In Tails, an administration password (also called root password or amnesia password) is required to perform system administration tasks. For example:

Authentication required: amnesia password (also called *administration password* or *root password*)

Security implications of setting up an administration password

For better security, no administration password is set up by default.

When you set up an administration password, an attacker who learns your administration password could be able to break all the security measures built in Tails:

  • Monitor all your activity - Reveal your IP address - Access all the data in your Persistent Storage - Write data to the internal hard disk of the computer - Install such vulnerabilities permanently on your Tails USB stick

To learn your administration password, an attacker could:

  • Watch your keyboard while you type your administration password, for example through a video surveillance camera, and then accessing physically your computer before you shut down Tails.

    To prevent such an attack:

    • Hide your keyboard while typing your administration password in public spaces.
    • Never leave your computer unattended while running Tails.
    • Learn how to quickly shut down Tails.

  • Exploit a security vulnerability in an application in Tails before you type your administration password.

    For example, an attacker could exploit a security vulnerability in Thunderbird by sending you a phishing email that could wait until you type your administration password and reveal it.

    Such an attack is very unlikely but could be performed by a strong attacker, such as a government or a hacking firm.

    To prevent such an attack:

    • Only set up an administration password when you need it.
    • Always update to the latest version of Tails to fix known vulnerabilities as soon as possible.

    We have plans to fix the root cause of this problem but it requires important engineering work.

Ein Administrationspasswort einstellen

In order to perform administration tasks, you need to set up an administration password when starting Tails, using the Welcome Screen.

  1. When the Welcome Screen appears, click on the Add Additional Setting button.

  2. Choose Administration Password in the Additional Settings dialog.

  3. Geben Sie in den Feldern Administrationspasswort und Bestätigen ein Passwort Ihrer Wahl an und klicken Sie anschließend auf Hinzufügen.

For security, it is impossible to set up an administration password after starting Tails. Otherwise, a compromised application could bypass some of the security built in Tails.

Ein Root-Terminal öffnen

Um ein Root-Terminal während Ihrer Arbeitssitzung zu öffnen, können Sie Folgendes tun:

  • Choose Applications ▸ System Tools ▸ Root Terminal.

  • Führen Sie den Befehl sudo -i in einem Terminalfenster aus.