                               ==Phrack Inc.==

                     Volume Two, Issue Ten, Phile #6 of 9

                    -#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-
                    !                                   !
                    #       Hacking Primos Part I       #
                    !                                   !
                    #            By Evil Jay            #
                    !                                   !
                    #     Phone Phreakers of America    #
                    !                                   !
                    #            (C) 1986-87            #
                    !                                   !
                    -#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-


Author Note:

I should begin by saying that there are other files out there about hacking
Primos, one written recently, that basically tell you nothing at all as far as
in-depth Primos is concerned. Those files should be deleted and this put in
its place. This is the first in many files on Primos, and I will go into many
topics, such as the on-line network, the different subsystems and other
subjects. Hope you enjoy!


*** Gaining Entry Part 1 ***

Gaining entry, as always, is the hardest part.

When you call a Primos system it will connect with something like this:


PRIMENET 19.2.7F PPOA1


If it doesn't give a welcome msg like above trying typing something like
"XXZZZUUU" and hit return and it should come back with:

Invalid command "XXZZZUUU".  (logo$cp)
Login please.
ER!

To login you type:

LOGIN <USER ID> <RETURN/ENTER>

Or Just:

LOGIN <RETURN/ENTER>
(Then it will ask for your "User ID?")


User ids differ from system to system but there are ALWAYS default accounts to
try. For "User ID?" try...

SYSTEM (This is the operators account and with it you can usually do
        anything.)
LIB
DOS

After you enter your User ID it will prompt you with:

Password?

This is of course, where you enter your password. For SYSTEM try...

SYSTEM
SYSMAN
NETLINK
PRIMENET
MANAGER
OPERATOR

And anything else you can think of. These are just common passwords to these
defaults.

For LIB try...

LIBRARY
SYSLIB
LIB
SYSTEM

For DOS try...

DOS
SYSDOS
SYSTEM

Etc...Just use your brain.


*Older Versions*

On older versions of Primos, 18 and below, you could enter one of the system
defaults above and hit CTRL-C once or twice for the password and it would drop
you into the system. Whether this is a bug or intentional I don't really have
any idea. But it does work sometimes. To see what ver of Primos your trying to
logon to just look at the welcome message when you logon:

PRIMENET 19.2.7F PPOA1

19 is the version number. So thus, if you were logging on to this particular
Prime you would NOT be able to use the above mentioned bug/default-password.

By the way, if you do not know what version it is (because it did not give you
a welcome msg when you connected...try to do the above mentioned anyway.)


Now, if it says:


Invalid user id or password; please try again.


Then you must try a different password. Notice, that the system informs you
that either the User ID, the password or both are wrong. Don't worry about
this...just hack the defaults. There have been a lot of rumors spreading
around about common defaults such as: PHANTOM, PRIMOS, PRIME & FAM, but I
believe this to be a load of shit. I have never seen a system with these
defaults on them. But, as far as PRIMOS and PRIME go, these are sometimes
common accounts but I really don't believe that they are defaults. Also try
accounts like DEMO & GUEST. These are sometimes common accounts (but never
very often).

Primos does not have limited commands before logon such as Tops 20 and DEC. So
hacking a Primos is really nothing but taking a guess.


** No passwords **

Some users have been known to use a carriage return for their password which
in other words means, once you enter your user id, your logged in without
having to enter a password. Sometimes, these are default passwords assigned by
the system operator, but that is rare. If you can get the format (perhaps you
already have any account) for the regular user id's, then try passwords like:

NETLINK
SYSTEM
PRIME
PRIMENET
PRIMOS

And other typical user passwords like sex, hot, love...etc. Most female users
that I have talked to on a local university prime all seem to have picked
account that have something to do with sex...sex being the most popular.


** The Format **

The format for a user id can be just about ANYTHING the operators or system
owners want...and they are usually random looking things that make no sense.
They can be a combination of numbers, numbers and I am almost sure CTRL
characters can be used. Lower & Upper case do not matter...the system, changes
all lower case entry to upper case. Passwords can be anything up to 16
characters in length.


** Your In! **

If you get a valid ID/Password you will see something like this:



PPOA1 (user 39) logged in Monday, 15 Dec 86 02:29:16.
Welcome to PRIMOS version 19.4.9.
Last login Friday, 12 Dec 86 08:29:04.


Congratulate yourself, you just did something that should be called something
of an achievement!

