How can we recover (not reset) the router password?

Question

How can we obtain the current username and password of a router that is currently connected to the computer?

I've already tried the default username and password.

Some answers have suggested resetting the router to default factory settings. As far as I know, this resets the password, not recover it.

Answer 1

If you have ever taken a backup of the configuration of the router into a file, then the free RouterPassView can help :

The backup file of the router usually contains important data like your ISP user name/password, the login password of the router, and wireless network keys. If you lost one of these password/keys, but you still have a backup file of your router configuration, RouterPassView might help you to recover your lost password from your router file.

Otherwise, you are reduced to a brute-force attack, where the free Router Password Kracker can help :

Router Password Kracker is a free software to recover the lost password of your Router. It can also be used to recover password from your internet Modem or Web sites which are protected by HTTP BASIC Authentication.

Generally Routers or Modems control their access by using HTTP BASIC authentication mechanism. In simple words, when you connect to your Modem/Router from the browser (typically http://192.168.1.1) you will be asked to enter username & password. If you ever forget this password then you will not be able to access your Router/Modem configuration.

In these cases 'Router Password Kracker' can help you in quickly recovering your lost password.

'Router Password Kracker' uses simple Dictionary based password recovery technique. By default it comes with sample dictionary file suitable for Routers. However you can find good collection of password dictionaries (also called wordlists) here & here.

For complex passwords, you can use tools like Crunch or Cupp to generate brute-force based or any custom password list file and then use it with 'Router Password Kracker'.

Answer 2

None that I know of. Your father may have been the one to set the password, and if so, if you change it, even by resetting it, he is going to know.

Answer 3

I think the better question that should be answered here is this:

Is there ever a situation that I would need to "hack" into my wireless router without reseting all the settings?

The answer is simply no there is not. Here is the reason why.

• If you don't know how to setup the settings on a router, then you shouldn't be trying to hack into it.
  • There is a high probability that you'll break it after getting into the router as you don't know what you're doing.
  • If you're afraid/don't know how to set it up then why would you want to hack into it in the first place when all this would do is give you access to settings within the router

Manufacturers made it difficult for individuals to 'hack' into a router without resetting all the settings for a good reason. Password/usernames could become compromised. Redirect, and malicious software could be remotely installed or deployed. Forcing the reset of the setting helps to mitigate these risks.

Answer 4

Accessing the router requires a web browser. So if you have previously accessed your router through your browser, there may be a chance that the password was saved. In most browsers you can display saved passwords. Here's what to do:

1. Open your browser
2. Look for the "options" action (depends on browser)
3. Look for security
4. Look for Saved Passwords (firefox for sure, not sure about chrome/IE/Opera)

Look for your router's default IP address - typically "192.168.1.1" or "192.168.0.1". Click the "show passwords" button (should be on the screen somewhere) Look for the username and password.

With any luck should be set...

Answer 5

Look into brute force attacking. That is the longest but apparently most successful way to get through, assuming they haven't used a long random combination of letters, numbers and symbols (Like administrators should, but don't more often than not).

So in short, just reset it and start from scratch.

Answer 6

You can try the wifi network backup manager to backup your wifi data , it stores it in xml format . Open the file , it might have the password , though i am not sure if this would work . Please update here if it works .
Alternatively you can check the saved passwords of the browser that you father uses to check if the password is stored there.
All other ways that come to my mind are not ethical ;)

Answer 7

Nirsofts WirelessKeyView may help you.

WirelessKeyView recovers all wireless network security keys/passwords (WEP/WPA) stored in your computer by the 'Wireless Zero Configuration' service of Windows XP or by the 'WLAN AutoConfig' service of Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows Server 2008.

Answer 8

Typically login to browser interface is protected by html form with POST method. Now I say typically because it is not always like that. However if this is the case then bruteforcing is easy.

You can either write a code in any language you know that will send POST requests with generated credentials (or using dictionary). Or you can download the software that will do it for you. One good program that works on both Windows and Linux is called hydra.

Maybe someone has written the graphical front end to it, but when I was using it, there was only command line interface.

I will not be posting links here and since SU is not a hacking forum I will also say this : Use this software only for testing and experiments and with educational purposes. Never brute-force or otherwise attack resources that you are not entitled to access bacause this is against the law

Answer 9

As said It is Not Possible.
Possible Duplicate : reset router password without changing settings/get settings before reset?

Also your choice is a telnet attack. As far as I know it prevents you from entering multiple incorrect passwords and it has a time interval. So it is a lot time consuming and at last Not Possible.

Try to test what you remember:

• Go here http://zeek.ir/datuz
• Download the file and put this on comments.txt (Assuming your username is admin and it is) :

admin
[YourPassword]
system debug stats
firewall debug stats
wireless stations list
systemlog show
exit

• Each time change the password and try it.

You can also use this to loop and "Brute Force Attack"
We use netcat for this, not windows telnet - No need to enable windows features.

OH Also last chance is to call your ISP and provide info and get your user and pass back. (As you know it!)

Answer 10

The default password to a router is usually pasted on the router itself. If you don't have access to the router, then you really shouldn't be trying to access it at all. (I.E. ... if you're sitting on the sidewalk trying to log onto your neighbor's wifi.) A hard reset of the router will usually work; if not, it's possible that the default password has been changed, at which point you either find it in the paperwork or call the network provider. All of which necessitates, of course, you being the person who could rightfully ask for the password in the first place.