RE: PDF modifications?

[João Sobral <joao.sobral () neoris com>]

If you want to open a "protected" pdf, the best way is to use the
Ghostscript, it simple removes any protection of the pdf file.

http://www.ghostscript.com/


-----Original Message-----
From: Valdis.Kletnieks () vt edu [mailto:Valdis.Kletnieks () vt edu] 
Sent: sexta-feira, 17 de Maio de 2002 13:51
To: Dawes, Rogan (ZA - Johannesburg)
Cc: 'Sumit Dhar'; Kurt Seifried; bad bob; vuln-dev
Subject: Re: PDF modifications? 


On Fri, 17 May 2002 08:14:18 +0200, "Dawes, Rogan (ZA - Johannesburg)"
said:

> If the PDF is openable and viewable, but is "protected", so that you 
> can't select or print or annotate, that is easily bypassed with almost

> any non-Adobe PDF viewer, such as xpdf, which simply elects not to 
> honour that setting in the PDF. The data is all there, because you can

> view it, it is simply a case of the software choosing to not let you 
> select it. Find some software that doesn't honour those document 
> settings, and you are on your way.
>
> As I recall, there was some discussion about this issue on the xpdf 
> lists, or somewhere, about whether xpdf should honour the document 
> requests or not, but it is really moot, since the source is there, 
> just modify it to suit. I think that was the conclusion by the xpdf 
> developers, so they simply didn't bother honouring the setting.

This must have been pre-DMCA. I would recommend that the xpdf developers
not visit the US, lest they be Skylarov'ed.

(The vuln-dev connection?  Consider why Alan Cox censored a Linux kernel
changelog - but further discussion should probably be moved to a
political list.  If you're in the US and of voting age, contact your
Congresscreature and tell them you want them to support Rep. Rick
Boucher (D-VA) in his attempts to fix the anti-circumvention clause of
the DMCA).

We now return you to your regularly scheduled vuln-dev discussion, which
may be in violation of the anti-circumvention clause....
-- 
                                Valdis Kletnieks
                                Computer Systems Senior Engineer
                                Virginia Tech



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