Ratsnest.7z

For me, that file was ratsnest.7z .

ratsnest.7z contained exactly . No images. No videos. Just .txt and .log files. The directory structure looked like this:

Why was it password protected? Likely because the configs contain hardcoded WiFi passwords and public IPs. ratsnest.7z

I tried 2009 (the year Netflix streaming overtook physical discs). No. 2015 (the year cord-cutting hit critical mass). No.

/logs/ /router_1/ /router_2/ /modem/ /captures/ /pcap_chunks/ /configs/ /cisco/ /huawei/ /mikrotik/ This was a complete, unsanitized backup of a —specifically, the raw logs, packet captures, and device configs for a massive, sprawling, chaotic home network. A rats nest of cables, VLANS, firewalls, and IoT devices. For me, that file was ratsnest

Always label your cables. And never trust a .7z without a story.

I right-clicked. 7-Zip -> Open Archive.

Password: 06112018 .

Then it hit me. The file was created in late . What was the big "cord cutting" event of 2018? Net neutrality repeal in the US (June 11, 2018). No videos

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.