How to Reset Lost Password of Kali Linux?

How to Reset Kali Linux Password 2018 Fast and Correctly?

By Shais on May 29, 2017

This is what you need to easily reset the lost password of Kali Linux 2022.x just in one minute. Kali, the Linux-based Operating System and Swiss army knife of hackers which mostly used for penetration testing nowadays. This article may be important for penetration testers or those who are using Kali Linux for daily activity, such as ethical hacking, penetration testing, or students of information security fields.

How to Reset Lost Password of Kali Linux?

In this post, I will simply show you how to reset the forgotten password of Kali Linux and hope it helps you reset the lost password of Kali Linux easily. I have simply explained in the below step-by-step article or watch the video tutorial at the end of this post if you don’t like reading. So follow the Kali Linux 2.0 password reset article.

1. Boot your Kali system and let the GNU Grub page will appear.

Advanced options for Kali GNU Linux

2. On the GNU GRUB page selects the *Advanced options for Kali GNU/Linux option by down arrow key and pressing enter.

3. Now simply select the second Recovery mode option and press the E key to go to recovery mode of Kali Linux.

Kali Linux v2 Reset Lost Password

4. To modify it just change read-only mode (ro) to rw (write mode) and add init=/bin/bash like the below screenshot then press F10 to reboot the Kali Linux.

Kali Linux v2 GNU GRUB Recovery page

5. After rebooting the Kali Linux system, it will bring you the below screen to reset the Kali Linux password.

Reset Lost Password of Kali Linux

6. To reset the root password of the Kali Linux system, simply type “passwd root” and hit enter. Then type the new password twice for the root user. After successfully resetting Kali Linux’s lost password, you will see the success message*password update successfully*. Well reboot the system normally and log in with a newly changed password of the root user.

Reset Kali Linux Lost Password – Video Tutorial

If you don’t like to read the text, watch this video that shows you how to reset the forgotten password of Kali Linux just in two minutes.

Finally, I hope you can easily and simply reset Kali Linux lost password on your system. If you have any issues, please comment to us through the comment section. We are trying to help you more in order to learn Kali Linux or reset the root password.

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Comments (67)

Mukhtar 10 years

It was Nice & helpful !!!

Thanks Dear Shais
- Shais 10 years
  
  Your welcome
Arpit Arora 9 years

thanks its helpful in my way. thanku so much
Dylan 9 years

I’ve tried this and I still can’t log in!!!!
Anyone know how to fix this?
- Shais 9 years
  
  Hi Dylan.
  This works fine! How couldn’t you reset the password? Once do it again carefully.
Steve 9 years

How do you restart after changing password?
- Shais 9 years
  
  Hi Steve,
  Type Exit command or system reset button.
Shais 9 years

Post updated for Kali Linux v2x. It work a bit different but not changed more.
Abdul Kabir 9 years

Thank you so much, it helped a lot, nicely explained too.
Htet Wai 9 years

I know root password but when i unlock linux ,that doesnt eork anymore!! I have tried many times but still not working..Can you solve this problem, dude?
- Shais 9 years
  
  Did you attempt with root user? Once try with different user.
Noid 9 years

Thanks for the great tutorial; saved me so much time!
Raz 9 years

Thanks, but this fix has run its course, does not work w newer kali-rolling kernel 4.5
- Shais 9 years
  
  Thanks Raz,
  We will update this post as soon as possible.
powerscape 9 years

Thank you very much. I forget my password. I lost all my hope to login it until I find your solution. It works. I can login again in my Kali Linux 2016.1 (64bit).vmx
amir 8 years

i can’t typing in ‘Enter new UNIX password:’
- Shais 8 years
  
  Hi Amir,
  
  Why you can’t type? Do you have keyboard issue?
rohan 8 years

The line of command that u edit at first in the in recovery mode doesnt appear in my mode what to do
- Shais 8 years
  
  Hi Rohan,
  
  What version of Kali Linux are you using?
mukesh kumar 8 years

shais i m using kali linux 2.0 i386 and not able to reset my password with the same trick
baloch 8 years

Thanks a lot. it worked for me.
Lawlez 8 years

For me it doesnt work, i folow all the steps but when i try to start shell in recovery it hangs. So i cannot enter “passwd root”.

bash: cannot set terminal process group (-1): Inappropriate ioctl for device
bash: no job control in this shell

Any idea what to do?
Steven 8 years

I am having the same problem, I have no keyboard issues and after it stops asking for a UNIX password I can type
- Shais 8 years
  
  Your keyboard is not recognized by Kali Linux. Please once test another keyboard.
Mark 8 years

