'--------------------------------------------------
'   basDatabasePassword
'
'   Get the database password of a Jet  3 . 0 / 3 . 5  database.
'
'    --------------------------
 
'   This code is provided for the express purpose of destroying the burgeoning
'   shareware industry of Jet  3 .x/ 3 .5x database password crackers. You should
'   keep in mind that it is still quite illegal to break into a database you have
'   no authorization to view. Please don't do anything that would cause me to
'   have less respect for you than for the lifeless souls who try to charge money
'   for code of this nature on a "per database" basis.
'
'   TO USE:
'    1 ) Create a new module in any VBA host like Access, Excel, or Visual Basic
'   2) Hit <Ctrl+G> to get to the debug window
'    3 ) Run the following line of code in the debug window (replacing c:\foo.mdb with
'           the full path/name to your database:
'
'               ? StPasswordOfStDatabase("c:\foo.mdb")
'
'   The function will return the Database Password to you.
'
'   --------------------------
'   Sample code to allow you to prove to yourself that the function
'   works (the following code can be run from the debug window).
'   Change the password from  01234567890123456789  to any
'   arbitrary value 1-20 characters in length:
'
'   Set dbe = CreateObject("dao.dbengine.35")
'   Set db = dbe.CreateDatabase( "c:\temp35.mdb" ,  ";LANGID=0x0409;CP=1252 ;COUNTRY= 0 ")
'   db.NewPassword "", "01234567890123456789"
'   db.Close: Set db = Nothing: Set dbe = Nothing
'   Debug.Print StPasswordOfStDatabase("c:\temp35.mdb")
'    --------------------------
 
'
'   (c)  1998  Trigeminal Software, Inc. All Rights Reserved
'--------------------------------------------------
Option Compare Binary
Option Explicit

Public Function StPasswordOfStDatabase(stDatabase As String) As String
    Dim hFile As Integer
    Dim ich As Integer
    Dim stBuffer As String
    Dim rgbytRaw() As Byte
    Dim rgbytPassword() As Byte
    Dim rgbytNoPassword() As Byte
    
    ' Create the byte array with the  20  bytes that are present when there
    ' is no database password
    rgbytNoPassword = ChrB(134) & ChrB(251) & ChrB(236) & ChrB(55) & ChrB(93) & _
                                ChrB(68) & ChrB(156) & ChrB(250) & ChrB(198) & ChrB(94) & _
                                ChrB(40) & ChrB(230) & ChrB(19) & ChrB(182) & ChrB(138) & _
                                ChrB(96) & ChrB(84) & ChrB(148) & ChrB(123) & ChrB(54)
                                
    ' Grab the  20  bytes from the real file whose password
    ' we are supposed to retrieve
    hFile = FreeFile
    Open stDatabase For Binary As #hFile
    Seek #hFile, 66 + 1
    rgbytRaw = InputB(20, #hFile)
    Close #hFile
    
    ' Enough prep, lets get the password now.
    ReDim rgbytPassword( 0  To  19 )
    For ich =  0  To  19 
        rgbytPassword(ich) = rgbytRaw(ich) Xor rgbytNoPassword(ich)
    Next ich

    ' Add a trailing Null so one will always be found, even if the password is 20
    ' characters. Then grab up to the first null we find and return the password
    stBuffer = StrConv(rgbytPassword, vbUnicode) & vbNullChar
    StPasswordOfStDatabase = Left$(stBuffer, InStr( 1 , stBuffer, vbNullChar, vbBinaryCompare) -  1 )
End Function