Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Access to MacBook without known password

BlackBun

BlackBun

Suspended
Original poster
Oct 20, 2020
248
842
Wokingham U.K.
OK so I might be missing something here.
My MacBook Pro m1 didn’t accept my password to login for some inexplicable reason so I used the reset password assistant.

If you forgot your Mac login password - Apple Support

If you can’t log in to your Mac user account, try these solutions.
support.apple.com support.apple.com

This allowed me to reset the password without any drama or specialist know how and then login and have full access to everything on my MacBook including passwords, apps, documents.

Would someone please talk to me about security?
 
BlackBun said:
No, it wouldn’t accept my password at all. Kept locking me out. That’s why I looked for a way in on the Google search.
Click to expand...
This is exactly what I did.
 

Attachments

  • 839F620C-CDE0-4353-939C-82B5F036E7C5.png
    839F620C-CDE0-4353-939C-82B5F036E7C5.png
    445.1 KB · Views: 180
There was no such response. I got the terminal window dialogue box and simply typed in resetpassword which then let me choose and confirm a new password and then login. The reason I went through this is because my mac wouldn’t accept my original password.
 
All this occurred and was witnessed by six of my students. We assumed there would be a dismissal of this event by the powers that be. One student is undertaking a dissertation on data protection and no doubt this will end up in the appendix or glossary.
 
This does all seem very strange!

The link you quoted was the follow up to this one:

If you've forgotten your Mac login password

As far as I can see all options involve knowing Apple ID, FileVault key or Recovery key.

I can't boot my M1 MBA to Recovery without a user password.

Have you asked Apple?

If it really was this simple to reset password on a stolen Mac it would be big headlines. There are enough people out there ready to stick the knife in!

Edit...not implying yours is stolen, but your experience implies it would be easy to steal Macs and reset password.
 
Last edited:
Isn't this a known issue/feature and discussed since its appearance years ago?

For instance:
www.chriswrites.com

I’ve forgotten my Mac's password! What should I do? - ChrisWrites.com

Passwords are essential for securing your Mac, but what happens if you forget your password? Does it mean you can never log into your Mac again?
www.chriswrites.com www.chriswrites.com

Go to 'Use Recovery Mode'

<quote> ... it does mean that anyone can change your Mac’s
password simply by booting into Recovery Mode ... </quote>

(a possible solution is FileVault)

Testing the current situation on a M1 with Ventura 13.2.1

Reboot in Recovery mode (no password needed)
Launch Terminal (no password needed)
Execute resetpassword (no password needed)
Fill in new password etc. (no old password needed)
Execute reboot (no password needed)
Usual Ventura login screen: use new password
Voila, you're back in, only thing that's changed is your password.

And you didn't need a password to reset it...

HTH
 
Last edited:
When I boot my M2 MBA to Recovery mode, I reach this screen. If I select my user I have to enter password then it proceeds to launch Recovery.

Screenshot 2023-02-18 at 10.18.05.png


Are you saying that if you select "Forgot All Passwords" you can re-set the password without any other authentication?

I don't want to reset my password so not testing this, but presume you have?

The above is the same with FileVault on or off.
 
Last edited:
Mike Boreham said:
I would think so too as resetpassword would only reset the user password not the Filevault password.
Click to expand...
I was thinking more about your post here: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/access-to-macbook-without-known-password.2381019/post-31976703

At my work, that screen appears because all of our Macs are FileVault encrypted, when you click on Forgot All Passwords, you're asked for the Recovery key to unlock the machine. You are then prompted to reset your password (which saves you from goto to Terminal) or Exit to Utilities.

It sounds like the OP doesn't have any security turned on to stop someone from just resetting the password.
 
kitKAC said:
I was thinking more about your post here: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/access-to-macbook-without-known-password.2381019/post-31976703

At my work, that screen appears because all of our Macs are FileVault encrypted, when you click on Forgot All Passwords, you're asked for the Recovery key to unlock the machine. You are then prompted to reset your password (which saves you from goto to Terminal) or Exit to Utilities.

It sounds like the OP doesn't have any security turned on to stop someone from just resetting the password.
Click to expand...

Yes thanks for clarifying. I guess I am surprised that it is possible to reset the password of a non-filevaulted Mac without additional authorisation.
As I understand it a bad actor could access your data and wipe the machine, but activation lock would still prevent him making use of it.
 
Mike Boreham said:
Yes thanks. I guess I am surprised that it is possible to reset the password of a non-filevaulted Mac without additional authorisation.
As I understand it a bad actor could access your data and wipe the machine, but activation lock would still prevent him making use of it.
Click to expand...

Yeah but FileVault is so trivial to set up and for whatever reason someone doesn't want to do that, they live with the possible consequences.
 
  • Like
Reactions: burgman and Mike Boreham
would be great if the OP contacted apple, and let us know what they find out...

EDIT: i use to use the firmware password option on my macs (until around 2016, when i got locked out for some reason; i had to bring my mac to an applestore and leave it overnight, to have apple unlock it).
 
BlackBun said:
All this occurred and was witnessed by six of my students. We assumed there would be a dismissal of this event by the powers that be. One student is undertaking a dissertation on data protection and no doubt this will end up in the appendix or glossary.
Click to expand...

@BlackBun. Useful (for me) thread! I hope you will direct the student doing a dissertation on data protection to the rest of the discussion and the links.
 
fisherking said:
would be great if the OP contacted apple, and let us know what they find out...

EDIT: i use to use the firmware password option on my macs (until around 2016, when i got locked out for some reason; i had to bring my mac to an applestore and leave it overnight, to have apple unlock it).
Click to expand...

FYI Apple Silicon doesn't use firmware passwords.
 
Mike Boreham said:
Agreed but plenty of people don't !
Click to expand...

Also I have been told that if "Find My Mac" is not enabled, it boots straight into Recovery with the option to launch Terminal and therefore the password assistant via "resetpassword", plus the option to "deactivate Mac" (no authentication required).

Maybe @BlackBun did not have Find my Mac enabled? (I have sometimes found it disabled after a macOS update).

Full security requires FileVault, Find my Mac and Two Factor authentication.
 
BlackBun said:
All this occurred and was witnessed by six of my students. We assumed there would be a dismissal of this event by the powers that be. One student is undertaking a dissertation on data protection and no doubt this will end up in the appendix or glossary.
Click to expand...
To all the blinkered, closed minded people who doubted me.

 
No one was doubting you, but if the machine is properly secured by FileVault and/or Activation Lock - that shouldn't happen. So, is that machine FileVault enabled and/or have Activation lock enabled?
 
  • Like
Reactions: burgman and Mike Boreham
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back