I have done exactly the same as illustrated
root@(none)/# [ 97.722287] random : Non-blocking pool is initialized –> it just seats there and then I have to press enter to drop me into:

root@(none)/#

but when I type in passwd root –> it doesn’t prompt me for anything – Is there any other better way of getting past this? can I hook up a Kali Lunux LiveCD and then do all this steps, do you guys think it would work??
Andy 8 years

While typing in the password it won’t show up on the prompt.(this is how the systems operates) it will ask to retype a 2nd to confirm the password. So just type normally and u will be sorted out.
cern07 8 years

I am having the same problem, I have no keyboard issues and after it stops asking for a UNIX password I can type
Fraser Brown 8 years

i tried resetting but doesnt work
- Shais 8 years
  
  What is the issue when you applying this article?
tsmani 8 years

thanks a lot
Raaz 8 years

The grub menu doesn’t appear on kali 2016.2. Is there another fix?
Abdul Nasir 8 years

Not working with me? help plz
viraj 8 years

i got the keyboard issue , what should i do . my keyboard is working fine.. please help me
- Shais 8 years
  
  Is it a physical or virtual machine? Once test another keyboard.
Asif 8 years

pwd changed successfuly but unable to login:( plz help!
- Shais 8 years
  
  What is the error title?
Waqar Ali 8 years

Very helpful.
Shais 8 years

Hi Zay,

First install Windows 10 and then install Kali Linux.
dev 8 years

hey that was of great help but I need one more help Ive duel booted kali with win 7 now I want to remove kali and set win bootmgmr as default. please email me if you can help
Thurein 8 years

I can’t do it.help me
- Shais 8 years
  
  What is the problem Thurein?
Thurein 8 years

I Can’t do it. Help me
mohillic 8 years

very helpful, thank you for this tutorial. and in the comments, the keyboard not recognized (not typing)… yes that happened to me too and I changed keyboards to an older model and it worked.
rishu 7 years

After writing commend I press f10 but that open Kali
Thomas 7 years

Not working with the new version of kali,
In the new version you don’t have any initrd=/install/gtk/initrd.gz

Grub is totaly different.
fitz 7 years

After I type in the new password how do I restart normally. I had to turn off the power.
dyxox 7 years

For new version
When you press E in recovery mode, you dont see any
initrd=/install/gtk/initrd.gz of course.
What you can do?
Look for ro single
Change to rw single and add init=/bin/bash
It should be like this. rw single init=/bin/bash
Then press F10 and enter
Just proceed with the same steps
It is working for me.. Hopefully it helps any of you
kadan 7 years

It is showing
root@(none):/# AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
like this it is stucked..what to do???
SeezyP 7 years

2018 and still working. Top notch.
Kiki 7 years

It works fine. Thank you so much!
David Stephenson 7 years

He means because it is invisible
David Campos 6 years

Working fine for me, took me a little while to figure it out.
Udaya Kumara 6 years

perfect solution. thank you.
John 6 years

Did not work here!
John 6 years

Never-mind, I’m a moron, worked great, thanks a million.
Carc 6 years

hello i updated kali linux and all went well.
why on reboot no longer accepts my password.
thank you
- Shais 6 years
  
  You might change the default toor password to something else!
manishmore826 6 years

Very nice post
Babu Saha 6 years

Very Nice Bro… Keep it up…
alexander 5 years

Im in a VM, and I cannot do the = sign how do I do this?
Faris de Hes 5 years

thank you so much sir it works fine in 2020.
Anonymous 5 years

Thanks, Worked. Other articles were sloppy by comparison.
seshu 5 years

Hi shais
even i have the same issue.. after follow the above steps properly
its showing below error ” cannot open access to console, the root account is locked see sulogin(8) man page for more details

Press enter to continue..

if i press enter key normal user can login into system..
Mark Twein 5 years

Thank you so much! explain very clearly.

I just wonder do we have any way to secure my account because if anyone has a chance to access and do the same what you showed us they will hack into my kali-Linux account.
Khalid 4 years

it is not worked for me. It says no init found….pls would you help me?
a 4 years

It works for user root too. Use Kali live CD/USB. After booting live system you need:
1. mount / of your system with forgotten pass. It should be /media/kali/—many-digits—
2. open console
3. sudo su –
4. chpasswd -R /media/kali/—many-digits—
5. now type “local_username:desired-password” (without quotes) press Enter and Ctrl-d.
for example: root:sheep
6. If there are no message errors, the new password is set.
Taylor 3 years

When I did this, after f10 I did not get anything but a bunch of code and now am stuck in recovery mode. Anyone know how to help

How to Reset Lost Password of Kali Linux?

How to Reset Kali Linux Password 2018 Fast and Correctly?

How to Reset Lost Password of Kali Linux?

Reset Kali Linux Lost Password – Video Tutorial

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