Method 1: Utilizing Automated Offline Decryption Scripts (For Reversible Ciphers)

The script takes the %$...% cipher string and uses a known key to decrypt the credentials found in the configuration file.

When network administrators lose access credentials to Huawei routers, switches, or optical network terminals (ONTs), the encrypted strings embedded in configuration files often appear as indecipherable gibberish—strings like $2!L/n=Ap6>T#}t[*t($rK;7v99l(/i8GCG7:TJ<6XHhik.#Nr>KHF $V:ONv8y_~<7z0Us)_kKqM{\C`—that offer no clue about the actual password.

for the device login," Elias muttered, leaning into his workstation. His goal wasn't just to bypass it, but to understand the core cipher mechanics used in these systems. 1. Identifying the Cipher

If you have access to the device (even read-only), you can ask the device to decrypt its own cipher:

Why? Because Huawei uses a embedded in the firmware. The cipher is created by encrypting the plaintext password with a symmetric algorithm (AES-128-CBC or custom Blowfish) using this key.