Different passwords for root for USB and Wifi

stevejoung · 11-29-2022, 07:27 AM

Hi, thanks to instruction here I have successfully jailbroken (is that the right word?) my PW1 and installed Kual and USBnet. USBnet works as expected and I have logged onto the Kindle via SSH and WiFi and changed the root password. I can log onto the Kindle via WiFi using the new password without issue. But when I try and log onto the Kindle via SSH on the USB cable I can reach the Kindle but when I'm asked for the root password and input the password which works fine for the WiFi SSH I get the following:

root@192.168.15.244's password:
Permission denied, please try again.
root@192.168.15.244's password:
Permission denied, please try again.
root@192.168.15.244's password:
root@192.168.15.244: Permission denied (publickey,password).

What am I doing wrong?

NiLuJe · 11-29-2022, 12:58 PM

Wrong network setup?

stevejoung · 11-30-2022, 03:50 PM

I've been looking into this for days now and I am not getting any further with it and would therefore be really grateful for any tips.

I simply cannot understand why the ssh connection over WiFi works but the ssh connection over usb connects to the Kindle but then the password fails. The root@kindle password must surely be the same whichever interface I connect by.https://www2.mobileread.com/i/smiliesadd1/help.gif

j.p.s · 11-30-2022, 04:05 PM

Why not use ssh public/private key pair to login?

stevejoung · 11-30-2022, 05:48 PM

I am using ssh public/private key pair to login. I have regenerated the pairs several times and they work fine in connecting me to the Kindle. The problem is that after reaching the Kindle I cannot log into it. Here is the output using a new ssh key pair to login:

$ ssh-copy-id root@192.168.15.244
/usr/bin/ssh-copy-id: INFO: attempting to log in with the new key(s), to filter out any that are already installed
/usr/bin/ssh-copy-id: INFO: 1 key(s) remain to be installed -- if you are prompted now it is to install the new keys
root@192.168.15.244's password:
Permission denied, please try again.
root@192.168.15.244's password:
Permission denied, please try again.
root@192.168.15.244's password:
root@192.168.15.244: Permission denied (publickey,password).

It seems to me that on the kindle OS, root@192.168,x,x (my WiFi ssh connection) has a different password to root@192.168.15.244 (the USB ssh connection). None of the suggested passwords (mario, fionaxxx etc) work either.

j.p.s · 11-30-2022, 06:09 PM

I have no idea what ssh-copy-id is, and when ssh keys have been set up no password is involved. The account does not even need a password. (Not having a password is not the same as an empty password.)

I have 5 jailbroken kindles and have never needed to know a root password.

For USBNetworking, the keys go in the userstore , not in root's home .ssh directory. It's all documented in the USBNetworking package.

stevejoung · 12-01-2022, 02:36 AM

There is a root password on the Kindle. When I fist jailbroke my PW1, using instruction I got on this thread, was was told to go to this site to find the root password https://www.sven.de/kindle/# The password was Mario which I changed after my first login (via WiFi).

I think you are wrong to say that the Kindle does not have a root password.

j.p.s · 12-01-2022, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevejoung

There is a root password on the Kindle. When I fist jailbroke my PW1, using instruction I got on this thread, was was told to go to this site to find the root password https://www.sven.de/kindle/# The password was Mario which I changed after my first login (via WiFi).

I think you are wrong to say that the Kindle does not have a root password.

I never wrote that kindles do not have a root password.

I wrote that I have never had to know or use one. That may have been necessary on very old models or when connecting over the serial port. Now that your kindle is jailbroken you do not need a password to configure or use ssh.

stevejoung · 12-02-2022, 03:36 AM

Quote:

Now that your kindle is jailbroken you do not need a password to configure or use ssh.

But I do need a password to enter the kindle OS, at least for the first time, and that is precisely my problem.

When I ssh into the Kindle with WiFi the root password is that which I changed to from "mario".

When I ssh into the Kindle with USB my root password is rejected and neither "mario" nor any other suggestions from https://www.sven.de/kindle/# allow me to enter.

NiLuJe · 12-02-2022, 07:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevejoung

But I do need a password to enter the kindle OS, at least for the first time, and that is precisely my problem.

No you don't. Unless you switch to OpenSSH or enable SSH-over-WiFi, dropbear is patched to let you in despite the root account being locked or passworded (just hit enter).

This gaping hole goes poof once you enable WiFi or switch to OpenSSH, though, but that's not the default setup.

The intent being: you install USBNet, you don't touch anything, you get in over USB, you setup your keypair, and *then* you tweak your settings.

