Resetting a Nokia Password

It is prescient that I was about to post the following, another one of my old blog entries, when I received a Skype message from a client who has lost the password to a Nokia. The password reset procedure requires local console access, so is secured by the usual physical access protections that should be applied to all comms rooms.

Remember that the following was originally written in 1999 and has been updated only a little bit for this blog. How many other IT manufacturers can reference consistency over ten years? Anyway...

- Plug the console cable into the Nokia and into your PC serial port.
- Open your terminal program. I would suggest that you use TeraTerm or puTTY in serial mode.
- Reboot the Nokia. As you don't have the password, you'll probably have to perform a hard reset by pulling out the power lead and replacing it after ten to twenty seconds.
- Wait until the boot sequence starts. When the prompt Boot: appears, type –s as shown below:


>> IPSO boot
Usage: [[wd(0,f)]/image/current/kernel][-abcCdhrsv]
Boot: -s


The boot process will continue..


Booting wd(0,f)/image/IPSO-3.2-fcs4-08.17.1999-124427-783/kernel @ 0x100000
text=0x111000 data=0x25000 bss=0x22fa8 symbols=[+0x58+0x4+0x1749c+0x4+0x1cee9]
total=0x28d38d entry point=0x100000
.
. etc
.
netlog:eth-s1p4 .. Matrox Shark DC21140 pass 2.2 -- 00:20:fc:12:24:43
netlog:eth-s1p4 .. enabling 10baseT/UTP port
src0 rev 70 int a irq 10 slot 2
src0: 64K Buffer RAM @ f2c05000-f2c15000, 2 ports.
ser-s2p1: SDLcomm WANic 400-series adapter 0 port 1 (Interface type X.21).
ser-s2p2: SDLcomm WANic 400-series adapter 0 port 2 (Interface type X.21).
changing root device to wd0f
Jan 7 09:37:43 init: /etc/spwd.db: No such file or directory


- At this point, the system is ready to work with. Press the return key on your PC.

Enter pathname of shell or RETURN for sh:


To clear the password type the following at the prompts:

# /etc/overpw
This program is used to reset the 'admin' password when you have lost
the configured password. You must have booted the machine into single
user mode to run it. The configured password will be lost.
Continue? [n] y


Following the reset process, the boot will continue. You can then log into the Nokia using your new password.