25 November 2008 14 Comments

How to Change the default alpine SSH password on your iPhone

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While playing around with a couple of applications today, I realized that my iPhone was showing up in Cyberduck over Bonjour, something I’d somehow managed to not figure out until now ! Now I use BossPrefs to turn off SSH when I’m not using it, but I know a lot of people won’t. This got me thinking; do they all run using the default username and password ? Considering the entire iPhone hacking community knows what they are, that can’t be a good thing !

After a quick download and a few commands, I’d changed my password to something a little more secure, and here’s how you can too….

First off, fire up Cydia and download an application called MobileTerminal. It’s nice and small so shouldn’t take too long. Once downloaded launch it and you’ll be faced with a screen very much like the screenshot over on the left. It’s basically a terminal window just like OS X and linux.

Now just enter the command:

passwd

Now you’ll be asked for your old password which should be ‘alpine’, followed by your new one (twice). Nice and simple.

Now you can sleep easy at night knowing that your jailbroken iPhone’s now just a little more secure.

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14 Responses to “How to Change the default alpine SSH password on your iPhone”

  1. paolo29 14 November 2009 at 5:22 pm #

    hi there my terminal wont allow me to enter the old password, hitting keys nut nothings happening but the return key still wks???

  2. Zooko 12 November 2009 at 11:20 am #

    Alternative method (if you dont want mobile terminal, I didnt, I’d FUBAR the phone in minutes with that kind of access..) You can do it through Terminal (Mac users only) or any SSH program for PC. First find your iphones IP address, usually 192.168.1.x (this is the most common iphone IP address, check for yours in settings ->WiFi, then click the blue arrow beside your network) mine is 192.168.1.65, so il be using that for illustration purposes.

    Type: ssh root@192.168.1.65
    it will then ask for your password, alpine.
    you will then be connected through Secure SHell to your device.
    Type: passwd
    it will ask for your old password
    type your old password in, then it will ask for your new one twice, once to verify it.

    TA DA!! your done. however its also advisable to repeat these steps for the user mobile.

    type: ssh mobile@192.168.1.65

    then follow the same steps, i believe the default password for user: mobile is meant to be dottie but for some reason mine was alpine for both. try em both, you cant really go wrong.

  3. Roberto Meissner 10 November 2009 at 12:54 pm #

    I just installed Blackra1n through Cydia. I have not touched anything else. All I want is the carrier unlock to use my previous 3G on overseas trips with local phone operators as I have my 3GS to use at home. I am subject to this vulnerability ? What steps are required with OS 3.1.2 ?

  4. Roadcarver 9 November 2009 at 12:34 pm #

    Great info, thanks for the quick tutorial. This is a good especially with that new Rick Astley virus going around targetting JB’d phones that haven’t changed their default pw.

  5. bushbrother 9 November 2009 at 10:35 am #

    Thanks … nice and easy, remember to do the same for root as Mark says above :)

  6. Russ 9 November 2009 at 8:39 am #

    Hi Just wanted to say great tip, and great Website keep up the good work, it is much appreciated.
    Russ.

  7. muphinDOTnet 10 September 2009 at 9:58 pm #

    If people still leave the default user/pass its only accessible while the phone is active, as soon as the screen goes blank your connection is cut off

  8. Brian 20 August 2009 at 9:32 am #

    Thanks! The two accounts was holding me up so I really appreciate your post. Finally got both changed now! :)

  9. Mark 3 August 2009 at 2:37 pm #

    There are two user accounts on your iPhone that you need to change the password for: mobile and root.

    Follow the instructions above to change the password for mobile. When that is done, type “login” and hit enter. You’ll be prompted for user name and password, use “root” and “alpine”. Then enter passwd again, and this time you’re changing the password for root.

    /mark

  10. theduck 26 July 2009 at 2:34 am #

    thanks! Works well on my 2g phone running 3.0.

  11. gerasim 2 July 2009 at 11:16 am #

    Hi. How about 3.0 firmware? i’ve jailbreak my ipod 1Gen with it. install throught iCy MobileTernial but it close suddenly… OpenSSH i’was install via iCy too and triyng to connect to ipod via xfceterm but resolve the password…

    thanks

  12. dkk 9 June 2009 at 10:15 pm #

    i did this ages ago, but now have forgotten what i changed it to.

    how can i recover/reset the password without the password?

  13. Thecheshirecat 24 May 2009 at 7:44 am #

    Cheers! just what i wanted… i turn off SSH using bosspref but everytime I reboot my iphone 3G it turns it back on again!!! have to remember to switch it back off, its easy to forget to do it


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