Users Guide

Using hash passwords for improved security

On PowerEdge servers with version 2.xx.xx.xx, you can set user passwords and BIOS passwords using a one-way hash format. The

user authentication mechanism is not affected (except for SNMPv3 and IPMI) and you can provide the password in plain text

format.

With the new password hash feature:

• You can generate your own SHA256 hashes to set iDRAC user passwords and BIOS passwords. This allows you to have the

SHA256 values in the server configuration profile, RACADM, and WSMAN. When you provide the SHA256 password values,

you cannot authenticate through SNMPv3 and IPMI.

• You can set up a template server including all the iDRAC user accounts and BIOS passwords using the current plain text

mechanism. After the server is set up, you can export the server configuration profile with the password hash values. The

export includes the hash values required for SNMPv3 authentication. Importing this profile results in losing the IPMI

authentication for users who have the hashed password values set and the F2 IDRAC interface shows that the user account is

disabled.

• The other interfaces such as IDRAC GUI will show the user accounts enabled.

NOTE: When downgrading a Dell 12th generation PowerEdge server from version 2.xx.xx.xx to 1.xx.xx, if the server is set

with hash authentication, then you will not be able to log in to any interface unless the password is set to default.

You can generate the hash password with and without Salt using SHA256.

You must have Server Control privileges to include and export hash passwords.

If access to all accounts is lost, use iDRAC Settings Utility or local RACADM and perform reset iDRAC to default task.

If the password of the iDRAC user account is set with the SHA256 password hash only and not the other hashes (SHA1v3Key or

MD5v3Key), then authentication through SNMP v3 is not available.

Hash password using RACADM

To set hash passwords, use the following objects with the set command:

• iDRAC.Users.SHA256Password

• iDRAC.Users.SHA256PasswordSalt

Use the following command to include the hash password in the exported server configuration profile:

racadm get -f <file name> -l <NFS / CIFS share> -u <username> -p <password> -t <filetype>

--includePH

You must set the Salt attribute when the associated hash is set.

NOTE: The attributes are not applicable to the INI configuration file.

Hash password in server configuration profile

The new hash passwords can be optionally exported in the server configuration profile.

When importing server configuration profile, you can uncomment the existing password attribute or the new password hash

attribute(s). If both are uncommented an error is generated and the password is not set. A commented attribute is not applied

during an import.

Generating hash password without SNMPv3 and IPMI authentication

To generate hash password without SNMPv3 and IPMI authentication:

1. For iDRAC user accounts, you must salt the password using SHA256.

When you salt the password, a 16 byte binary string is appended. The Salt is required to be 16 bytes long, if provided.

2. Provide hash value and salt in the imported server configuration profile, RACADM commands, or WSMAN.

3. After setting the password, the normal plain text password authentication works except that SNMP v3 and IPMI

authentication fails for iDRAC user accounts that had passwords updated with hash.