Technical Tip : How to reset the admin password on FortiMail using 'maintainer'

[vjoshi_FTNT]

Description

This article explains about how to reset the password of FortiMail.

Scope

FortiMail.

Note:

• The password reset with the maintainer worked on v5.3.0 and below.
• From v5.3.1GA and later till v6.0.7 and v6.2.3  'maintainer' option was removed.
• It was again introduced from v6.0.8, v6.2.3, and above. It is available in all v7.x.

Solution

FortiMail will need:

 

_Console cable

_Terminal software such as Putty.exe (Windows) or Terminal (MacOS)

_Serial number of the FortiGate device

 

Procedure, step by step:

1. Connect the computer to the device via the Console port on the back of the unit.
2. Start the terminal software.
3. Connect to the FortiMail using the following:

Setting        Value

Speed Baud         9600

Data Bits         8 Bit

Parity             None

Stop Bits         1

Flow Control     No Hardware Flow Control

Com Port     the correct COM port

 

4. The FortiMail should then respond with its name or hostname. (If it doesn’t try pressing “enter”.)
5. Reboot the FortiMail, if there is no power button, disconnect the power adapter and reconnect it after 10 seconds. Plugging in the power too soon after unplugging it can cause corruption in the memory in some units.
6. Wait for the device name and login prompt to appear. The terminal window should display something similar to the following:   

System is rebooting...

The system is going down NOW !!

Please stand by while rebooting the system.

FortiMail-100C (17:50-11.17.2009)

Ver:04000005

Serial number: FE100C3910xxxxx

RAM activation

Total RAM: 1024MB

Enabling cache...Done.

Scanning PCI bus...Done.

Allocating PCI resources...Done.

Enabling PCI resources...Done.

Zeroing IRQ settings...Done.

Verifying PIRQ tables...Done.

Disabling local APIC...Done.

Boot up, boot device capacity: 492MB.

Press any key to display configuration menu...

......

Reading boot image 2702187 bytes.

Initializing FortiMail...

Booting FortiMail...

Press the 'm' key to enter maintenance mode.....

Initialize Database ...

Initialize Configuration ...   

FE100C3910xxxxx login:

 

7. Type in the username: maintainer

8. The password is bcpb + the serial number of the FortiMail (letters of the serial number are in uppercase format)

Example: bcpbFE100C3910xxxxx

 

FE100C3910xxxxx  login: maintainer

Password: ********************

Welcome!

 

9. Once logged in, change the password with below commands:

FE100C3910xxxxx # config sys admin

FE100C3910xxxxx (admin) # show

config system admin

  edit admin

    set password ENC $1$0e6f2999$hCGbXTYdaI8MTg4FOmvuq/

    set access-profile super_admin_prof

    set theme RedGrey

    set language english

  next

end

FE100C3910xxxxx (admin) # edit admin

FE100C3910xxxxx (admin) # set password test123

FE100C3910xxxxx (admin) # end

 

Now,  login to the FortiMail with username 'admin' and password 'test123'.

For more details please see maintainer_account