Use specialized extractors like ./extract_user.py to view existing user data from the unpacked files. 3. Repack and Encrypt
Since RouterOS v6.43, backups are encrypted by default if a password is set. They use AES128-CTR with HMAC-SHA256 for integrity. How to Unpack and Repack MikroTik Backup Files
./ROSbackup.py pack -d unpacked_folder -o Modified.backup open mikrotik backup file repack
./ROSbackup.py encrypt -i Modified.backup -o Final.backup -p new_password Restoring the Repacked File To apply your modified settings:
./ROSbackup.py unpack -i Decrypted.backup -d unpacked_folder This creates a folder containing various system files, such as user.dat , which contains encrypted user credentials. 2. Modify Contents (e.g., Resetting Passwords) Use specialized extractors like
After making changes, you must rebuild the .backup file for the router to accept it.
They typically consist of various .dat (data) and .idx (index) files bundled together. They use AES128-CTR with HMAC-SHA256 for integrity
./ROSbackup.py decrypt -i MyBackup.backup -o Decrypted.backup -p your_password
The most popular tool for this is the open-source RouterOS-Backup-Tools .
Once unpacked, you can perform tasks like "resetting a password" by replacing the user.dat file with one from a fresh, default router configuration.