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Using passwords and assigning privilege levels is a simple way of providing terminal access control in your network.
This chapter describes the following topics and tasks:
For a complete description of the commands used in this chapter, refer to the "Password and Privileges Commands" chapter in the Security Command Reference. To locate documentation of other commands that appear in this chapter, use the command reference master index or search online. For configuration examples using the commands in this chapter, refer to the "Passwords and Privileges Configuration Examples" section located at the end of the this chapter.
The following tasks provide a way to control access to the system configuration file and privilege EXEC (enable) commands:
To set or change a static password that controls access to privileged EXEC (enable) mode, perform the following task in global configuration mode:
| Task | Command |
|---|---|
| Establish a new password or change an existing password for the privileged command level. | enable password password |
For examples of how to define enable passwords for different privilege levels, see the "Multiple Levels of Privileges Examples" section at the end of this chapter.
To provide an additional layer of security, particularly for passwords that cross the network or are stored on a TFTP server, you can use either the enable password or enable secret commands. Both commands accomplish the same thing; that is, they allow you to establish an encrypted password that users must enter to access enable mode (the default), or any privilege level you specify.
We recommend that you use the enable secret command because it uses an improved encryption algorithm. Use the enable password command only if you boot an older image of the Cisco IOS software, or if you boot older boot ROMs that do not recognize the enable secret command.
If you configure the enable secret command, it takes precedence over the enable password command; the two commands cannot be in effect simultaneously.
To configure the router to require an enable password, perform one of the following tasks in global configuration mode:
| Task | Command |
|---|---|
| Establish a password for a privilege command mode. | enable password [level level] {password | encryption-type encrypted-password} |
| Specify a secret password, saved using a non-reversible encryption method. (When enable password and enable secret are both set, users must enter the enable secret password.) | enable secret [level level] {password | encryption-type encrypted-password} |
Use either of these commands with the level option to define a password for a specific privilege level. After you specify the level and set a password, give the password only to users who need to have access at this level. Use the privilege level configuration command to specify commands accessible at various levels.
If you have the service password-encryption command enabled, the password you enter is encrypted. When you display it with the show running-config command, it is displayed in encrypted form.
If you specify an encryption type, you must provide an encrypted password--an encrypted password you copy from another router configuration.
To set or change a password on a line, perform the following task in global configuration mode:
| Task | Command |
|---|---|
| Establish a new password or change an existing password for the privileged command level. | password password |
You can set the TACACS protocol to determine whether a user can access privileged EXEC (enable) mode. To do so, perform the following task in global configuration mode:
| Task | Command |
|---|---|
| Set the TACACS-style user ID and password-checking mechanism at the privileged EXEC level. | enable use-tacacs |
When you set TACACS password protection at the privilege EXEC mode, the enable EXEC command prompts for both a new username and a password. This information is then passed to the TACACS server for authentication. If you are using the extended TACACS, it also passes any existing UNIX user identification code to the TACACS server.
 | Caution If you use the enable use-tacacs command, you must also specify tacacs-server authenticate enable, or you will be locked out of the privilege EXEC (enable) mode. |
Because protocol analyzers can examine packets (and read passwords), you can increase access security by configuring the Cisco IOS software to encrypt passwords. Encryption prevents the password from being readable in the configuration file.
Configure the Cisco IOS software to encrypt passwords by performing the following task in global configuration mode:
| Task | Command |
|---|---|
| Encrypt a password. | service password-encryption |
The actual encryption process occurs when the current configuration is written or when a password is configured. Password encryption is applied to all passwords, including authentication key passwords, the privileged command password, console and virtual terminal line access passwords, and BGP neighbor passwords. The service password-encryption command is primarily useful for keeping unauthorized individuals from viewing your password in your configuration file.
| Caution The service password-encryption command does not provide a high level of network security. If you use this command, you should also take additional network security measures. |
Although you cannot recover a lost encrypted password (that is, you cannot get the original password back), you can recover from a lost encrypted password. See the sections "Recover a Lost Enable Password" or "Recover a Lost Line Password" in this chapter if you have lost or forgotten your password.
By default, the Cisco IOS software has two modes of password security: user mode (EXEC) and privilege mode (enable). You can configure up to 16 hierarchical levels of commands for each mode. By configuring multiple passwords, you can allow different sets of users to have access to specified commands.
For example, if you want the configure command to be available to a more restricted set of users than the clear line command, you can assign level 2 security to the clear line command and distribute the level 2 password fairly widely, and assign level 3 security to the configure command and distribute the password to level 3 commands to fewer users.
The following tasks describe how to configure additional levels of security:
To set the privilege level for a command, perform the following tasks in global configuration mode:
| Task | Command |
|---|---|
| Set the privilege level for a command. | privilege mode level level command |
| Specify the enable password for a privilege level. | enable password level level [encryption-type] password |
To change the default privilege level for a given line or a group of lines, perform the following task in line configuration mode:
| Task | Command |
|---|---|
| Specify a default privilege level for a line. | privilege level level |
To display the current privilege level you can access based on the password you used, perform the following task in EXEC mode:
| Task | Command |
|---|---|
| Display your current privilege level. | show privilege |
To log in to a router at a specified privilege level, perform the following task in EXEC mode:
| Task | Command |
|---|---|
| Log in to a specified privilege level. | enable level |
To exit to a specified privilege level, perform the following task in EXEC mode:
| Task | Command |
|---|---|
| Exit to a specified privilege level. | disable level |
You can restore access to enable mode on a router when the password is lost using one of the three procedures described in this section. The procedure you use depends on your router platform. Table 15 shows which password recovery procedure to use with each router platform.
