Howto Recover Mikrotik ADMIN account Forgotten Password

Last Updated: 18th April, 2014, 22:04 gmt+5

Post Index :

1. Recover password via router (non-encrypted) backup file using web site
2. Old method to recover password using backup file via Linux
3. Recover password from particular versions using exploit [added August 2019]

According to information on Mikrotik WIKI and forums, it is not possible to recover the passwords without resetting whole mikrotik box (resulting in loss of all configuration also). However following are few methods to recover the password.

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1# Recover password from BACKUP file using a website

https://www.mikrotikpasswordrecovery.net/

If you require it on urget basis, you can email me your config, and I will recover it for you, just in case if you dont have linux or urgency is required. make sure the backup file is made using dont use encyption method.

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2# Recover password by mounting Mikrotik x86 ver Hard disk in Linux LIVE CD  and do recovery [not updated since last year, it was tested with ROS 5.x seriesn)

2# Recover password from BACKUP file using Linux [working as of april 2014]

Login to your Ubuntu / Linux Box,
Download mikrotik password recovery tool and compile it by following commands,

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install build-essential g++ libssl-dev libcurl4-gnutls-dev libexpat1-dev gettext libz-dev
mkdir /temp
cd /temp
wget http://manio.skyboo.net/mikrotik/mtpass-0.9.tar.bz2
tar jxvf mtpass-0.9.tar.bz2
cd mtpass-0.9
make

#If you receive *error* after issuing make command, then you can use following command to compile it in desi JUGAAR (workaround) way hehehehe
g++ mtpass.cpp -lgnutls-openssl -o mtpass

Now upload/copy your Mikrotik Backup File to /temp folder ( Either using WINSCP gui tool, WEBMIN File Manager,  via USB or any other method you like)

Now Issue the following command

 ./mtpass /temp/zaibmikrotik.backup

It will show you all account passwords in few seconds.
As shown in the image below . . .

.

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# Recover password of Mikrotik x86 PC Version without backup file – Tested with Mikrotik 5.18 version

Boot from Ubuntu LIVE CD
(I used Ubuntu 9.1 Desktop CD in this example, you can download it from following link.

http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/releases/karmic/ubuntu-9.10-desktop-i386.iso

Select “Try Ubuntu”
As Shown in the image below . . .

After you see Desktop, Open TERMINAL from APPLICATION > ACCESSORIES > TERMINAL

Now change to root user by
sudo su

Now check your partitions by issuing
fdisk -l

you will see something like below image.

You partition can be different, use your judgment to see what partition mt is in, either by mounting it one by one.

Now mount it any folder , for example

mkdir /temp
mount -t auto /dev/sda2 /temp

Now check its content by ls /temp and you will something like below image

*********************************************************

*********************************************************

Now Copy the ‘mikrotik password file’, (in newer ROS , it is located in /rw/store/user.dat) to USB flash drive, It will be used to decode the password.
(The USB flash drive should be ‘plug and play’ in Ubuntu Live. Just plug it in usb port and it will appear on desktop in few seconds , OR you can also copy it your network pc via configuring interface lan card accordingly)
(Note: In older ROS it is /nova/store/user.dat)

Now shutdown live cd.

then Boot from your Ubuntu box, and use the Method # 2 , described earlier in this article to decode password using mtpass tool  from this file.

Copy the user.dat file where you have decompressed mt password tool . e.g /temp , now use the mt pass tool to recover password from this file.

./mtpass user.dat

and you will see your admin password.

As Now you have seen the password now, you can login into mikrotik pc router  with your Old Password 🙂 🙂 🙂

Also it’s possible for you to send an SMS to your router, tell it to run a script (parameters supported) and the router can even respond, as it also supports SMS sending! More here:
http://wiki.mikrotik.com/wiki/Sms

You can setup an script just in case you forgot your password , and via sending sms, it can reset it to default. or send you return the new/original password.

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4- Recover password from particular versions using

exploit [added August 2019]

Read more at

https://aacable.wordpress.com/2019/08/07/exploiting-mikrotik-for-good/

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Regard’s
SYED JAHANZAIB
https://aacable.wordpress.com