retrieve / recover sa password

Question

retrieve / recover sa password

Yoel Sommer-283163

SSC Veteran

Points: 271
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January 26, 2006 at 7:54 am

#96457

Hi all!
We just finished installing our new server with SQL Server 2005.
One of our older applications is apparently using the sa login to connect to on of the databases on the server. Not only that, the password is hard coded
As no one knows the actual sa password on the old server (SQL 2000) is there a way to retrieve / recover /transfer the sa password to the new server?
Thanks,
Yoel
May 31, 2017 at 7:13 am

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K. Brian Kelley SSC Guru Points: 114642 More actions · Answer 1

If you can do a packet trace, that's the easiest way. Otherwise you'd need a tool like SQLCrack or SQL Squirrel (from NGS Software) on the old server. If you can get a packet trace from your network guys when the application logs in, you can find the password fairly easily (assuming no encryption is going on for the connection):

An article I wrote takes you through the process of decrypting the password step-by-step:

SQL Server Security: Login Weaknesses

If you want to see the original references that detailed the weakness and how to utilize it, see the references at the bottom of the article.

K. Brian Kelley
@kbriankelley

Yelena Varshal SSC-Dedicated Points: 34286 More actions · Answer 2

Did you try SA with a blank password or SA with sa password?

Are you sure that nobody actually knows the SA password for the server?

Did you run the profiler to make sure that it is SA who is logging to the database?

What is the application code? Is it a web application, VB application? MS ACCESS? Excel? I actually know how to get the password from the Excel front end in some cases.

Did you search the server folders for the file with the word "password" ? Some developers and sysadmins document their work and the installation description or maintenance document could be actually present on the server. Also, there could be a configuration file in the application directory that contains the connection string.

Did you actually try to locate the previous support person and call him or her?

Regards,Yelena Varsha

Yoel Sommer-283163 SSC Veteran Points: 271 More actions · Answer 3

I tried BKellys advice and it worked great! SQLCrack gave me the password in less than 5 mintues.

Thanks all for your help!

Yoel

amjadpathan Valued Member Points: 65 More actions · Answer 4

The first thing to do is to open up SQL Server Enterprise Manager and register the same server using Windows Authentication. Once the server has be registered, you can expand the Security node and open the properties of the sa account and change the 'sa' password.

Just a note: The windows account you register the SQL Server with must have admin privledges.

tosscrosby SSCoach Points: 18045 More actions · Answer 5

amjadpathan, while I'm sure your intentions are good, you do know you've responded to a thread that's been dormant for 30 months, don't you?

-- You can't be late until you show up.

SanjayAttray SSChampion Points: 13157 More actions · Answer 6

tosscrosby (7/17/2008)
amjadpathan, while I'm sure your intentions are good, you do know you've responded to a thread that's been dormant for 30 months, don't you?

Good reply.

SQL DBA.

sgreer-755727 Valued Member Points: 65 More actions · Answer 7

It's never too late to post something. Here I am in 2012, reading these. And running SQL Server 2000 too!

st_chava SSC Journeyman Points: 82 More actions · Answer 8

2013 and this thread is still working for those who still use SQL Server 2000

anselmo_richard Newbie Points: 1 More actions · Answer 9

Hey,

If you want recover your SA account password in SQL server then there are two manual ways by which you can recover. Both the methods are very easy but require little technical knowledge. You can perform these methods by following steps given in this link: http://belanalavade.blog.com/2014/04/22/simple-manual-techniques-to-recover-lost-sa-password-in-microsoft-sql-server/

Helpful blog post to recover your lost password.

Thanks.

Elliswhite SSCommitted Points: 1783 More actions · Answer 10

Open the SQL Server Management Studio.

Open a New Query.

Copy, paste, and execute the following:

GO

ALTER LOGIN [sa] WITH DEFAULT_DATABASE=[master]

GO

USE [master]

GO

ALTER LOGIN [sa] WITH PASSWORD=N'NewPassword' MUST_CHANGE

GO

where NewPassword is the password you wish to use for the sa account.

SSMS Expert

Elliswhite SSCommitted Points: 1783 More actions · Answer 11

Elliswhite

SSCommitted

Points: 1783

May 19, 2014 at 4:35 am

#1714570

🙂 hopefully this will help

SSMS Expert

betty_bakke SSC Enthusiast Points: 105 More actions · Answer 12

Basically there are two ways to recover SQL SA password: either by creating a new SA account using SQLCMD or configure SQL Server by User mode. This processes involve some basic steps to implement it. Fore reference, you can read the solution from this post - http://sonikarawat.wordpress.com/2014/07/01/simple-manual-techniques-to-recover-lost-sa-password-in-microsoft-sql-server/

rawatsonika4u SSC Veteran Points: 268 More actions · Answer 13

rawatsonika4u

SSC Veteran

Points: 268

December 1, 2014 at 12:37 am

#1761610

USEFUL Post