Re: PDF modifications?

[Mika Boström <bostik () lut fi>]

> > PDF encryption is a joke, xpdf/etc will bypass it most trivially. Adobe
> > makes some tools to modify PDF's and then there's also emacs or your text
> > editor of choice.
>
> I am not sure we are on the same page here.. but are you telling me that
> a document that is password protected (for printing/text extraction etc)
> is not really that secure. Or are you talking about some other encryption.
>
> I had performed an intensive search on google to locate ways of
> bypassing that protection, and found.. well nothing.
>
> But if we are on the same page, which tools can I use to read password
> protected documents. I wasn't able to use xpdf to do the same.

  If the PDF document is protected against printing/text extraction, it is
nonetheless viewable. I have made a trivial patch for my own use, against
the sources of xpdf 0.93 to bypass such restrictions. As long as the
document and format allow viewing, it's practically impossible to deny the
ability to fix the viewer client from exporting it to some other format.

  I won't go into details as to what exactly is required to modify in xpdf
sources, but it's not a lot. I'm by no means what you would call a "good"
programmer and it took me less than 10 minutes to find and patch the section
of code that does the checking.

  On the other hand, if the entire document has been protected with password
(even against viewing), then it's another story. I will let the experts
speak on that subject.

  Take care.

-- 
 Mika Boström      +358-40-525-7347  \-/  "The Hell is empty,
 Bostik () lut fi    www.lut.fi/~bostik  X    and all the devils
 Security freak, and proud of it.    /-\   are here." -W.S.

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