Lab Researching Password Recovery Procedures

Objectives
Part 1: Research the Configuration Register
Part 2: Document the Password Recovery Procedure for a Specific Cisco Router

Background / Scenario
The purpose of this lab is to research the procedure for recovering or resetting the enable password on a
specific Cisco router. The enable password protects access to privileged EXEC and configuration mode on
Cisco devices. The enable password can be recovered, but the enable secret password is encrypted and
would need to be replaced with a new password.
In order to bypass a password, a user must be familiar with the ROM monitor (ROMMON) mode, as well as
the configuration register setting for Cisco routers. ROMMON is basic CLI software stored in ROM that can be
used to troubleshoot boot errors and recover a router when an IOS is not found.
In this lab, you will begin by researching the purpose and settings of the configuration register for Cisco
devices. You will then research and detail the exact procedure for password recovery for a specific Cisco
router.

Required Resources

Device with Internet access

Part 1: Research the Configuration Register

To recover or reset a password, a user will utilize the ROMMON interface to instruct the router to ignore the
startup configuration when booting. When booted, the user will access the privileged EXEC mode, overwrite
the running configuration with the saved startup configuration, recover or reset the password, and restore the
routers boot process to include the startup configuration.
The routers configuration register plays a vital role in the process of password recovery. In the first part of this
lab, you will research the purpose of a routers configuration register and the meaning of certain configuration
register values.

Step 1: Navigate to Cisco Website.

At the time of writing this lab, the Use of Configuration Register on All Cisco Routers page can be found
at http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/routers/10000-series-routers/50421-config-register-use.html on
the Cisco Website.
Navigate to the aforementioned web page or use a search engine to answer the questions in following steps.

Step 2: Describe the purpose of the configuration register.

What is the purpose of the configuration register?

The configuration register can be used to change router behavior in several ways, such as:
how the router boots (into ROMmon, NetBoot)
options while booting (ignore configuration, disable boot messages)
console speed (baud rate for a terminal emulation session)

What command changes the configuration register in configuration mode?

config-register

2015 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public.

Page 1 of 3

Lab Researching Password Recovery Procedures

What command changes the configuration register in the ROMMON interface?

confreg

Step 3: Determine configuration register values and their meanings.

Research and list the router behavior for the following configuration register values.
0x2102

Ignores break
Boots into ROM if initial boot fails
9600 console baud rate default value for most platforms
0x2142
Ignores break
Boots into ROM if initial boot fails
9600 console baud rate
What
is the
theseRAM
two configuration
register
values?
Ignores
the difference
contents ofbetween
Non-Volatile
(NVRAM) (ignores
configuration)
0x2142 Ignores the contents of Non-Volatile RAM

Part 2: Document the Password Recovery Procedure for a Specific Cisco

Router
For Part 2, you will describe the exact procedure for recovering or resetting a password from a specific Cisco
router and answer questions based on your research. Your instructor will provide you with the exact router
model to research.

Step 1: Navigate to the Cisco website.

At the time of writing this lab, the Password Recovery Procedures page can be found at
http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/ios-nx-os-software/ios-software-releases-121-mainline/6130index.html on the Cisco Website.
Navigate to the aforementioned web page or use a search engine to answer the questions in following steps.

Step 2: Detail the process to recover a password on a specific Cisco router.

Research and list the steps and commands that you need to recover or reset the enable or enable secret
password from your Cisco router. Summarize the steps in your own words.

Attach a terminal or PC with terminal emulation to the console port of the route
Access router
Type show version and record the configuration register setting. It can safely assume that the configuration
register is set to 0x2102.
Use the power switch in order to turn off the router, and then turn the router back on
Press Break on the terminal keyboard within 60 seconds of power up in order to put the router into ROMmon
Type confreg 0x2142 at the rommon 1> prompt in order to boot from Flash
Type reset at the rommon 2> prompt
Type no after each setup question, or press Ctrl-C in order to skip the initial setup procedure
Type enable at the Router> prompt
Type configure memory or copy startup-config running-config in order to copy the nonvolatile RAM (NVRAM)
into memory
Type show running-config
Type configure terminal
Type enable secret <password> in order to change the enable secret password
Issue the no shutdown command on every interface that it use
Type config-register <configuration_register_setting>. Where configuration_register_setting is either the
value you recorded in step 2 or 0x2102
2015
CiscoCtrl-z
and/or or
its affiliates.
All rights
This
document is Cisco
Public.
Page 2 of 3
Press
end in order
to reserved.
leave the
configuration
mode
Type write memory or copy running-config startup-config in order to commit the changes

Lab Researching Password Recovery Procedures

Step 3: Answer questions about the password recovery procedure.

Using the process for password recovery, answer the following questions.
Describe how to find the current setting for your configuration register.

Type show version

Describe the process for entering ROMMON.

Press Break on the terminal keyboard within 60 seconds of power up in order to put the router into ROMmon

What commands do you need to enter to bypass the startup configuration while in the ROMMON mode?

Type confreg 0x2142 at the rommon 1> prompt in order to boot from Flash

What message would you expect to see when the router boots? And how should you answer the message?

program load complete

Why is it important to load the startup configuration into the running configuration?

to load the settings into the router

Why is it important to change the configuration register back to the original value after recovering the
password?

to boot next time with original configuration register

Reflection
Why is it of critical importance that a router be physically secured to prevent unauthorized access?

with physical access a router it possible to access data stored inside and modify setings

2015 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public.

Page 3 of 3