Fortinet

FortiGate Administrator Password Recovery

Reset a lost FortiGate administrator password using the maintainer account over the console port, then set a new admin password.

Overview

This guide provides step-by-step instructions for resetting lost or forgotten administrative passwords on enterprise networking hardware. Follow the procedure below carefully to regain access while preserving your device configuration.

Prerequisites

Before proceeding with password recovery, ensure you have a console cable, terminal emulation software configured to 9600 baud, and physical access to the device.

Step 1: Establish Console Connection

Connect your terminal cable to the console port of the device and open your serial terminal session.

Step 2: Interrupt the Boot Sequence

Power cycle the hardware and issue a Break key sequence during initial system startup to enter ROMMON mode.

Step 3: Reset Password & Configuration

Bypass startup configuration loading, boot into system software, set your new credentials, and save changes back to non-volatile memory.

Overview

FortiGate appliances can be recovered over the console port using the local maintainer account, which exists for exactly this purpose and is not exposed over the network.

Prerequisites

Recovery Steps

  1. Connect the console and reboot the FortiGate.
  2. Watch the boot output and log in at the console prompt as the maintainer. The password is the unit's serial number (older firmware accepted a blank or bcpb<serial> form).
  3. Once logged in as maintainer, enter the CLI and reset the admin password:
    config system admin
    edit admin
    set password <new-password>
    end
  4. Log out of maintainer and log in as admin with the new password.

If the maintainer prompt does not appear

Some releases require the factory-reset option from the console boot menu, which erases the configuration. Always keep a configuration backup before attempting recovery.

Related

FortiSwitch and FortiAP devices managed by a FortiGate inherit credentials from the FortiGate — recover the FortiGate first.