Versions prior to 5.5 did not encrypt the user passwords upon export. These passwords appear in plain text. For backwards compatibility, unencrypted catalogs are still supported and can be imported into a 5.5 server, even with an encryption key is configured.

Passwords that are encrypted by an export operation in JasperReports Server 5.5 have encryption markers, so older passwords without the markers can be detected and imported without being decrypted.