Many GitHub repositories utilize a script similar to the standard zip-manipulation method: Rename document.xlsx to document.zip .
Use a dictionary attack (wordlist) to attempt to crack the file quickly. Download a standard wordlist like rockyou.txt and run the following command: hashcat -m 21100 -a 0 excel_hash.txt rockyou.txt Use code with caution.
Since modern Excel files ( .xlsx ) are essentially zipped XML folders, these tools can locate the sheetProtection tag within the XML and delete it.
As with all powerful tools, the key lies in ethical application: using them to restore access and productivity, rather than to circumvent privacy controls.
This encrypts the entire .xlsx file using strong AES encryption. Excel Password Remover Github
Follow the specific instructions for your chosen tool. For command-line Python tools, you'll typically navigate to the folder in terminal and run something like python script_name.py your_file.xlsx .
Open excel_hash.txt and remove the filename prefix so only the raw hash string remains (starting with $office$ ). Step 3: Run Hashcat
While some projects like craXcel have dedicated executables, many require a manual approach. Here is how you can use the principles found on GitHub to remove sheet protection:
This software is provided "as is". By using it, you agree that you are the owner of the files you modify or have explicit permission from the owner. Many GitHub repositories utilize a script similar to
: Advanced projects use "Brute Force" or "Mask Attacks" to try thousands of password combinations until the correct one is found. Common Alternative Methods
Most tools found on GitHub, such as those within the Excel Password Remover search results, utilize one of the following methods:
While each repository has its own instructions, most follow this general workflow: aziascreations/Excel-Worksheet-Password-Remover - GitHub
Dozens of lightweight Python scripts exist on GitHub that exploit the weak security of sheet protection. Because sheet passwords are stored as simple XML tags within the zipped structure of an .xlsx file, these scripts strip out the protection tag completely without needing to guess the actual password. Since modern Excel files (
Ensure you have Python installed on your machine. You can download it from the official Python website or via your terminal. Step 2: Clone or Copy the Script
Download office2john.py from the official Openwall GitHub repository. Download and extract the latest version of Hashcat.
Most GitHub repositories are entirely free to use, offering an alternative to expensive proprietary software.