crackxls2003 1.0

(See INSTALL file for details on installing the program on your computer.)

This program may be used to break the encryption on Microsoft Excel and
Microsoft Word file which have been encrypted using the RC4 method, which
uses a 40-bit-long key.

This was the default encryption method in Word and Excel
97/2000/2002/2003. This program will not work on files encrypted using Word
or Excel 2007 or later, or for versions 95 or earlier. It will not work if
a file was encrypted with a non-default method. Additionally, documents
created with the Windows system locale set to France may use a different
encryption method.

The password used to open and view the file should not be confused with a
password required to edit its contents - this program is to bypass the former.

Run the command with

./crackxls2003 [filename.xls]

The program will read what it needs from the file and print its progress
in working through the possible keys. You can stop the program and resume
where you left off by using the "--start" or "-s" option, whose argument
is 5 hexadecimal bytes separated by spaces, and specifies a key to start
searching from. Example:

./crackxls2003 -s "00 00 00 00 00" file.xls

The program will display a working key if it finds one.

The program is quite slow - on my computer it takes about a month to check
through the whole key-space.

Once a working key is found, crackxls2003 may be used to decrypt the file
using the "--decrypt" or "-d" option, followed by the name of the file to
be decrypted, and the name of the unencrypted file to be created. Example:

./crackxls2003 -d "1d da 30 05 8f" file.xls file-out.xls

The "--test-speed" or "-t" option calculates the number of keys which are
tested per second.

The "--test-password" or "-P" password tests whether a particular password
will open a file. For example, to test whether the password "4qwer" will
open a file called "4qwer.doc", run "crackxls2003 -P 4qwer 4qwer.doc". This
is expected to work even if there are non-ASCII characters in the password.

See the INSTALL file for information on compiling, and LICENSE for copyright
and licensing information.

Send comments and bug reports to GavinSmith0123@gmail.com.