opening a password protected pdf

[Patton Echols]

On 03/10/2011 03:15 PM, NoOp wrote:
> On 03/10/2011 02:02 PM, NoOp wrote:
>> On 03/10/2011 12:08 PM, Patton Echols wrote:
>>> I have agreed to modify an existing PDF to add fillable fields.  My
>>> intention is to import it into OO Writer and work on it there.  The PDF
>>> is readable and printable without a password, but OO demands a password
>>> to open it.
>>>
>>> I ran pdfcrack on it and, after a while got a result:
>>> found owner-password: 'pass5'
>>> found user-password: ''
>>> (# Note:  not the real password, but it is five characters)
>>>
>>> Problem is that OO does not think it is the correct password.  I also
>>> tried pdftk to strip the password and it does not think that it is
>>> correct either.  Anyone have experience that may shed some light?  Other
>>> tools I might try?
>>>
>>> By the way, the company that "owns" the pdf is ok with my efforts, but
>>> the employee who created it is no longer available so I can't just ask
>>> for the correct password.
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>> --PE
>>>
>> owner-password is only used to prevent making changes to the pdf,
>> user-password is for opening. Try opening in OOo Draw and just hit enter
>> at the password prompt.
> I should point out that you can't edit the pdf in Writer, only in Draw.
> Drop me a note off-list&  I'll try to assist.
>

Thank you Gary.  I have found a workaround to strip the password.  Since 
the pdf was readable / printable, I opened in evince and printed to 
CUPS-PDF.  That rendered a PDF with all the attributes but without the 
"encrypted metadata".  I do have a question about editing with Draw, but 
I'll start a separate thread.

If anyone has thoughts about why pdfcrack might find an owner password 
(and no user password), but they don't work, here is the entire output 
of pdfcrack.  (File name and actual pass changed to protect the innocent).

