Impact of shadow file 'lastchg' parameter NULL or 0?


 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Top Forums UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers Impact of shadow file 'lastchg' parameter NULL or 0?
# 1  
Old 03-18-2008
Impact of shadow file 'lastchg' parameter NULL or 0?

I've encountered shadow files where the "lastchg" parameters are set to NULL and also zero (0) for some Solaris machines (one running v10, one running v8).

I was wondering what impact this has on password ageing, and therefore enforced password change.

Does the NULL mean the account has never been logged on, and therefore the parameter never set?

Does the NULL mean the account is effectively disabled?

Does the NULL mean the account's password will never age as the calculation of age cannot be performed using a NULL?

Same questions for the zero (0).

Thanks in advance.
 
Login or Register to Ask a Question

Previous Thread | Next Thread

10 More Discussions You Might Find Interesting

1. Solaris

Passwd -l or -u modifies lastchg field in /etc/shadow file

Hi, I have a Solaris 10 box where password aging is not functioning properly. Using the passwd command with the -l or -u options causes the lastchg field in the /etc/shadow file to be modified. Therefore, if a user's password is set to expire in 90 days and they are 1 day away, all they have... (4 Replies)
Discussion started by: cschar
4 Replies

2. Shell Programming and Scripting

How to get the parameter value from the parameter file in perl?

hi all, i have a parameter file of following format, i want a method which can get the value of specific parameter. parameter file format: <Parameter Name="FileLocationWindows"> <Description> The directory location of the logger file. ... (1 Reply)
Discussion started by: laxmikant.hcl
1 Replies

3. UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

Shadow file help

As a part of linux hardening In shadow file all Application accounts which are not locked must contain only an asterisk “*” in the Passwd field. But how would i do it by using command? Is there any way other than modifying shadow file to accomplish this task? (3 Replies)
Discussion started by: pinga123
3 Replies

4. Solaris

delete shadow file

hi everybody i 'm beginner in solaris and by mistake i removed shadow file any one can help me to restore it from passwd file (4 Replies)
Discussion started by: maxim42
4 Replies

5. Shell Programming and Scripting

Shadow file

Hi, In shadow file smithj:Ep6mckrOLChF.:10063:0:99999:7::: 3rd Field 10063 indicates the number of days (since January 1, 1970) since the password was last changed. I want to get the result with script the date on which the password was last changed in YYYY-MM-DD format. can... (8 Replies)
Discussion started by: pinnacle
8 Replies

6. UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

Shadow File

I see conflicting definitions for the shadow file. For Solaris, what are the fields please? Thanks. (3 Replies)
Discussion started by: DavidS
3 Replies

7. UNIX for Advanced & Expert Users

/etc/shadow file....

Does anyone know what "!!" represents in the password field of the /etc/shadow file? :confused: (6 Replies)
Discussion started by: avcert1998
6 Replies

8. Solaris

*LK* in /etc/shadow file

my etc/shadow file showing *LK* for a particular user.. can u tell me under which circumstances a user is locked (5 Replies)
Discussion started by: vikashtulsiyan
5 Replies

9. UNIX for Advanced & Expert Users

shadow file

what does 'x' in the encrypted password field in /etc/shaodw file represent? (3 Replies)
Discussion started by: jbashir
3 Replies

10. UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

shadow file

Sirs, What is a shadow file,How it be usefull.For my project i have to keep the password in shawdow file also i am doing in php how can i do it. Thanks in advance, ArunKumar (3 Replies)
Discussion started by: arunkumar_mca
3 Replies
Login or Register to Ask a Question
pwconv(8)						      System Manager's Manual							 pwconv(8)

NAME
pwconv - convert to shadow account SYNOPSIS
pwconv [-P path] DESCRIPTION
pwconv installs and updates /etc/shadow with information from /etc/passwd. It relies on the special password 'x' in the password field of the account. This value indicates that the password for the user is already in /etc/shadow and should not be modified. If /etc/shadow does not exist, pwconv creates this file, moves the user password to it and creates default aging informations with the help of the values of PASS_MIN_DAYS, PASS_MAX_DAYS and PASS_WARN_AGE from /etc/login.defs. The password field in /etc/passwd is replaced with the special character 'x'. If the /etc/shadow does exist, entries that are in the /etc/passwd file and not in the /etc/shadow file are added to the /etc/shadow file. Accounts, which only exist in /etc/passwd, are added to /etc/shadow. Entries that are in /etc/shadow and not in /etc/passwd are removed from /etc/shadow. All passwords from /etc/passwd are moved to /etc/shadow and replaced with the special character 'x'. pwconv can be used for initial conversion and for updates later. OPTIONS
-P, --path path The passwd and shadow files are located below the specified directory path. pwconv will use this files, not /etc/passwd and /etc/shadow. FILES
passwd - user account information shadow - shadow user account information SEE ALSO
passwd(1), login.defs(5), passwd(5), shadow(5), pwck(8), pwunconv(8) AUTHOR
Thorsten Kukuk <kukuk@suse.de> pwdutils January 2004 pwconv(8)