You can perform password recovery on most of the platforms without changing hardware jumpers, but all platforms require the configuration to be reloaded. Password recovery can be done only from the console port on the router.
| Password Recovery Procedure | Router Platform |
|---|---|
| Password Recovery Procedure 1 | Cisco 2000 series
Cisco 2500 series Cisco 3000 series Cisco 4000 series with 680x0 Motorola CPU Cisco 7000 series running Cisco IOS Release 10.0 or later in ROMs installed on the RP card IGS series running Cisco Release IOS 9.1 or later in ROMs |
| Password Recovery Procedure 2 | Cisco 1003
Cisco 1600 series Cisco 3600 series Cisco 4500 series Cisco 7200 series Cisco 7500 series IDT Orion-based routers AS5200 and AS5300 platforms |
Both password recovery procedures involve the following basic steps:
Step 1 Configure the router to boot up without reading the configuration memory (NVRAM). This is sometimes called the test system mode.
Step 2 Reboot the system.
Step 3 Access enable mode (which can be done without a password if you are in test system mode).
Step 4 View or change the password, or erase the configuration.
Step 5 Reconfigure the router to boot up and read the NVRAM as it normally does.
Step 6 Reboot the system.
Use this procedure to recover lost passwords on the following Cisco routers:
To recover a password using Procedure 1, perform the following steps:
Step 1 Attach a terminal or PC with terminal emulation software to the console port of the router.
Step 2 Enter the show version command and record the setting of the configuration register. It is usually 0x2102 or 0x102.
The configuration register value is on the last line of the display. Note whether the configuration register is set to enable Break or disable Break.
The factory-default configuration register value is 0x2102. Notice that the third digit from the left in this value is 1, which disables Break. If the third digit is not 1, Break is enabled.
Step 3 Turn off the router, then turn it on.
Step 4 Press the Break key on the terminal within 60 seconds of turning on the router.
The rommon> prompt with no router name appears. If it does not appear, the terminal is not sending the correct Break signal. In that case, check the terminal or terminal emulation setup.
Step 5 Enter o/r0x42 at the rommon> prompt to boot from Flash memory or o/r0x41 to boot from the boot ROMs.
Note that the first character is the letter o, not the numeral zero. If you have Flash memory and it is intact, 0x42 is the best setting. Use 0x41 only if the Flash memory is erased or not installed. If you use 0x41, you can only view or erase the configuration. You cannot change the password.
Step 6 At the rommon> prompt, enter the initialize command to initialize the router.
This causes the router to reboot but ignore its saved configuration and use the image in Flash memory instead.
The system configuration display appears.
Step 7 Enter no in response to the System Configuration Dialog prompts until the following message appears:
Step 8 Press Return.
The Router> prompt appears.
Step 9 Enter the enable command.
The Router# prompt appears.
Step 10 Choose one of the following options:
Router # configure terminal
Router(config)# enable password 1234abcd
Router(config)# ctrl-z
Router # write memory
Step 11 Enter the configure terminal command at the EXEC prompt to enter configuration mode.
Step 12 Enter the config-register command and whatever value you recorded in step 2.
Step 13 Press Ctrl-Z to quit from the configuration editor.
Step 14 Enter the reload command at the privileged EXEC prompt and issue the write memory command to save the configuration.
Use this procedure to recover lost passwords on the following Cisco routers:
To recover a password using Procedure 2, perform the following steps:
Step 1 Attach a terminal or PC with terminal emulation software to the console port of the router.
Step 2 Enter the show version command and record the setting of the configuration register. It is usually 0x2102 or 0x102.
The configuration register value is on the last line of the display. Note whether the configuration register is set to enable Break or disable Break.
The factory-default configuration register value is 0x2102. Notice that the third digit from the left in this value is 1, which disables Break. If the third digit is not 1, Break is enabled.
Step 3 Turn off the router, then turn it on.
Step 4 Press the Break key on the terminal within 60 seconds of turning on the router.
The rommon> prompt appears. If it doesn't appear, the terminal is not sending the correct Break signal. In that case, check the terminal or terminal emulation setup.
Step 5 Enter the config-register command at the rommon> prompt.
The following prompt appears:
Step 6 Enter yes and press Return.
Step 7 Enter no to subsequent questions until the following prompt appears:
Step 8 Enter yes.
Step 9 Enter no to subsequent questions until the following prompt appears:
Step 10 Enter yes.
The following prompt appears:
Step 11 At this prompt, either enter 2 and press Return if Flash memory or, if Flash memory is erased, enter 1. If Flash memory is erased, the Cisco 4500 must be returned to Cisco for service. If you enter 1, you can only view or erase the configuration. You cannot change the password.
