How to Hack the User Password in Mac OS X Without an OS X CD.

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How to Hack the User Password in Mac OS X Without an OS X CD.

22 May 2009 by Vinay 45 Comments

Earlier we published How to Change or Reset user’s password in Mac OS X and How to Reset the Administrator Account Password in Mac OS X. But these method needs to you logged in to OS X or you must have a OS X Installation disc. But what to do if you don’t have an OS X CD or don’t evem know the Admin password. Here we have two simple tricks based on the loop holes of Mac OS X to hack your Mac user account by changing it’s password with simple command lines. In first method we used single user mode exploit all you have to do is just power the Mac and enter in Single User mode by –S command in advanced options. So if you think your Mac is the most secured OS please take a look at the steps given below.

Hack 1 Single User Mode :

Boot into single user mode (press Command-S at power on)
Type fsck -fy
Type mount -uw /
Type launchctl load /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.DirectoryServices.plist
Type dscl . -passwd /Users/username password, replace “username” with the targeted user and “password” with the password you wants.
Reboot

The following trick is not resetting the OS X password, that is called creating a new account and taking over someone else’s computer with a fresh start. Removing the AppleSetupDone file will just trick OS X into thinking its the first time its been powered up, and take you through registration process. To reset your OS X password without an OS X CD you need to enter terminal perform the following commands.

Hack 2 Fooling OS X with Registration Process :

Reboot
Hold apple + s down after you hear the chime.
When you get text prompt enter in these terminal commands to create a brand new admin account (hitting return after each line):
- mount -uw /
- rm /var/db/.AppleSetupDone
- shutdown -h now
After rebooting you should have a brand new admin account. When you login as the new admin you can simply delete the old one and you’re good to go again!

To Avoid these types of hack remember to block single user mode by setting a firmware password and don’t forget the password

45 Comments »

sam2 said:

hello

Do you have more exploits for the os x?
You don’t like to public send pls on my mail…

# 24 May 2009 at 5:35 am

srikanth said:

Hello

I am getting a reply that says “launchct1: command not found”. This is after the step 4 in HACK1.

I am trying it on an apple iBook.

Thank you

# 29 May 2009 at 3:02 am

eric said:

i am so lost. i am comp illiterate. can anyone help me with the first option listed at top of page?

# 30 May 2009 at 6:46 pm

Benjamin Neal » How to hack a Mac said:

[...] The first method fools the mac into thinking it has never been setup, allowing a new admin account to be created (same as when you first run a mac from the box). This new account doesn’t overwrite the old account, but does allow access to their files and folders. This method is more of a joke, and can be quite amusing, when unsuspecting housemates try to login and think that someone has wiped their mac. The way this method works is by deleting the ‘AppleSetupDone’ file and can be found here. [...]

# 1 June 2009 at 5:00 am

g said:

the trouble im having with hack 1 is it says socket not connected for part 4, and my issue with hack 2 is i dont have disk permissions how do i obtain permissions?

# 7 June 2009 at 12:55 pm

lia said:

umzz .hhoww do u reboot the computer .. in hack 2 ??? it says reboot THEN press apple + s /…. can n e one please tell me where the reboot button it ??

# 25 June 2009 at 8:06 pm

happy bob said:

i think if u type “reset” it’ll reboot…not sure but worked for me with rEFIt

# 13 August 2009 at 2:35 am

Will said:

I tried first 1 but it will still not work!]
2nd one says I don’t have permissin

# 17 August 2009 at 5:42 am

Jp said:

I used hack 2 on a comp i bout used and it really worked. THe thing i was havin trouble with while doin it was the sapces basically if it looks like a space it is but this works great!!!

# 25 August 2009 at 9:05 pm

Dinesh said:

How To Hack Windows XP password

# 1 September 2009 at 7:09 pm

Jalaco said:

will I lose any files on other users?

# 11 September 2009 at 7:06 am

LJ said:

Used hack 2…@ first looked like I lost all files but logged in as another user and found all my files. Just needed this because somehow my admin name and passwords were not being recognized. THANKS A LOT!!! u saved me so much time.

# 14 September 2009 at 11:51 am

Veronica said:

Hey, does this work for OSX 10.6?

I’m so forgetful with my passwords =/

If not, does anyone know how I can use a similar procedure for 10.6?

# 7 October 2009 at 2:37 am

Alex said:

does this work on iMac’s as well?

# 10 December 2009 at 2:05 pm

Ipodfreek said:

The second one worked like magic! at first, I thought that it reset the computer but it didn’t!
*whew* thank you thank you thank you!

# 5 January 2010 at 7:32 am

dan said:

Just like magic. Now I can update my system. Thanks

# 12 January 2010 at 11:05 pm

bryan said:

hack 1 and 2 did not work…Then i checked my files and i dont have the com.apple.directoryservices.plist……what is the reasonin for that any help?

# 20 January 2010 at 5:10 am

Clive said:

Worked Perfectly, Thanks

# 20 January 2010 at 3:15 pm

Johnni said:

This is what worked for me on my iBook G4 running OSX 10.4 (worked meaning – created new admin account/passwrd without losing information on other user accounts – allowing me to do things that I previously couldn’t access on my second hand laptop) :

—-
restart your computer, hold down Command-S and type in the following:

/sbin/fsck -y [Enter]

/sbin/mount -uaw [Enter]

rm /var/db/.applesetupdone [Enter]

reboot [Enter]

I found this information on this page:
http://nothing.golddave.com/?p=62#comment-103546

# 20 January 2010 at 7:49 pm

ashish said:

without login how 2 hack window7????????

