# Restore access to a unifi controller

When you are *unable to login* to the unifi controller or forgot admin password, you can **restore access** using SSH and manipulating **mongodb** directly.

## Warning

Do not uninstall unifi controller - most of the data is not stored in mongodb. In case you thought a mongodb backup would be sufficient, you may have fucked up already, just like me. However I managed to write this "tutorial" for anyone to not run into the same trap.

**Apparently this guide no longer works with recent unifi controller versions (starting nov/dec 2022)**. Since I no longer use unifi hardware in my home system, I can not update the guide myself. In case you've gotten here to recover your data, you're likely doomed. But giving it a try won't hurt anyway, therefore: good luck.

## Steps

### 1. Generate password

Use [quickhhash.com](https://quickhash.com/) to generate a new password. Use `sha512 / crypt(3) / $6$` with the any salt you like (I used `9Ter1EZ9$lSt6` in the example below, but it really doesn't matter).

I have generated a dummy password for you if you want to leave this step out. It is `Ch4ngeM3VeryQu!ck`:
```
$6$9Ter1EZ9$4RCTnLfeDJsdAQ16M5d1d5Ztg2CE1J2IDlbAPSUcqYOoxjEEcpMQag41dtCQv2cJ.n9kvlx46hNT78dngJBVt0
```

### 2. SSH to controller

SSH to the server running the unifi controller. In my case it's running on a raspberry pi.

### 3. Connect to mongodb

By default unifi comes with mongodb running on port `27117`. To connect to it, use the `mongo` cli tool. Make sure it is installed.

Connect using the following command:

```bash
mongo --port 27117
```

When connected to mongo, execute the following commands to switch the database and verify the installation

```
use ace;
show collections;
```

It should show a list of collections, e.g. `account, admin, alarm, broadcastgroup, ...`.

### 4. Fix

It is very likely that you got here because of power/data loss. You want to check if admins are still in the database.
To do so, execute the following command in the mongo cli:

```
db.admin.find()
```

If the result is blank or you don't remember your password, there's two ways. Make sure to replace variables before executing commands.

#### 4.1. Change password of *existing user*

```
db.admin.update({ name: "<YOUR-NAME-GOES-HERE>" }, { $set: { "x_shadow": "<PASSWORD-HASH-FROM-STEP-1-GOES-HERE>" } });
```

#### 4.2. Create a *new user*

```
db.admin.insert({ "email" : "<YOUR-EMAIL-GOES-HERE>", "last_site_name" : "default", "name" : "<YOUR-NAME-GOES-HERE>", "time_created" : NumberLong(100019800), "x_shadow" : "<PASSWORD-HASH-FROM-STEP-1-GOES-HERE>" })
```

### 5. Get admin id

```
db.admin.find()
```

Will output something like this:

```
> db.admin.find()
{ "_id" : ObjectId("5d0a2e7e8f01c49af4cbe3cd"), "email" : "...", ... }
```

Take the contents of `_id`, in this case it is `5d0a2e7e8f01c49af4cbe3cd`. You should remember it for the next steps.

### 6. Fix permissions

You will need to attach the admin role using db.privilege to the newly created user. The privilege belongs to an admin and a site_id.

Make sure to get your site_ids using the following command:

```
db.site.find()
```

It will show something like this:

```
> db.site.find()
{ "_id" : ObjectId("5d07b088280f9002d7676c87"), "name" : "super", "key" : "super", "attr_hidden_id" : "super", "attr_hidden" : true, "attr_no_delete" : true, "attr_no_edit" : true }
{ "_id" : ObjectId("5d07b088280f9002d7676c88"), "name" : "default", "desc" : "Default", "attr_hidden_id" : "default", "attr_no_delete" : true }
```

Once you know the ids of your sites, you can continue with creating privilege entries. You will need the **admin id** from [step 5](#5-Get-admin-id).

Use the following command for **each site** you got from `db.site.find()`

```
db.privilege.insert({ "admin_id" : "<ADMIN-ID-GOES-HERE>", "permissions" : [ ], "role" : "admin", "site_id" : "<SITE-ID-GOES-HERE>" });
```

Optionally verify that all privileges have been created using the following command:

```
> db.privilege.find()
{ "_id" : ObjectId("5d0bb7573d70717df47d5af6"), "admin_id" : "5d0a2e7e8f01c49af4cbe3cd", "permissions" : [ ], "role" : "admin", "site_id" : "5d07b088280f9002d7676c87" }
{ "_id" : ObjectId("5d0bb7573d70717df47d5af7"), "admin_id" : "5d0a2e7e8f01c49af4cbe3cd", "permissions" : [ ], "role" : "admin", "site_id" : "5d07b088280f9002d7676c88" }
```

### 7. Test

Now you're all set. You eventually want to restart the unifi controller using `service unifi restart`.
You can login now. Good Luck.