A configuration summary is displayed and the following prompt appears:
Step 12 Answer no and press Return.
The following prompt appears:
Step 13 Enter the reload command at the privileged EXEC prompt or, for Cisco 4500 series and Cisco 7500 series routers, power cycle the router.
Step 14 As the router boots, enter no to all the setup questions until the following prompt appears:
Step 15 Enter the enable command to enter enable mode.
The Router# prompt appears.
Step 16 Choose one of the following options:
Router # configure terminal
Router (config)# enable password 1234abcd
Router (config)# ctrl-z
Router # write memory
Step 17 Enter the configure terminal command at the prompt.
Step 18 Enter the config-register command and whatever value you recorded in step 2.
Step 19 Press Ctrl-Z to quit from the configuration editor.
Step 20 Enter the reload command at the prompt and issue the write memory command to save the configuration.
If your router has the nonvolatile memory option, you can accidentally lock yourself out of enable mode if you enable password checking on the console terminal line and then forget the line password. To recover a lost line password, perform the following steps:
Step 1 Force the router into factory diagnostic mode.
See the hardware installation and maintenance publication for your product for specific information about setting the processor configuration register to factory diagnostic mode. Table 16 summarizes the hardware or software settings required by various products to set factory diagnostic mode.
Step 2 Enter Yes when asked if you want to set the manufacturers' addresses.
The following prompt appears:
Step 3 Issue the enable command to enter enable mode:
enable
Step 4 Enter the show startup-config command to review the system configuration and find the password. Do not change anything in the factory diagnostic mode.
show startup-config
Step 5 To resume normal operation, restart the router or reset the configuration register.
Step 6 Log in to the router with the password that was shown in the configuration file.
See the hardware installation and maintenance publication for your product for specific information about configuring the processor configuration register for factory diagnostic mode. Table 16 summarizes the hardware or software settings required by the various products to set factory diagnostic mode.
| Platform | Setting |
|---|---|
| Modular products | Set jumper in bit 15 of the processor configuration register, then restart; remove the jumper when finished. |
| Cisco AS5100
Cisco AS5200 Cisco AS5300 Cisco 1600 series Cisco 2500 series Cisco 3000 series Cisco 3600 series Cisco 4000 series Cisco 4500 series Cisco 7000 series Cisco 7200 series Cisco 7500 series | Use the config-register command to set the processor configuration register to 0x8000, then initialize and boot the system. Use the reload command to restart and set the processor configuration register to 0x2102 when finished. |
Identification support allows you to query a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) port for identification. This feature enables an unsecure protocol, described in RFC 1413, to report the identity of a client initiating a TCP connection and a host responding to the connection. With identification support, you can connect a TCP port on a host, issue a simple text string to request information, and receive a simple text-string reply.
To configure identification support, perform the following task in global configuration mode:
| Task | Command |
|---|---|
| Enable identification support. | ip identd |
This section describes multiple privilege level and username authentication examples and contains the following sections:
This section provides examples of using multiple privilege levels to specify who can access different sets of commands.
If you want to allow users to clear lines, you can do either of the following:
privilege exec level 1 clear line
enable password level 2 pswd2
privilege exec level 2 clear line
In the following example, you define an enable password for privilege level 10 for system operators and make clear and debug commands available to anyone with that privilege level enabled.
enable password level 10 pswd10 privilege exec level 10 clear line privilege exec level 10 debug ppp chap privilege exec level 10 debug ppp error privilege exec level 10 debug ppp negotiation
The following example lowers the privilege level of the show running-config command and most configuration commands to operator level so that the configuration can be viewed by an operator. It leaves the privilege level of the configure command at 15. Individual configuration commands are displayed in the show running-config output only if the privilege level for a command has been lowered to 10. Users are allowed to see only those commands that have a privilege level less than or equal to their current privilege level.
enable password level 15 pswd15 privilege exec level 15 configure enable password level 10 pswd10 privilege exec level 10 show running-config
In the following example, the show ip route command is set to privilege level 15. To keep all show ip and show commands from also being set to privilege level 15, these commands are specified to be privilege level 1.
privilege exec level 15 show ip route privilege exec level 1 show ip privilege exec level 1 show
The following sample configuration sets up secret passwords on Routers A, B, and C, to enable the three routers to connect to each other.
To authenticate connections between Routers A and B, enter the following commands:
On Router A:
username B password a-b_secret
On Router B:
username A password a-b_secret
To authenticate connections between Routers A and C, enter the following commands:
On Router A:
username C password a-c_secret
On Router C:
username A password a-c_secret
To authenticate connections between Routers B and C, enter the following commands:
On Router B:
username C password b-c_secret
On Router C:
username B password b-c_secret
For example, suppose you enter the following command:
username bill password westward
The system displays this command as follows:
username bill password 7 21398211
The encrypted version of the password is 21398211. The password was encrypted by the Cisco-defined encryption algorithm, as indicated by the "7."
However, if you enter the following command, the system determines that the password is already encrypted and performs no encryption. Instead, it displays the command exactly as you entered it:
username bill password 7 21398211username bill password 7 21398211
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