# 13 February 2010 at 4:27 pm

Sam Bryant said:

Not that I would ever use this method to install games on my school computers, but, how noticable will this be on a network? I’m gone in two months so I dont care if it is traceable, I just need to know that I can fool around while I wait college letters without being caught.

# 2 March 2010 at 12:20 am

Colin Mitchell said:

Can you tell me, does option one leave the original administrator user name and password on the computer and just create a new one ? or does it change the original admin user name and password ?

# 13 March 2010 at 2:17 pm

Kathy said:

Thank you so much for this. I had replaced a dead drive with a spare (which had been used on the same computer a couple of years ago) and installed Snow Leopard, only to have the process stop a bit early. It left me with accounts that had previously existed on the drive, but none of them were administrators! I had no administrator account at all!! The second hack worked perfectly, forcing the Welcome window to appear and an administrator account to be created. All is back to normal functioning now!

# 21 March 2010 at 12:42 pm

ELIZABETH said:

Necesito ayuda urgente
Hace un tiempo atrás active el filevauld de mi mac y un día se bloqueo mi mac cuando intente prenderlo nada me pide la contraseña y la verdad no la tengo, no la recuerdo. Por ello pienso que un hacker me puede ayudar,, he ido a varios lados pero nada me dicen que esta encriptada. Mira la verdad todos los archivos los quiero recuperar pues solo me sirven a mi pues son trabajos academicos y trabajos que hago de diseño, fotos y recuerdos de viajes, lo que quiero recuperar es algo más personal, más sentimental, algo que realmente solo yo le puedo dar utilidad.
La verdad espero me puedas ayudar o recomendar a alguien, deseo inmensamente poder recuperar toda mi información. Estoy dispuesta a pagar.

# 24 March 2010 at 8:11 am

jerry said:

wow it worked!!! that was incredibly easy!!! by the way people its an L (lowercase) not a 1 (one) in launchctl

# 24 April 2010 at 5:02 am

marco said:

Hi Everyone

Hope someone could help me…

I was trying the “Hack 1 Single User Mode”

at step 3, after typing “mount -uw /” the battery died so the mac.

Now even if I digit “command+S” nothing happens plus after a while the video goes black…

Thanks
Marco

# 10 May 2010 at 7:59 pm

liz said:

But… ok… I got a free tower from work, and now we can’t remember the password on it. This hack will work… but I don’t have an apple keyboard, so no apple key, no command key… Halp!

# 22 June 2010 at 11:10 pm

Lesedi said:

Hack 2 works like a charm… You might need to do it twice and wait for a minute after your machines shuts down…

Back your shit up first….

# 24 June 2010 at 7:06 pm

albel said:

It is a good method to hack mac ox user password. I found another method below.
http://www.macpassword.com/how-to-reset-root-user-password-on-mac-os-x.html

It tells us how to hack root password.

# 23 July 2010 at 12:36 pm

kook said:

Could someone post a more in detail the steps for #2. I restarted my computer and held command-s but nothing happens

# 21 August 2010 at 7:16 pm

Seam said:

it works fine, i did the 2nd option and everything is ok, i kept all my files and yayyyyy… i created a new account, delete the other one and transfer all my files…. put dont forget to put the space and AppleSetupDone dont forget to put the capital letter

# 30 September 2010 at 3:21 am

Used ibook said:

It don’t work now

# 7 October 2010 at 9:01 pm

Used ibook said:

Sweet thanks works great the single user mode tricked the book into set up cool

# 8 October 2010 at 5:18 pm

ethan said:

okay, i am really confused, will either hack delete anything on your computer? Also does it have the posibility of messing up anything on your computer??

# 12 October 2010 at 5:26 am

Damian said:

Hi i’m trying to get my parents password because they have their own account and me and my older brother have a guest account with parental controls on it. Is there anyway without erasing or changing ANYTHING to get the password.

# 15 October 2010 at 12:59 am

Paul said:

Ok, so our video productions class at our school has multiple some what new macs running osx and one of which the admin password was changed and they had no way of accessing it. so i found this website for them and did my magic and everything went through okay (btw i did the Hack 2 Fooling OS X with Registration Process) and just as had finished the process, it looked like it had been completely restored! i lost their $3000 final cut pro programs, all our footage, past videos examples, and a national award winning C- SPAN! before i could sign out the bell rang, so idk if i ruined it or not but i need help!!!

# 30 November 2010 at 7:14 am

Torrin said:

Im using my mac computer and I cant figure out what the apple symbol is or its just command.

# 1 December 2010 at 6:58 am

yaw said:

thanks buddy,
you just made my day!!

# 21 January 2011 at 4:01 am

Anthony said:

Friend, can you tell me how to hacking/unlock password another user from my MAC OS computer (via LAN)networking. Please send me the Answer and thanks to HELPing Me.

URGEN ….

# 23 January 2011 at 11:57 pm

John said:

is there any way to reset the master password without it?

# 25 January 2011 at 8:23 pm

tim said:

If i use the second hack and it will obviously start up as if it was the first time . if i register everything as asked will i keep everything that was on my mac before ? Afraid of loosing it all !!

# 26 January 2011 at 9:39 am

christian said:

I got an Imac for free in a yardsale it has a password that i cant get around and it runs on mac os 9.2 not osx. how do i get around the password without a disc? none of the shortcuts work on macos 9.2

# 26 January 2011 at 9:50 pm