Reset Console Password using Cloudpath On-Premise

Overview
This document describes how to reset the Cloudpath service account password using Single-User mode, in the base
Linux Operating System. The service account password is used to gain console access to Cloudpath and is set when
the Virtual Machine (VM) is initially configured. If a customer loses access to the service account, the following
procedure will help regain that access. The document is broken into the following main categories
1. Cloudpath Console Access
2. Single User Mode
3. Verify Results

Cloudpath Console Access

For this process, access to the Cloudpath console via the Hypervisor host, is required.
Log into your Hypervisor host (VMware 6.5 in my example)
The primary step to resetting Cloudpath console access (as well as SSH access), is confirming that you have access
and can log into the Hypervisor where the Cloudpath virtual machine resides.

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Reset Console Password using Cloudpath On-Premise

Open Console for Cloudpath Virtual Machine

Although you currently will not have the service password to gain console access, you need to verify you can at
least open that console for the Cloudpath virtual machine. In the Hypervisor UI, Right-click the Cloudpath VM →
Console → Choose console option (red outline in Figure 2).

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*Note: Prior to making any changes to the Cloudpath configuration, be sure to always create a snapshot (save
point) within the Hypervisor. This can later be used to revert to, should any anomalies occur during the given
change process (Highlighted in blue, Figure 2).

Single-User mode
You will need to set the VM into single-user mode so that you can reset the service password for Cloudpath.

Restarting the VM
Restart the VM, and once the boot process begins, wait for the GRUB boot menu to appear, and select your Kernel
version from the displayed list. Press the “e” key to edit the first boot option. (for Cloudpath the top selection will
be the kernel version that is required)

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Reset Console Password using Cloudpath On-Premise

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Editing the Kernel Line
Use the down arrow key to find the kernel line that starts with “linux16“, and change the argument “ro audit=1” to
“rw init=/sysroot/bin/sh” (as shown highlighted in red for both Figure 4 and 5).

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Reset Console Password using Cloudpath On-Premise

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Once you have finished editing the kernel line, press Ctrl -X or F10 to boot into single user mode. This provides
access to an emergency shell.

Mounting the root (/) file system

You can use the following command to mount the root (/) filesystem.
• #chroot /sysroot/

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Reset Console Password using Cloudpath On-Premise

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Resetting the service account password
You can the following command to reset the service account password:
• passwd cpn_service (highlighted in red, Figure 7)

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Type your new password once and then again for confirmation.
Look for the message “all authentication tokens updated successfully”, to confirm that the token was updated
(highlighted in green, Figure 7).
*Note: Typically, you will see a “BAD PASSWORD” message, but this a false positive and can be ignored.

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Reset Console Password using Cloudpath On-Premise

Verify Results
To apply all the changes, the VM needs to be rebooted. You can then verify console access.
Exiting single-user mode and rebooting the VM
Reboot the Virtual Machine anyway you can, follow the rest of the document for the supported process used to
restart the VM.

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*Note: If you can use your UI to restart the VM, feel free to try this. In this example you must use the console to
restart the VM, not the VMware UI.
Exiting single-user mode
In this example, it was required to type the word “exit” twice until the “logout” response appeared.

F IGURE 9
Rebooting the Virtual Machine
Once the “logout” message is displayed in the console (highlighted in red, Figure 9), you are then able to run the
following command:
• reboot (highlighted in orange, Figure 9)

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Reset Console Password using Cloudpath On-Premise

After typing above command, you should see the Virtual Machine restart via the console output.
Verifying Console Access
The token has now been updated and our new service password has been set. You need to verify that new service
password will allow us console access.

F IGURE 10
Try signing in using “cpn_service” account and your newly updated service password.

F IGURE 11

If login is successful, you should see the text highlighted red on Figure 11, i.e., “Type ‘?’ for Help”.
*Note: “system status” is a great command to check the status of the system. You can run this command to verify
our console access (command and results highlighted in green, Figure 11).

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Reset Console Password using Cloudpath On-Premise

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