Re: Can ORACLE DBA tell me forgotten password?

From: <pihlab_at_hhcs.gov.au>
Date: 16 Feb 93 15:01:59 +1100
Message-ID: <1993Feb16.150159.631_at_hhcs.gov.au>


In article <dcox-110293111156_at_dcoxmac.nswc.navy.mil>, dcox_at_relay.nswc.navy.mil (David Cox) writes:
> I've been waiting for the DBA FAQ, that I have seen mentioned
> in some postings, to show up, but my curiosity is getting the
> better of me, so I gotta ask. I have forgotten my ORACLE
> password. I pride myself on my ability to remember passwords,
> and the fact that I can't remember this one is bugging me more
> than usual because I remember purposely making it one that
> I could remember. I could just get our DBA to reset it, but I
> *really* want to know what the heck I set it to. Can he do that?
> He is not a real experienced DBA so I thought I might find some
> help in this group.

There is no way to determine a users password.

Oracle takes the users password, passes it through a one way algorithm to produce a jumble of characters of a fixed length. This value is stored in the database. Each time that user logs in they must enter a password that massages into the stored value. Supposedly no two passwords will convert to the same stored value and you cannot reverse engineer from the value to the original password.

This is a security feature and there is no way around it.

-- 

Bruce...        pihlab_at_hhcs.gov.au

"If you swallow a live frog first thing in the morning ...
 Nothing worse will happen to either of you for the rest of the day."

*******************************************************************
* Bruce Pihlamae  --  Database Administration                     *
* Commonwealth Department of Health, Housing & Community Services *
* Canberra, Australia                             (W) 06-289-7056 *
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* These are my own thoughts and opinions, few that I have.        *
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Received on Tue Feb 16 1993 - 05:01:59 CET

Original text of this message