RE: ThinkPad A20 bios question

From: leon (leon@inyc.com)
Date: 09/14/01 

From: "leon" <leon@inyc.com>
To: "'Florian Maier'" <florian.maier@softm-stuttgart.de>, <security-basics@securityfocus.com>
Subject: RE: ThinkPad A20 bios question
Date: Thu, 13 Sep 2001 18:04:36 -0400
Message-ID: <!~!UENERkVCMDkAAQACAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABgAAAAAAAAA+8DoZCJ8SEaYk5pn4rrIf8KAAAAQAAAA3WutfTQ0RkGVZy1rTnHsRgEAAAAA@inyc.com>

I was going to write a summary of all the helpful responses I got but
this one pretty much does it for me.

Thx everyone,

Regards,

Leon

-----Original Message-----
From: Florian Maier [mailto:florian.maier@softm-stuttgart.de]
Sent: Thursday, September 13, 2001 10:59 AM
To: 'leon'; security-basics@securityfocus.com
Subject: AW: ThinkPad A20 bios question

hi,
there are many ways i know to get that bios pw-free.
1.) remove the batterie of the board for 1/2 hour (to be sure).
2.) get a programm (e.g. type "kill cmos" in search engines)
3.) try default bios pwds (lists are available e.g. at
www.aslalavista.com)
hope that helps,
Flo.

-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: leon [mailto:leon@inyc.com]
Gesendet: Dienstag, 11. September 2001 00:36
An: security-basics@securityfocus.com
Betreff: ThinkPad A20 bios question

I have run into a client who has set a supervisor (or is a supervisor I
was a little confused by the description) password on the bios of a
ThinkPad A20.  We have contacted IBM and they say the only way to fix
this issue is to replace the systemboard of the computer.  Is this
true???? That seems super-drastic.  Anyone have any better ideas or
programs that are made to specifically brute force bios (not sure if
that is possible).  The bios version is 1.09 (IWET55WW) I am not sure of

the maker (award, phoenix, etc) because this is all 4th hand
information.
Anyway anyone with suggestions (not flames, I am not person who set the
bios password and did not write it down) please feel free to respond
publicly or privately.
Regards,
Leon

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