Ratsnest.7z

Password prompt.

For me, that file was ratsnest.7z .

Every so often, while digging through the dusty bins of a failing external hard drive or an abandoned NAS, you find a file that stops you cold. ratsnest.7z

The name is unassuming. Sloppy, even. It sits in a folder dated , sandwiched between old_drivers and a corrupted Windows.old . The file size? 47.2 GB . The icon is the standard generic archive icon of 7-Zip.

7z¼¯'☺ Standard. But the creation timestamp in the filesystem was modified. However, the containing the archive had a hidden NTFS stream: :zone.identifier with a download URL from a now-defunct pastebin. Password prompt

Why was it abandoned? The last log entry is from December 8, 2018: "Switching to Unifi. Maybe this time I'll label the cables."

We all know he didn't. No. I’m not sharing the file. But if you find a ratsnest.7z on an old drive of your own… you know the password now. The name is unassuming

Why was it password protected? Likely because the configs contain hardcoded WiFi passwords and public IPs.