Question

Reset Cisco PIX 501 to factory default or reset password

Asked by: tammieb

I am having so hard time accomplishing this b/s i am connected through hyperterminal to this pix and i don't know the ip it is assigned nor i have the password to get to it.  i read the process listed below from cisco, but i am on the monitor and any command i type is not working b/s the available commands after i enter help are very few including enabe, login, logout, pager and quit.  i have the file downloaded from cisco and i have installed tftp.  


To use the NP files, put them into a folder accessible by your TFTP server and perform the following steps:

1. Reboot the PIX
2. Enter the Monitor Mode (press Break or Esc to interrupt flash boot)  -- this is where i am stock.
3. At the Monitor > prompt, type the following commands:
Interface 1 <Enter> This sets the inside interface for TFTP
Addresses a.b.c.d <Enter> Use the inside interface of your PIX from the map for a.b.c.d
Server m.n.o.p <Enter> Use the address of your TFTP Server for m.n.o.p
File NP63.bin <Enter> Use the file that is correct for your version of PIX OS
TFTP <Enter> To start the download
4. Type y when presented with the question "Do you wish to erase the passwords? [yn]"

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Asked On
2007-09-20 at 19:00:15ID22843211
Tags

pix

,

cisco

,

501

,

reset

,

password

Topic

Cisco PIX Firewall

Participating Experts
4
Points
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Comments
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Answers

 

by: arrkerr1024Posted on 2007-09-20 at 21:03:38ID: 19933280

It sounds like the pix completed booting and you need to "enable" to access privileged mode before you can do anything.  You say you're at the monitor, but are you actually seeing a "monitor>" prompt?  If not, you didn't hit the break key when it was booting.  Make sure you're actually hitting the break key - some keyboards require you to hit the control key, or on my dell laptop break is the Fn key and the pause key (it says break in blue letters meaning hit the Fn key at the same time).

Here are the docs from cisco on recovering a password:
http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/110/34.shtml#pix_without

 

by: arrkerr1024Posted on 2007-09-20 at 21:06:54ID: 19933293

I guess you can also hit the escape key, which you also mentioned.  Per the cisco link I posted above, you should see something close to the following - if you don't have that monitor> prompt you didn't break it correctly.

monitor>interface 0
0: i8255X @ PCI(bus:0 dev:13 irq:10)
1: i8255X @ PCI(bus:0 dev:14 irq:7 )
 
Using 0: i82559 @ PCI(bus:0 dev:13 irq:10), MAC: 0050.54ff.82b9
monitor>address 10.21.1.99
address 10.21.1.99
monitor>server 172.18.125.3
server 172.18.125.3
monitor>file np52.bin
file np52.bin
monitor>gateway 10.21.1.1
gateway 10.21.1.1
monitor>ping 172.18.125.3
Sending 5, 100-byte 0xf8d3 ICMP Echoes to 172.18.125.3, timeout is 4 seconds:
!!!!!
Success rate is 100 percent (5/5)
monitor>tftp
tftp np52.bin@172.18.125.3 via 10.21.1.1...................................
Received 73728 bytes
 
Cisco Secure PIX Firewall password tool (3.0) #0: Tue Aug 22 23:22:19 PDT 2000
Flash=i28F640J5 @ 0x300
BIOS Flash=AT29C257 @ 0xd8000
 
Do you wish to erase the passwords? [yn] y
Passwords have been erased.
 
Rebooting....

 

by: tammiebPosted on 2007-09-20 at 22:15:37ID: 19933452

i know, all of that i did hit esc and also tried fn > break and i do see the monitor.  when i type enable or en it will ask for password which i don't have the password.  

or if i type interface 0 or any other command i get command is not available press help or ? for available commands.

 

by: PeteLongPosted on 2007-09-21 at 04:19:58ID: 19934562

 

by: arrkerr1024Posted on 2007-09-21 at 06:39:00ID: 19935404

That walkthrough is exactly like Cisco's posted earlier.

tamieb, can you run through the sequence that you'd doing, get in to monitor mode, and then type the ? so we can see the available commands, and do a "sh ver".?  But before you do it, in hyperterminal go to "tranfer->capture text" and have it save a log file.  Then paste that in a reply so that we can see what you see.

My suspicion is that you still aren't getting in to monitor mode, which can be quite tricky - but being able to see what you see would be a big help.

We'll get it!

 

by: PeteLongPosted on 2007-09-21 at 10:14:27ID: 19937325

>>My suspicion is that you still aren't getting in to monitor mode

If your prompt looks like "monitor>" then you are in Monitor mode

 

by: ngravattPosted on 2007-09-21 at 14:04:34ID: 19939200

when you are in monitor mode, to load the password reset program, you DO NOT need the enable command. or a password. Boot, break, and monitor>prompt, type
interface x
address 10.10.10.10
server 10.10.10.11
file np52.bin
gateway 10.10.10.1
ping 10.10.10.11
tftp
y

use a crossover cable and connect it directly to from you PC NIC to an ethernet interface on the PIX.

 

by: arrkerr1024Posted on 2007-09-21 at 14:10:49ID: 19939258

right, but tammieb can't not type "interface x", whatever mode tammieb is in does not have the interface command - which is why I'm thinking it can't be the monitor mode.

Hopefully a capture will tell us more.

 

by: tammiebPosted on 2007-09-21 at 21:35:14ID: 19940612

thanks guys for all your help.  but PeteLong was the reason i solved my problem and his website was very clear and easy to follow.  i appreciate all of you though.  

 

by: arrkerr1024Posted on 2007-09-22 at 04:46:37ID: 19941241

So what was the problem?

 

by: PeteLongPosted on 2007-09-22 at 06:35:08ID: 19941498

ThanQ

 

by: nsturdevantPosted on 2010-09-16 at 09:05:57ID: 33693416

I have a question (2 actually) I notice you have put a gateway command in there....is that necessary if you're going through a router like the cisco diagram showed?
Next question why/how does the local pc that I'm using to console into my PIX with block outgoing ICMP traffic via the console port....I can ping through network objects fine...
Appreciate the help....

 

by: nsturdevantPosted on 2010-09-16 at 09:07:54ID: 33693437

So sorry....submitted even after proof reading...I DON"T have the router in place.....Should have read "not going through a router"

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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