[View the .TXT here]

Get Root Admin access on a Mac OS X Computer in 4 simple steps:

Introduction - This is an article I tried to keep as short and simple as possible, if you have any critique, send it to Lockdown.Xax@gmail.com. Please keep in mind, I do not actually own a Mac OS X computer. This information that I am relaying was discovered while attending a local HackBloc meeting where an iMac running OS X was donated to the HackBloc, but no one had any idea how to takeover the machine. Flatline, Alex, and I spent about 20 minutes experimenting, and eventually we found a way to go about it. I'm writing down now all the steps I remember doing that are critical to taking over a Mac.

Step 1 - Boot into single user mode. Simply put: Reboot the computer and hold down on "s" and the command key (often the apple key, but if you don't have an Apple Keyboard, the "Windows" key will do). What you should see is yourself booting into Unix. (Z shell, but that can be changed if you are more comfortable with C or Bash) Also note, many Unix commands are completely disabled in all shells by Mac, including useradd/adduser.

Step 2 - Run a File System Check (Apparently the proper command was "/sbin/fsck -y", but I believe a simple "fsck -f" should work just as well), mount every file using the command "mount -uw /", and finally, run Mac's famous "System Starter" using "/sbin/SystemStarter". Basically, you're restarting the entire OS without deleting anything. Note, I believe not all OS X computers have SystemStarter, in fact I'm almost positive most of the newer ones do not. If your Mac does not have system starter, this may not work.

Step 3 - You now basically have root access on the Shell. To get root OUTSIDE the shell, you need to create an account using "passwd root", which will allow you to change the password of the root account (it will ask you to type in the new password). You can change the password of other accounts if you like by using the "passwd (username here)" command.

Step 4 - Reboot and log in

ENDZ

-Lockdown