patton at mycroft:~/Documents$ pdfcrack -f Award.pdf -o -m 8
PDF version 1.5
Security Handler: Standard
V: 2
R: 3
P: -1324
Length: 128
Encrypted Metadata: True
FileID: 28bf4e5e4e758a4164004e56fffa0108
U: 488d530833b77d2ad10eed5e417a13d400000000000000000000000000000000
O: 72f431f37ccaeafafd58ec1b607ee3361926b23f4e9cd605a17fddc1226aadad
Average Speed: 12872.5 w/s. Current Word: 'z7da'
Average Speed: 12881.0 w/s. Current Word: 'J8ib'
Average Speed: 12900.4 w/s. Current Word: '8foc'
Average Speed: 12870.6 w/s. Current Word: 'Wdtd'
Average Speed: 12887.0 w/s. Current Word: '2gye'
Average Speed: 12171.8 w/s. Current Word: 'qBzf'
Average Speed: 12442.5 w/s. Current Word: '8kCg'
Average Speed: 12451.5 w/s. Current Word: 'J7Eh'
Average Speed: 12355.4 w/s. Current Word: 'kpHi'
Average Speed: 12583.1 w/s. Current Word: 'oSKj'
Average Speed: 12692.0 w/s. Current Word: 'zUOk'
Average Speed: 12821.5 w/s. Current Word: 'wCTl'
Average Speed: 12853.0 w/s. Current Word: 'DuYm'
Average Speed: 12100.8 w/s. Current Word: '7rZn'
Average Speed: 12385.2 w/s. Current Word: 'lT1o'
Average Speed: 12738.5 w/s. Current Word: 'wa6p'
Average Speed: 12634.9 w/s. Current Word: 'hU9q'
Average Speed: 12825.8 w/s. Current Word: 'DDes'
Average Speed: 12630.6 w/s. Current Word: '2lit'
Average Speed: 12755.2 w/s. Current Word: 'DImu'
Average Speed: 12728.5 w/s. Current Word: 'AWqv'
Average Speed: 12888.4 w/s. Current Word: '8Zvw'
Average Speed: 12780.0 w/s. Current Word: 'IuAx'
Average Speed: 12748.4 w/s. Current Word: '5OEy'
Average Speed: 12754.9 w/s. Current Word: 'zbJz'
Average Speed: 12878.0 w/s. Current Word: 'KbOA'
Average Speed: 12809.0 w/s. Current Word: 'GPSB'
Average Speed: 12971.0 w/s. Current Word: 'TjYC'
Average Speed: 12966.4 w/s. Current Word: 'BM3D'
Average Speed: 12977.7 w/s. Current Word: 'Xi9E'
Average Speed: 12960.5 w/s. Current Word: 'LJeG'
Average Speed: 12964.3 w/s. Current Word: 'NbkH'
Average Speed: 12973.0 w/s. Current Word: 'EGpI'
Average Speed: 12979.2 w/s. Current Word: 'vdvJ'
Average Speed: 12980.0 w/s. Current Word: 'AKAK'
Average Speed: 12976.2 w/s. Current Word: 'tgGL'
Average Speed: 12949.9 w/s. Current Word: 'QDLM'
Average Speed: 12979.8 w/s. Current Word: 'RaRN'
Average Speed: 12981.0 w/s. Current Word: 'iIWO'
Average Speed: 12975.1 w/s. Current Word: 'Pd2P'
Average Speed: 12976.3 w/s. Current Word: 'JJ7Q'
Average Speed: 12978.1 w/s. Current Word: 'dgdS'
Average Speed: 12341.2 w/s. Current Word: 'ftfT'
Average Speed: 12688.0 w/s. Current Word: 'aujU'
Average Speed: 12917.4 w/s. Current Word: '4GoV'
Average Speed: 12820.9 w/s. Current Word: 'QotW'
Average Speed: 12975.2 w/s. Current Word: 'pUyX'
Average Speed: 12980.5 w/s. Current Word: 'ErEY'
Average Speed: 12957.0 w/s. Current Word: 'lRJZ'
Average Speed: 12953.5 w/s. Current Word: 'UfP0'
Average Speed: 12649.3 w/s. Current Word: 'k4S1'
Average Speed: 12893.0 w/s. Current Word: 'n9X2'
Average Speed: 12978.9 w/s. Current Word: '7F33'
Average Speed: 12972.4 w/s. Current Word: 'Ka94'
Average Speed: 12969.6 w/s. Current Word: 'uEe6'
Average Speed: 12979.0 w/s. Current Word: 'gbk7'
Average Speed: 12983.5 w/s. Current Word: 'uJp8'
Average Speed: 12980.0 w/s. Current Word: 'Agv9'
Average Speed: 12984.4 w/s. Current Word: '6OAaa'
Average Speed: 12980.8 w/s. Current Word: 'rmGba'
Average Speed: 12982.5 w/s. Current Word: 'kULca'
Average Speed: 12964.8 w/s. Current Word: 'wmRda'
Average Speed: 12900.2 w/s. Current Word: 'TtWea'
Average Speed: 12973.6 w/s. Current Word: 'WY1fa'
Average Speed: 12963.0 w/s. Current Word: 'yq7ga'
Average Speed: 12984.5 w/s. Current Word: '5Ycia'
Average Speed: 12973.1 w/s. Current Word: 'Xtija'
Average Speed: 12975.4 w/s. Current Word: 'yZnka'
Average Speed: 12952.2 w/s. Current Word: 'Hntla'
Average Speed: 12961.4 w/s. Current Word: 'NOyma'
Average Speed: 12959.3 w/s. Current Word: 'dfEna'
Average Speed: 12976.7 w/s. Current Word: 'fLJoa'
Average Speed: 12972.5 w/s. Current Word: 'WfPpa'
Average Speed: 12983.4 w/s. Current Word: '8NUqa'
found owner-password: 'situp'
found user-password: ''