PDF Password Cracker Tool

An advanced Python tool for cracking password-protected PDF files using brute force and dictionary attacks. Features multi-threading, progress tracking, and efficient password generation.

Features

🔓 Password Cracking Methods

• Brute Force Attack: Generate passwords using character combinations
• Dictionary Attack: Use wordlist files for password attempts
• Multi-threading: Parallel processing for faster cracking
• Progress Tracking: Real-time progress bars with statistics
• Early Exit: Stops immediately when password is found

⚡ Performance Features

• Memory Efficient: Stream-based password generation
• Configurable Threading: Adjustable thread count for optimal performance
• Time Tracking: Shows attack duration and success rate
• Smart Warnings: Alerts for potentially long operations

🛡️ Security Features

• File Validation: Checks file existence before starting
• Error Handling: Comprehensive error handling and reporting
• Keyboard Interrupt: Graceful handling of user cancellation
• Input Validation: Validates all command-line parameters

Installation

Prerequisites

• Python 3.7+
• Required libraries: pikepdf, tqdm

Dependencies

# Install required packages
pip install pikepdf tqdm

# Or on Kali Linux
sudo apt install python3-pikepdf python3-tqdm

Setup

# Download the tool
git clone https://github.com/Sergios9494/pdf-cracker-tool.git
cd pdf-cracker-tool

# Make executable
chmod +x CrackerPDF_Attack.py

Usage

Basic Usage

Dictionary Attack

# Use wordlist file
python3 CrackerPDF_Attack.py document.pdf --wordlist passwords.txt

Brute Force Attack

# Generate passwords on the fly
python3 CrackerPDF_Attack.py document.pdf --generate --min_length 1 --max_length 4

Advanced Usage

Custom Character Set

# Use only numbers
python3 CrackerPDF_Attack.py document.pdf --generate --charset "0123456789" --max_length 6

# Use lowercase letters only
python3 CrackerPDF_Attack.py document.pdf --generate --charset "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz" --max_length 5

High-Performance Attack

# Use more threads for faster cracking
python3 CrackerPDF_Attack.py document.pdf --wordlist passwords.txt --max_workers 8

Verbose Output

# Enable detailed output
python3 CrackerPDF_Attack.py document.pdf --generate --verbose

Command Line Options

positional arguments:
  pdf_file              Path to the password-protected PDF file

options:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  --wordlist WORDLIST   Path to the password list file
  --generate            Generate passwords using brute force
  --min_length MIN_LENGTH
                        Minimum length of passwords to generate (default: 1)
  --max_length MAX_LENGTH
                        Maximum length of passwords to generate (default: 4)
  --charset CHARSET     Characters to use for password generation
  --max_workers MAX_WORKERS
                        Maximum number of parallel threads (default: 4)
  --verbose, -v         Enable verbose output

Examples

Example 1: Dictionary Attack

python3 CrackerPDF_Attack.py confidential.pdf --wordlist common_passwords.txt

Output:

[+] Target PDF: confidential.pdf
[+] Threads: 4
[+] Starting dictionary attack on confidential.pdf
[+] Using wordlist: common_passwords.txt
[+] Loaded 10000 passwords
Cracking PDF: 100%|██████████| 10000/10000 [00:45<00:00, 222.22passwords/s]

[+] SUCCESS! PDF decrypted with password: password123
[+] Time taken: 45.23 seconds

Example 2: Brute Force Attack

python3 CrackerPDF_Attack.py document.pdf --generate --min_length 1 --max_length 3 --charset "1234567890"

Example 3: High-Speed Attack

python3 CrackerPDF_Attack.py secure.pdf --wordlist rockyou.txt --max_workers 16 --verbose

Performance Tips

Thread Count Optimization

• CPU-bound: Use number of CPU cores
• I/O-bound: Use 2-4x CPU cores
• Network: Use 4-8 threads
• Default: 4 threads (good balance)

Character Set Optimization

• Numbers only: 0123456789 (fastest)
• Lowercase: abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz (medium)
• Full charset: abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0123456789!@#$%^&*() (slowest)

Password Length Considerations

• 1-3 characters: Very fast (seconds)
• 4-5 characters: Fast (minutes)
• 6+ characters: Slow (hours to days)

Security Considerations

⚠️ Important: This tool is designed for:

• Authorized penetration testing
• Security research on your own files
• Educational purposes
• Recovery of forgotten passwords on your own documents

Legal Notice

• Always obtain proper authorization before testing
• Only use on files you own or have explicit permission to test
• Respect privacy and data protection laws
• The author is not responsible for misuse

Ethical Guidelines

• Use responsibly and ethically
• Respect others' privacy and property
• Follow applicable laws and regulations
• Report vulnerabilities responsibly

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Module Not Found

pip install pikepdf tqdm

Permission Denied

chmod +x CrackerPDF_Attack.py

File Not Found

• Check file path and spelling
• Ensure PDF file exists
• Verify wordlist file exists (if using dictionary attack)

Out of Memory

• Reduce thread count: --max_workers 2
• Use smaller character set
• Reduce password length range

Very Slow Performance

• Use dictionary attack instead of brute force
• Reduce character set size
• Lower maximum password length
• Increase thread count (if CPU allows)

Performance Optimization

For Fast Attacks:

# Use dictionary attack with many threads
python3 CrackerPDF_Attack.py file.pdf --wordlist passwords.txt --max_workers 8

For Memory Efficiency:

# Use fewer threads and smaller charset
python3 CrackerPDF_Attack.py file.pdf --generate --charset "0123456789" --max_workers 2

Technical Details

Dependencies

• pikepdf: Modern PDF library for Python
• tqdm: Progress bar library
• concurrent.futures: Threading support
• itertools: Password generation

Architecture

• Class-based Design: Organized and maintainable code
• Stream Processing: Memory-efficient password generation
• Thread Pool: Efficient parallel processing
• Early Exit: Stops immediately on success

Supported PDF Versions

• PDF 1.4 and later
• Password-protected PDFs
• User password (not owner password)

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit:

• Bug reports
• Feature requests
• Performance improvements
• Documentation updates

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

Author

Sergios9494 - Cybersecurity Professional

• GitHub: @Sergios9494

Acknowledgments

• Built for cybersecurity professionals
• Designed for educational and authorized testing
• Inspired by security research needs

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Use Responsibly! 🔒