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Press B to boot.
The kernel will boot as usual and then you will get a root prompt (sh#). You now have root access to the file system.
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Type the command “passwd” to start resetting your password.
You will not be asked for your old password. - Enter and confirm your new password when prompted.
- When the password has been reset, enter either of the following commands:
- “reboot” to reboot IWSVA
- “init 3” to continue the boot up process