As usual, ssh -vvv is your friend, but my 0.02$ is still that you bungled the USBNet network interface setup setup and you're actually connecting to a completely different device on your network (possibly your actual host).

stevejoung · 12-03-2022, 06:51 AM

After tweaking my Ubuntu Linux USB ethernet connection and using ssh -vvv to see what was happening, I am finally able to connect to my PW both via cable and WiFi. I am using OpenSSH rather than Dropbear, but now I don't need a password for either method of connection, I'll have to look at the configuration files again to find out how that happened, but would like to thank you all for your patience. This has been a steep learning curve for me.

11-29-2022, 07:27 AM	#1
stevejoung Member Posts: 24 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2014 Device: Kindle Paperwhite	Different passwords for root for USB and Wifi Hi, thanks to instruction here I have successfully jailbroken (is that the right word?) my PW1 and installed Kual and USBnet. USBnet works as expected and I have logged onto the Kindle via SSH and WiFi and changed the root password. I can log onto the Kindle via WiFi using the new password without issue. But when I try and log onto the Kindle via SSH on the USB cable I can reach the Kindle but when I'm asked for the root password and input the password which works fine for the WiFi SSH I get the following: root@192.168.15.244's password: Permission denied, please try again. root@192.168.15.244's password: Permission denied, please try again. root@192.168.15.244's password: root@192.168.15.244: Permission denied (publickey,password). What am I doing wrong?

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11-29-2022, 12:58 PM	#2
NiLuJe BLAM! Posts: 13,477 Karma: 26012494 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Paris, France Device: Kindle 2i, 3g, 4, 5w, PW, PW2, PW5; Kobo H2O, Forma, Elipsa, Sage, C2E	Wrong network setup?

11-30-2022, 03:50 PM	#3
stevejoung Member Posts: 24 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2014 Device: Kindle Paperwhite	I've been looking into this for days now and I am not getting any further with it and would therefore be really grateful for any tips. I simply cannot understand why the ssh connection over WiFi works but the ssh connection over usb connects to the Kindle but then the password fails. The root@kindle password must surely be the same whichever interface I connect by.https://www2.mobileread.com/i/smiliesadd1/help.gif

11-30-2022, 04:05 PM	#4
j.p.s Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,278 Karma: 98804578 Join Date: Apr 2011 Device: pb360	Why not use ssh public/private key pair to login?

11-30-2022, 05:48 PM	#5
stevejoung Member Posts: 24 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2014 Device: Kindle Paperwhite	I am using ssh public/private key pair to login. I have regenerated the pairs several times and they work fine in connecting me to the Kindle. The problem is that after reaching the Kindle I cannot log into it. Here is the output using a new ssh key pair to login: $ ssh-copy-id root@192.168.15.244 /usr/bin/ssh-copy-id: INFO: attempting to log in with the new key(s), to filter out any that are already installed /usr/bin/ssh-copy-id: INFO: 1 key(s) remain to be installed -- if you are prompted now it is to install the new keys root@192.168.15.244's password: Permission denied, please try again. root@192.168.15.244's password: Permission denied, please try again. root@192.168.15.244's password: root@192.168.15.244: Permission denied (publickey,password). It seems to me that on the kindle OS, root@192.168,x,x (my WiFi ssh connection) has a different password to root@192.168.15.244 (the USB ssh connection). None of the suggested passwords (mario, fionaxxx etc) work either.

11-30-2022, 06:09 PM	#6
j.p.s Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,278 Karma: 98804578 Join Date: Apr 2011 Device: pb360	I have no idea what ssh-copy-id is, and when ssh keys have been set up no password is involved. The account does not even need a password. (Not having a password is not the same as an empty password.) I have 5 jailbroken kindles and have never needed to know a root password. For USBNetworking, the keys go in the userstore , not in root's home .ssh directory. It's all documented in the USBNetworking package.

12-01-2022, 02:36 AM	#7
stevejoung Member Posts: 24 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2014 Device: Kindle Paperwhite	There is a root password on the Kindle. When I fist jailbroke my PW1, using instruction I got on this thread, was was told to go to this site to find the root password https://www.sven.de/kindle/# The password was Mario which I changed after my first login (via WiFi). I think you are wrong to say that the Kindle does not have a root password.

12-03-2022, 06:51 AM	#11
stevejoung Member Posts: 24 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2014 Device: Kindle Paperwhite	After tweaking my Ubuntu Linux USB ethernet connection and using ssh -vvv to see what was happening, I am finally able to connect to my PW both via cable and WiFi. I am using OpenSSH rather than Dropbear, but now I don't need a password for either method of connection, I'll have to look at the configuration files again to find out how that happened, but would like to thank you all for your patience. This has been a steep learning curve for me.