PDF Password Cracker (Node.js Wrapper for pdfcrack)

This Node.js project provides a simple interface to pdfcrack, a command-line tool to recover passwords from encrypted PDF files via brute force or dictionary attacks.

Features

• Brute force attack with configurable password length range and character set
• Dictionary attack using a wordlist file
• Resume password cracking from a saved state file
• Show pdfcrack version info
• Live output logging during cracking process

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v12+ recommended)
• pdfcrack installed and available in your system's PATH

Install pdfcrack on Ubuntu/Debian

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install pdfcrack

Check installation:

pdfcrack -v

Installation

1. Clone this repository or copy the files to your project directory.

2. Ensure dependencies are installed (none external needed for this wrapper):

npm install

3. Place your encrypted PDF file in the project folder or specify the full path in the code.

Usage

Import functions

const {
  crackBruteForce,
  crackDictionary,
  resumeCrack,
  showVersion,
} = require('./index');

Brute force attack example

const charset = 'abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0123456789';
const pdfPath = 'test-encrypted.pdf';

(async () => {
  try {
    const password = await crackBruteForce(pdfPath, 1, 8, charset);
    console.log('Password found:', password);
  } catch (e) {
    console.error('Error:', e.message);
  }
})();

Dictionary attack example

const pdfPath = 'test-encrypted.pdf';
const wordlistFile = './wordlist.txt';

(async () => {
  try {
    const password = await crackDictionary(pdfPath, wordlistFile);
    console.log('Password found:', password);
  } catch (e) {
    console.error('Error:', e.message);
  }
})();

Resume cracking from a state file

const stateFile = './statefile.state';

(async () => {
  try {
    const password = await resumeCrack(stateFile);
    console.log('Password found:', password);
  } catch (e) {
    console.error('Error:', e.message);
  }
})();

Show pdfcrack version

(async () => {
  const version = await showVersion();
  console.log('pdfcrack version:', version);
})();

API

crackBruteForce(pdfFilePath, minLength, maxLength, charset)

• pdfFilePath — Path to the encrypted PDF file
• minLength — Minimum password length to try
• maxLength — Maximum password length to try
• charset — String of characters to use for brute forcing

Returns a Promise that resolves with the found password or rejects if not found.

crackDictionary(pdfFilePath, wordlistFile)

• pdfFilePath — Path to the encrypted PDF file
• wordlistFile — Path to the dictionary wordlist file

Returns a Promise that resolves with the found password or rejects if not found.

resumeCrack(stateFile)

• stateFile — Path to the saved state file to resume cracking

Returns a Promise that resolves with the found password or rejects if not found.

showVersion()

Returns a Promise resolving to the pdfcrack version string.

Notes

• The project expects pdfcrack to be installed and accessible in your system's PATH.
• Brute forcing passwords with large max lengths and big charsets can take significant time.
• Use dictionary attacks with good wordlists when possible for faster cracking.
• The regex used to detect the found password matches output like: found user-password: 'password'

Test

const {
  crackBruteForce,
  crackDictionary,
  resumeCrack,
  showVersion,
} = require('./index');

const all = 'abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0123456789';

(async () => {
  try {
    const pdfPath = 'test-encrypted.pdf'; // update path as needed

    console.log('Running brute force...');
    const password = await crackBruteForce(pdfPath, 1, 8, all);
    console.log('Password found:', password);

    // Uncomment to try dictionary attack:
    // const dictPassword = await crackDictionary(pdfPath, './wordlist.txt');
    // console.log('Dictionary attack found password:', dictPassword);

    // Uncomment to resume cracking from a saved state:
    // const resumedPassword = await resumeCrack('./statefile.state');
    // console.log('Resumed cracking found password:', resumedPassword);

    // Uncomment to show pdfcrack version:
    // const version = await showVersion();
    // console.log('pdfcrack version:', version);

  } catch (e) {
    console.error('Error:', e.message);
  }
})();

License

MIT License © rMi99 or Organization

Acknowledgments

• pdfcrack — PDF password recovery tool
• Inspired by CLI usage, wrapped for Node.js convenience