The next part will deal with very basic commands for beginners. I would like
to end this part with a few more words. Yes, Primos is hard to hack, but given
the time and patience almost every system has those basic demo accounts and
CAN be hacked. Most hackers tend to stay away from Primes, little knowing that
Primos is a system that is very entertaining and certainly kept me up late
hours of the night. Have fun and keep on hacking. If you have any questions or
comments, or I have made some sort of error, by all means get in touch with me
at whatever system you have seen me on...


** Now For The Good Shit **

This part was originally going to be a beginners introduction to commands on a
Primos system. Instead I decided to write a part which should help ANYONE with
a low level account gain system access. I would also like to thank PHRACK Inc.
on the wonderful job they are doing...without PHRACK I don't really know for
sure how I would have distributed my files. Oh yes, I know of all the other
newsletters and the like, but with PHRACK it was only a matter of getting a
hold of one of the people in charge, which is a simple matter since their
mailbox number is widely known to the hack/phreak community. I would also like
to encourage boards of this nature to support PHRACK fully, and I would also
like to congratulate you guys, once again, for the great job your doing. Now,
on with the file.



** Stuff You Should Know **

The explanation I am going to (try to) explain will NOT work all the time...
probably 60% of the time. Since I discovered this, or at least was the first
to put it in "print" I would at least ask those system operators out there to
keep my credits and the credits of my group in this file.


** Some More Stuff **

First, this is not exactly a "novice"-friendly file. You should be familiar
with the ATTACH and SLIST commands before proceeding. They are quite easy to
learn, and it is really not required to use this file, but just the same,
these are important commands in learning the Primos system so you should at
least be familiar with them. To get help on them type:

HELP SLIST

or

HELP ATTACH

You should also play with the commands until you know all of their uses.


** Okay, Here We Go **

This file is not going to explain everything I do. I'm just going to show you
how to get SYS1 privileged accounts.


First, log on to your low access account.

Type:

ATTACH MFD

Then get a DIR using:

LD

Okay, your now seeing a dir with a lot of sub-directories. The only files that
should be in the main directory (most of the time) are BOOT and SYS1. Ignore
these...look for a file called CCUTIL or something with the word UTILITY or
UTIL or UTILITIES...something that looks like UTILITY...


Okay, ATTACH to that directory with:

ATTACH <NAME OF DIRECTORY>

Now, do an LD again and look at the files. Now, here is the part that is
really random. Since not every PRIME system will have the same UTILITY
programs, just look at any that have an extension ".CPL". There might be one
called USRLST.CPL. Type:


SLIST USRLST <NO NEED TO TYPE ".CPL" AT THE END.>


Okay, it should be printing a whole bunch of bullshit. Now in this program
there SHOULD be a line that looks like the following:


A CCUTIL X


Now, CCUTIL is the name of the dir you are on so I have to point out that
CCUTIL WILL NOT ALWAYS BE THE NAME OF THAT UTILITY DIRECTORY. So if the name
of the UTILITY directory you are on is called UTILITY then the line will look
like this:


A UTILITY X


Now, the X is the PASSWORD OF THAT DIRECTORY. AGAIN, IT CAN BE ANYTHING. The
password may be UTILITY which means it will look like this:


A UTILITY UTILITY


Or the password may be SECRET. So:


A UTILITY SECRET


Pat yourself on the ass...you know have SYS1 access. Log back in with the
LOGIN command (or if it doesn't work just LOGOUT and LOGIN again). Enter
UTILITY or CCUTIL (or WHATEVER THE NAME OF THE DIRECTORY WAS) as the user id.
Then for the password just enter the password. If this doesn't work, then what
you will have to do is try out other sub-directories from the MFD directory.
Then SLIST other programs with the extension. In one of my other PRIME files I
will fully explain what I have just done and other ways to get the
directories/ids password.


Now, if you don't see any line in the program like:


S <NAME OF DIR> <PASSWORD>


Then list other programs in the utility program or try other directories. I
have gained SYS1 access like this 60% of them time. And NOT ALWAYS ON THE
UTILITY DIRECTORY.


That is about it for this file. Stay tuned for a future PHRACK issue with
another PRIME file from me. If I don't change my mind again, the next file
will deal with basic commands for beginners.



                    -#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-
                    !                                   !
                    #         This Has Been An:         #
                    !                                   !
                    #       Evil Jay Presentation       #
                    !                                   !
                    #     Phone Phreaks of  America     #
                    !                                   !
                    #            (C) 1986-87            #
                    !                                   !
                    -#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-#-
