21

I have an SSD disk with password protection, but the password was lost long time ago... so I tried to erase the ATA security with the hdparm command.

With "hdparm -I", the disk information looks interesting as below:

root@ubuntu:~# hdparm -I /dev/sda

/dev/sda:


ATA device, with non-removable media
    Model Number:       TX21B10400GE8001

    Serial Number:      FG002VTA
    Firmware Revision:  PRO6F515
    Transport:          Serial, ATA8-AST, SATA 1.0a, SATA II Extensions, SATA Rev 2.5, SATA Rev 2.6, SATA Rev 3.0
Standards:
...........................
Commands/features:
    Enabled Supported:
       *    SMART feature set
            Security Mode feature set
...........................
Security: 
    Master password revision code = 65534
        supported
    not enabled
        locked
    not frozen
    not expired: security count
        supported: enhanced erase
    2min for SECURITY ERASE UNIT. 2min for ENHANCED SECURITY ERASE UNIT. 
Logical Unit WWN Device Identifier: 50011731001636dc
    NAA     : 5
    IEEE OUI    : 001173
    Unique ID   : 1001636dc
Checksum: correct

As you can see, the disk is in the security locked state, and it doesn't support hdparm security mode feature.

When use the security unlock command on this disk, the results are as below:

root@ubuntu:~# hdparm --user-master u --security-unlock 123456 /dev/sda
security_password="123456"

/dev/sda:
 Issuing SECURITY_UNLOCK command, password="123456", user=user
SECURITY_UNLOCK: Input/output error

I'm wondering if there is any other way to unlock this SSD disk and remove the password?

ﾤ ﾡ
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user3016997
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3 Answers3

22

I was able to get this to work on my Western Digital WD20EURS. After piecing together tips from all over Google, I was able to get a master password, research the commands of hdparm, and use your example in your original question to resolve my issue. Maybe this will help you too.

First off, I found a list of master passwords for various brands of drives.

Here are two locations, (replaced with Web Archive versions to avoid link rot)

My method:

  • Used ESCAPE to cancel Bios HD password request.
  • Booted into CentOS7 CLI (previously installed yum install hdparm)
  • Command hdparm -I /dev/sda to check if drive was "locked" ( -I is capital i )
  • Command hdparm --user-master m --security-unlock PASS /dev/sda
    • m = using master password
    • PASS = for me, typing 'WDC' ten times, with a finishing 'W'
      • found this password in the links listed above
  • Command hdparm -I /dev/sda again ( -I is capital i ). This time the drive showed "not locked" (at which I hesitantly rejoiced)
  • Command hdparm --user-master m --security-disable PASS /dev/sda
    • This should disable the password on the hard drive and allow you to boot without needing a password next time.
  • Then I put the drive back into my Windows machine. I was able to see all the partitions in the drive, erase them, and use this new drive!
Matthias Braun
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Taylor
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6

Try using the master password to secure-erase the disk. Performing a secure erase will reset the user password. You can find lists of default master passwords by vendor through google searches. For example, this web site may be useful:

https://ipv5.wordpress.com/2008/04/14/list-of-hard-disk-ata-master-passwords/

user3188445
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2

Very late answer but I have landed here after a few days banging my head against the wall with an HDD locked with an ATA password that I never set (still no idea what set it in the first place).

The procedure of the accepted answer works, but if you're like me with a Seagate drive for which the Seagate + 25 spaces master password doesn't work, try:

hdparm --user-master m --security-unlock SeaGate......................... /dev/sdx

where sdx is your drive.

Turns out some drives have a SeaGate + 25 dots factory master password for some reason. Big thanks to this repository where I found the password: https://github.com/faulesocke/ata-passwords

Alexis Leclerc
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