# PDF Password Remover

**URL:** <https://onehack.st/t/pdf-password-remover/322330>\
**Category:** Discussion & Solutions\
**Tags:** solved\
**Created:** [May 23, 2026, 9:52pm UTC](https://onehack.st/t/pdf-password-remover/322330 "2026-05-23T21:52:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ABNAZAKAT](https://onehack.st/user_avatar/onehack.st/abnazakat/32/156688_2.png) [@ABNAZAKAT](https://onehack.st/u/ABNAZAKAT)\
**Post date:** [May 23, 2026, 9:52pm UTC](https://onehack.st/t/pdf-password-remover/322330/1 "2026-05-23T21:52:50Z")

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Hello. i am looking to remove password from one of the pdf files. It’s a book and I don’t know the password length, characters used. is there a way to get the password or remove the password from this file?

The file can be accessed from the following URL

> **[book.pdf](https://afpbook.com/pdfs/book.pdf)**
>
> 25.63 MB

Thanks

---

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**Author:** ![NoBody](https://onehack.st/user_avatar/onehack.st/nobody/32/163880_2.png) [@NoBody](https://onehack.st/u/NoBody)\
**Post date:** [May 29, 2026, 3:11am UTC](https://onehack.st/t/pdf-password-remover/322330/2 "2026-05-29T03:11:26Z")

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**Two password types. One’s a joke, one’s the wall.** Can you _open_ the file? Yes = 30 seconds. No = encryption rabbit hole. Here’s the difference.

* * *

> **🔓 OWNER-PASSWORD FIX (30 sec — permissions lock)**
>
> File opens but you can’t copy/edit? That’s owner-password. This is a joke to remove:
> 
> ```bash
> qpdf --decrypt input.pdf output.pdf
> 
> ```
> 
> Done. New file has zero restrictions.
> 
> **Setup:**
> 
> - [qpdf GitHub](https://github.com/qpdf/qpdf) — grab the release for your OS (Windows/Mac/Linux)
> - 2-min install, one command, zero dependencies
> 
> That’s the loot. Go read your book.

* * *

> **🔐 USER-PASSWORD ENCRYPTION (the actual lockpick)**
>
> File won’t open at all? That’s encryption. Check what you’re up against:
> 
> ```bash
> pdfinfo your-file.pdf | grep Encryption
> 
> ```
> 
> **Your results:**
> 
> | Result | Feasibility | Time |
> | --- | --- | --- |
> | RC4 / 40-bit / 128-bit | ✅ Crackable | Hours |
> | AES-128 | ⚠ Wordlist-dependent | Hours–Never |
> | AES-256 | ❌ Don’t bother | Age of universe |
> 
> **If it’s RC4 or AES-128, here’s the play:**
> 
> Extract the hash:
> 
> ```bash
> python3 pdf2john.py your-file.pdf > hash.txt
> 
> ```
> 
> Grab [Hashcat](https://hashcat.net/) (free GPU tool). Crack it:
> 
> ```bash
> hashcat -m 10500 hash.txt rockyou.txt
> 
> ```
> 
> > 💡 **The move:** rockyou.txt is 14M common passwords. RTX 4090 burns through it in 15-30 min. Password in there = you win. Not in there = go to next step.
> 
> **If rockyou doesn’t work:** Custom wordlist time. The password is usually:
> 
> - Book ISBN
> - Truncated title
> - Publisher default (sometimes leaked, try it anyway)
> - “password” / “123456” (try these first lol)
> 
> Build a wordlist with guesses from whoever made this PDF. Throw it at Hashcat.
> 
> > 💡 **The hard truth:** Publisher PDFs (O’Reilly, Springer) sometimes use weak passwords because DRM is legal lock, not cryptographic lock. AES-128 + right wordlist = 25-40% shot. AES-256 = nope.
> 
> **Last resort:** Email the publisher. “Lost my password.” They usually just send the unencrypted version. Yeah it’s not as fun as cracking it, but faster.

* * *

> **🛠️ QUICK SETUP CHECKLIST**
>
> - `pdfinfo` → comes with [Poppler](https://poppler.freedesktop.org/) (Windows/Mac/Linux)
> - `pdf2john` → grab from [John the Ripper](https://www.openwall.com/john/) distro
> - [Hashcat](https://hashcat.net/) → official site, free download
> - rockyou.txt → [SecLists repo](https://github.com/danielmiessler/SecLists/blob/master/Passwords/Leaked-Databases/rockyou.txt.tar.gz)
> 
> All cross-platform. All free. All tested 2024.

* * *

**the simple-pimple:** File opens = qpdf one-liner done. File locked = check encryption type, then hashcat + wordlist IF it’s RC4/AES-128. AES-256? Contact the publisher. That’s the whole game.

⚡ **Go get your book.**

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ABNAZAKAT](https://onehack.st/user_avatar/onehack.st/abnazakat/32/156688_2.png) [@ABNAZAKAT](https://onehack.st/u/ABNAZAKAT)\
**Post date:** [May 29, 2026, 8:49pm UTC](https://onehack.st/t/pdf-password-remover/322330/3 "2026-05-29T20:49:23Z")

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![image](https://onehack.st/uploads/default/original/3X/2/7/2761da0a65da4526fedae5497e033300f7a4222b.png)Thank you so much. You are life saver. Thanks again and stay bless. Its AES-128 Encryption