- Lab
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Libraries: If you want this lab, consider one of these libraries.
- Cloud

Configuring the Boot Process in SUSE Linux Enterprise
In this hands-on lab, we will be looking at applying a password to the GRUB2 bootloader in SUSE Linux Enterprise. This is part of the server hardening process and is a security best practice within enterprise computing environments.

Lab Info
Table of Contents
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Challenge
Create a Password for Use with GRUB2
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Generate a GRUB2 password and copy the resulting hash:
sudo -i grub2-mkpasswd-pbkdf2
Enter the
cloud_user
password provided with the lab credentials. -
Copy the resulting hash, which starts with
grub.pbkdf2.sha512
. (It will be really long). -
Open the
/etc/grub.d/40_custom
file:sudo -i vim /etc/grub.d/40_custom
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The contents of the file should be:
#!/bin/sh exec tail -n +3 $0 # This file provides an easy way to add custom menu entries. Simply type the # menu entries you want to add after this comment. Be careful not to change # the 'exec tail' line above. set superusers="root" password_pbkdf2 root <LONG_PASSWORD_HASH>
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Challenge
Edit the GRUB2 Configuration to Use the Created Password
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Generate the GRUB2 configuration file:
sudo -i grub2-mkconfig --output=/tmp/grub2.cfg
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Copy the file:
sudo -i cp /tmp/grub2.cfg /boot/grub2/grub.cfg
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List the contents of the file you copied to ensure it contains the password entry:
sudo -i cat /boot/grub2/grub.cfg
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Reboot the system:
sudo -i reboot
Because we do not have access to the boot process of the cloud server, a reboot would render the server inaccessible due to the prompt for the boot password. Reboot the server and you will no longer be able to log in.
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About the author
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