Open a protected pdf file in python

Question

I write a pdf cracking and found the password of the protected pdf file. I want to write a program in Python that can display that pdf file on the screen without password.I use the PyPDF library. I know how to open a file without the password, but can't figure out the protected one.Any idea? Thanks

filePath = raw_input()
password = 'abc'
if sys.platform.startswith('linux'):
       subprocess.call(["xdg-open", filePath])

Beaverboard

Answer 1

The approach shown by KL84 basically works, but the code is not correct (it writes the output file for each page). A cleaned up version is here:

https://gist.github.com/bzamecnik/1abb64affb21322256f1c4ebbb59a364

# Decrypt password-protected PDF in Python.
# 
# Requirements:
# pip install PyPDF2

from PyPDF2 import PdfFileReader, PdfFileWriter

def decrypt_pdf(input_path, output_path, password):
  with open(input_path, 'rb') as input_file, \
    open(output_path, 'wb') as output_file:
    reader = PdfFileReader(input_file)
    reader.decrypt(password)

    writer = PdfFileWriter()

    for i in range(reader.getNumPages()):
      writer.addPage(reader.getPage(i))

    writer.write(output_file)

if __name__ == '__main__':
  # example usage:
  decrypt_pdf('encrypted.pdf', 'decrypted.pdf', 'secret_password')

Speechmaking

what's decrypted.pdf over here? – Connatural

That's output_path, the name of the out file to be written. – Speechmaking

just want to say that I have to remove password argument and reader.decrypt(password) part to make it work. – Dauphine

How comes that? Was your PDF really encrypted? This is the main point of the script. – Speechmaking

I get an error on the line reader.decrypt(password). only algorithm code 1 and 2 are supported. I think it is related to how my pdf is encrypted. – Fluxmeter

Answer 2

You should use pikepdf library nowadays instead:

import pikepdf

with pikepdf.open("input.pdf", password="abc") as pdf:
    num_pages = len(pdf.pages)
    print("Total pages:", num_pages)

PyPDF2 doesn't support many encryption algorithms, pikepdf seems to solve them, it supports most of password protected methods, and also documented and actively maintained.

Milurd

Excellent!.. you are correct, PyPDF2 won't decrypt some encryption algorithms – Ludwigshafen

Answer 3

You can use pdfplumber library. Super easy to use and reads machine written pdf files seamlessly, better than any other library i have used.

import pdfplumber
with pdfplumber.open(r'D:\examplepdf.pdf' , password = 'abc') as pdf:
    first_page = pdf.pages[0]
    print(first_page.extract_text())

Inhalator

Answer 4

I have the answer for this question. Basically, the PyPDF2 library needs to install and use in order to get this idea working.

#When you have the password = abc you have to call the function decrypt in PyPDF to decrypt the pdf file
filePath = raw_input("Enter pdf file path: ")
f = PdfFileReader(file(filePath, "rb"))
output = PdfFileWriter()
f.decrypt ('abc')

# Copy the pages in the encrypted pdf to unencrypted pdf with name noPassPDF.pdf
for pageNumber in range (0, f.getNumPages()):
   output.addPage(f.getPage(pageNumber))
   # write "output" to noPassPDF.pdf
   outputStream = file("noPassPDF.pdf", "wb")
   output.write(outputStream)
   outputStream.close()

#Open the file now
   if sys.platform.startswith('darwin'):#open in MAC OX
       subprocess.call(["open", "noPassPDF.pdf"])

Beaverboard

"raise NotImplementedError("only algorithm code 1 and 2 are supported")" error. – Avidity

Answer 5

Updated version of Bohumir Zamecnik's Code. for PyPDF 3.0.0 and Above

from PyPDF2 import PdfReader, PdfWriter

def decrypt_pdf(input_path, output_path, password):
  with open(input_path, 'rb') as input_file, \
    open(output_path, 'wb') as output_file:
    reader = PdfReader(input_file)
    reader.decrypt(password)

    writer = PdfWriter()

    for i in range(len(reader.pages)):
      writer.add_page(reader.pages[i])

    writer.write(output_file)

decrypt_pdf('encrypr.pdf', 'decrypted.pdf', 'password')

Hermaherman