[BUG] Unable to export Chrome passwords in macOS Time Machine backup.

[MilesYM]

Describe the bug

I've been running ./hack-browser-data -vv and the passwords exported are all wrong (still encrypted?)

Log Output

[...]
level=WARN source=browser.go:56 msg="find browser success" browser=chrome_def
level=WARN source=browser.go:56 msg="find browser success" browser=chrome_user_12
level=WARN source=browser.go:56 msg="find browser success" browser=chrome_user_16
level=WARN source=browser.go:56 msg="find browser success" browser=chrome_user_10
level=WARN source=browser.go:56 msg="find browser success" browser=chrome_default
level=WARN source=browser.go:56 msg="find browser success" browser=chrome_user_18
level=WARN source=browser.go:56 msg="find browser success" browser=chrome_guest_user
level=WARN source=browser.go:56 msg="find browser success" browser=chrome_user_25
level=WARN source=browser.go:56 msg="find browser success" browser=chrome_user_11
level=WARN source=browser.go:56 msg="find browser success" browser=chrome_user_29
level=WARN source=browser.go:56 msg="find browser success" browser=chrome_user_7
level=WARN source=browser.go:56 msg="find browser success" browser=chrome_user_24
level=WARN source=browser.go:56 msg="find browser success" browser=chrome_user_23
level=WARN source=browser.go:56 msg="find browser success" browser=chrome_user_28
level=INFO source=chromium_darwin.go:58 msg="get master key success" browser=chrome_def
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_def_sessionstorage.csv
level=INFO source=chromium_darwin.go:58 msg="get master key success" browser=chrome_user_12
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_12_password.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_12_cookie.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_12_extension.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_12_sessionstorage.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_12_localstorage.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_12_history.csv
level=INFO source=chromium_darwin.go:58 msg="get master key success" browser=chrome_user_16
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_16_cookie.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_16_password.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_16_sessionstorage.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_16_localstorage.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_16_history.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_16_download.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_16_extension.csv
level=INFO source=chromium_darwin.go:58 msg="get master key success" browser=chrome_user_10
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_10_password.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_10_extension.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_10_sessionstorage.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_10_localstorage.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_10_cookie.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_10_history.csv
level=INFO source=chromium_darwin.go:58 msg="get master key success" browser=chrome_default
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_default_history.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_default_extension.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_default_download.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_default_password.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_default_sessionstorage.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_default_localstorage.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_default_cookie.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_default_bookmark.csv
level=INFO source=chromium_darwin.go:58 msg="get master key success" browser=chrome_user_18
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_18_extension.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_18_sessionstorage.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_18_cookie.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_18_history.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_18_password.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_18_localstorage.csv
level=INFO source=chromium_darwin.go:58 msg="get master key success" browser=chrome_guest_user
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_guest_user_sessionstorage.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_guest_user_bookmark.csv
level=INFO source=chromium_darwin.go:58 msg="get master key success" browser=chrome_user_25
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_25_sessionstorage.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_25_cookie.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_25_localstorage.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_25_history.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_25_password.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_25_extension.csv
level=INFO source=chromium_darwin.go:58 msg="get master key success" browser=chrome_user_11
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_11_cookie.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_11_history.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_11_password.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_11_bookmark.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_11_localstorage.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_11_download.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_11_sessionstorage.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_11_extension.csv
level=INFO source=chromium_darwin.go:58 msg="get master key success" browser=chrome_user_29
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_29_cookie.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_29_history.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_29_password.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_29_extension.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_29_sessionstorage.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_29_localstorage.csv
level=INFO source=chromium_darwin.go:58 msg="get master key success" browser=chrome_user_7
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_7_localstorage.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_7_cookie.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_7_history.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_7_extension.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_7_password.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_7_sessionstorage.csv
level=INFO source=chromium_darwin.go:58 msg="get master key success" browser=chrome_user_24
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_24_sessionstorage.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_24_localstorage.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_24_cookie.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_24_history.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_24_extension.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_24_password.csv
level=INFO source=chromium_darwin.go:58 msg="get master key success" browser=chrome_user_23
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_23_sessionstorage.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_23_localstorage.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_23_history.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_23_password.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_23_extension.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_23_cookie.csv
level=INFO source=chromium_darwin.go:58 msg="get master key success" browser=chrome_user_28
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_28_cookie.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_28_localstorage.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_28_history.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_28_password.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=chrome_user_28_sessionstorage.csv
level=WARN source=browsingdata.go:72 msg="export success" filename=firefox_ipsy3rzh_default_1579078565565_password.csv
[...]

Expected vs Actual Behavior

The exported files all contain passwords that are gibberish

Desktop (please complete the following information):

Select the operating system(s) you are using:

• Windows

• macOS with M3

• Linux

• OS Version: macos 14.2

• OS Architecture: M3 Pro

• Browser Name: Chrome

• Browser Version: 120.0.6099.234

Additional Details

• I ran hack-browser-data with administrator/root privileges.

Checklist

• I have checked the existing issues for similar problems.

Screenshots/Videos

Additional context

I am trying to retrieve passwords from a time machine, I updated to a new mac, and lost all of my stored passwords. So maybe the master key is different between the 2 macs when decrypting passwords?

Thank you so much

[moonD4rk]

@MilesYM I was able to export passwords when testing on my own Mac (M1). If restoring browser passwords through Time Machine backup, it is possible that the master password for the new system may be different from the previous one, resulting in decryption failure of the passwords.

How about the cookies? Can they be exported successfully?

[MilesYM]

Thanks for your prompt response.
The value of the cookie is also encrypted.

What can I do? I still have the time machine backup on my HDD.

Thx

[moonD4rk]

@MilesYM Try to see if the official Google Password Manager works.

Settings -> Autofill and passwords -> Google Password Manager -> Settings -> Download File

[MilesYM]

Unfortunately, it does not let me download this file, these passwords are not showing up in my Google Chrome, even though they are listed there.
Do you know how if I can find the master password for my old system somewhere in the time machine? Where do you find this master password? Does it have a name maybe I can search online.

Thanks for your amazing support.

[moonD4rk]

@MilesYM The masterkey of the Apple ecosystem is stored in the keychain and may generate new keys with operating system updates. For more information, please refer to relevant articles on keychains:

• https://support.apple.com/en-hk/guide/mac-help/mchlf375f392/mac

[MilesYM]

Thank you, once I find this key, how can I edit your script to use a specific key to decrypt the passwords?

[moonD4rk]

By using this method to obtain the masterKey, it shows that there is no problem with the operation of theHackBrowserData. However, what has been obtained is the latest key instead of the one previously used for encryption and decryption on the operating system. You can try syncing Chrome data to Windows or use Google Password Manager to export passwords.