Change the root password in macOS High Sierra

macOS-High-Sierra-desktop-MacBook-Pro

The macOS High Sierra is having a fault about security that allows people to log into a Mac running the latest operating system by simply using ‘root’ as a username and there’s no need to enter a password. Due to this main drawback, anyone can change system settings and ruin or damage the system once if they log-in with this account as it gives full admin rights to the user.

Implement the fix immediately released by Apple recently. Tap on ‘Updates’ by opening the Mac App Store. Also select the security update, that is 2017-001, tap ‘Update’. You should also follow these steps to confirm you have a root account with a password you have set.

Changing the root password

Tap on the Apple icon located in the top-left hand corner of the screen by opening the Apple menu. Then tap on ‘System Preferences’.

sys preferences

Next, tap on either ‘Accounts’ or ‘Users & Groups’. Padlock icon will be visible, tap on it. Then enter in the name and password for your administrator account. Then ‘Edit’ by tapping ‘Login Options’

edit

Tap ‘Open Directory Utility’ and tap the padlock icon in the window that will appear.

directory utility

You have to enter in your administrator name and password once more. Then open the menu bar in Directory Utility and tap on ‘Edit’ and ‘Change Root Password’

change root pass

Select a password for the root user account. This is easy to remember for you but hard for others to guess password. No one can easily able to log into it until they know the password as the root user account is a powerful account.


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