Tuesday 18 June 2013

Unprotecting Excel Worksheets

After being given an Excel spreadsheet and being asked to modify it and finding the Worksheets were protected, I came across this website:

McGimpsey & Associates

All the explaination is on their website, but I took the macro code below, ran it and within a few seconds my worksheet was unprotected.

Public Sub AllInternalPasswords() ' Breaks worksheet and workbook structure passwords. Bob McCormick ' probably originator of base code algorithm modified for coverage ' of workbook structure / windows passwords and for multiple passwords ' ' Norman Harker and JE McGimpsey 27-Dec-2002 (Version 1.1) ' Modified 2003-Apr-04 by JEM: All msgs to constants, and ' eliminate one Exit Sub (Version 1.1.1) ' Reveals hashed passwords NOT original passwords Const DBLSPACE As String = vbNewLine & vbNewLine Const AUTHORS As String = DBLSPACE & vbNewLine & _ "Adapted from Bob McCormick base code by" & _ "Norman Harker and JE McGimpsey" Const HEADER As String = "AllInternalPasswords User Message" Const VERSION As String = DBLSPACE & "Version 1.1.1 2003-Apr-04" Const REPBACK As String = DBLSPACE & "Please report failure " & _ "to the microsoft.public.excel.programming newsgroup." Const ALLCLEAR As String = DBLSPACE & "The workbook should " & _ "now be free of all password protection, so make sure you:" & _ DBLSPACE & "SAVE IT NOW!" & DBLSPACE & "and also" & _ DBLSPACE & "BACKUP!, BACKUP!!, BACKUP!!!" & _ DBLSPACE & "Also, remember that the password was " & _ "put there for a reason. Don't stuff up crucial formulas " & _ "or data." & DBLSPACE & "Access and use of some data " & _ "may be an offense. If in doubt, don't." Const MSGNOPWORDS1 As String = "There were no passwords on " & _ "sheets, or workbook structure or windows." & AUTHORS & VERSION Const MSGNOPWORDS2 As String = "There was no protection to " & _ "workbook structure or windows." & DBLSPACE & _ "Proceeding to unprotect sheets." & AUTHORS & VERSION Const MSGTAKETIME As String = "After pressing OK button this " & _ "will take some time." & DBLSPACE & "Amount of time " & _ "depends on how many different passwords, the " & _ "passwords, and your computer's specification." & DBLSPACE & _ "Just be patient! Make me a coffee!" & AUTHORS & VERSION Const MSGPWORDFOUND1 As String = "You had a Worksheet " & _ "Structure or Windows Password set." & DBLSPACE & _ "The password found was: " & DBLSPACE & "$$" & DBLSPACE & _ "Note it down for potential future use in other workbooks by " & _ "the same person who set this password." & DBLSPACE & _ "Now to check and clear other passwords." & AUTHORS & VERSION Const MSGPWORDFOUND2 As String = "You had a Worksheet " & _ "password set." & DBLSPACE & "The password found was: " & _ DBLSPACE & "$$" & DBLSPACE & "Note it down for potential " & _ "future use in other workbooks by same person who " & _ "set this password." & DBLSPACE & "Now to check and clear " & _ "other passwords." & AUTHORS & VERSION Const MSGONLYONE As String = "Only structure / windows " & _ "protected with the password that was just found." & _ ALLCLEAR & AUTHORS & VERSION & REPBACK Dim w1 As Worksheet, w2 As Worksheet Dim i As Integer, j As Integer, k As Integer, l As Integer Dim m As Integer, n As Integer, i1 As Integer, i2 As Integer Dim i3 As Integer, i4 As Integer, i5 As Integer, i6 As Integer Dim PWord1 As String Dim ShTag As Boolean, WinTag As Boolean Application.ScreenUpdating = False With ActiveWorkbook WinTag = .ProtectStructure Or .ProtectWindows End With ShTag = False For Each w1 In Worksheets ShTag = ShTag Or w1.ProtectContents Next w1 If Not ShTag And Not WinTag Then MsgBox MSGNOPWORDS1, vbInformation, HEADER Exit Sub End If MsgBox MSGTAKETIME, vbInformation, HEADER If Not WinTag Then MsgBox MSGNOPWORDS2, vbInformation, HEADER Else On Error Resume Next Do 'dummy do loop For i = 65 To 66: For j = 65 To 66: For k = 65 To 66 For l = 65 To 66: For m = 65 To 66: For i1 = 65 To 66 For i2 = 65 To 66: For i3 = 65 To 66: For i4 = 65 To 66 For i5 = 65 To 66: For i6 = 65 To 66: For n = 32 To 126 With ActiveWorkbook .Unprotect Chr(i) & Chr(j) & Chr(k) & _ Chr(l) & Chr(m) & Chr(i1) & Chr(i2) & _ Chr(i3) & Chr(i4) & Chr(i5) & Chr(i6) & Chr(n) If .ProtectStructure = False And _ .ProtectWindows = False Then PWord1 = Chr(i) & Chr(j) & Chr(k) & Chr(l) & _ Chr(m) & Chr(i1) & Chr(i2) & Chr(i3) & _ Chr(i4) & Chr(i5) & Chr(i6) & Chr(n) MsgBox Application.Substitute(MSGPWORDFOUND1, _ "$$", PWord1), vbInformation, HEADER Exit Do 'Bypass all for...nexts End If End With Next: Next: Next: Next: Next: Next Next: Next: Next: Next: Next: Next Loop Until True On Error GoTo 0 End If If WinTag And Not ShTag Then MsgBox MSGONLYONE, vbInformation, HEADER Exit Sub End If On Error Resume Next For Each w1 In Worksheets 'Attempt clearance with PWord1 w1.Unprotect PWord1 Next w1 On Error GoTo 0 ShTag = False For Each w1 In Worksheets 'Checks for all clear ShTag triggered to 1 if not. ShTag = ShTag Or w1.ProtectContents Next w1 If ShTag Then For Each w1 In Worksheets With w1 If .ProtectContents Then On Error Resume Next Do 'Dummy do loop For i = 65 To 66: For j = 65 To 66: For k = 65 To 66 For l = 65 To 66: For m = 65 To 66: For i1 = 65 To 66 For i2 = 65 To 66: For i3 = 65 To 66: For i4 = 65 To 66 For i5 = 65 To 66: For i6 = 65 To 66: For n = 32 To 126 .Unprotect Chr(i) & Chr(j) & Chr(k) & _ Chr(l) & Chr(m) & Chr(i1) & Chr(i2) & Chr(i3) & _ Chr(i4) & Chr(i5) & Chr(i6) & Chr(n) If Not .ProtectContents Then PWord1 = Chr(i) & Chr(j) & Chr(k) & Chr(l) & _ Chr(m) & Chr(i1) & Chr(i2) & Chr(i3) & _ Chr(i4) & Chr(i5) & Chr(i6) & Chr(n) MsgBox Application.Substitute(MSGPWORDFOUND2, _ "$$", PWord1), vbInformation, HEADER 'leverage finding Pword by trying on other sheets For Each w2 In Worksheets w2.Unprotect PWord1 Next w2 Exit Do 'Bypass all for...nexts End If Next: Next: Next: Next: Next: Next Next: Next: Next: Next: Next: Next Loop Until True On Error GoTo 0 End If End With Next w1 End If MsgBox ALLCLEAR & AUTHORS & VERSION & REPBACK, vbInformation, HEADER End Sub

Many Thanks McGimpsey & Associates