ePub & PDF decryption on Mac OSX

[epstewart]

Originally Posted by evdberg

@Eric,
My activation.dat file is slightly different: a lot of tags have "adept:" in the tag name, for instance:

<adept:privateLicenseKey>

I will make a backup of the activation.dat file and remove the adept: part from the tag and see if it works.

You are wrong on base64: as the name suggests it encodes using 64 characters (6 bits at a time). Any other of the 64 selected characters is wrong and will give the mentioned error.

Update: Success!! I was able to extract the key and decrypt a book.

- Erwin

Erwin,

Brilliant! A very imaginative workaround on your part!

What version of Adobe Digital Editions are you using? Mine is 1.7.1.1085. I'm on Mac OS X Leopard 10.5.8. I have to believe that you must be on a different ADE version, and/or a different Mac OS X version, to account for the difference in the <privateLicenseKey></privateLicenseKey> tags between your activation.dat file and mine. If you are not already too engrossed in reading your decrypted book , I'd like to hear back from you about this, because I'm wondering whether I'll need to figure out how to change the "shell script" in my AppleScript to avoid others' running into this problem.

Cheers,
Eric

[evdberg]

Eric,

I only installed the Sony Reader software, which generated the ADE license. I have not installed any software from Adobe (at least not that I know of).

I had to do a bit more to get it working than I described above. The formatting, or better said the lack thereof (no linebreaks), of the activation.dat file was also giving problems. So I decided to make a file that only consisted of the privateLicenseKey part and remove the rest. This worked.

No, I am not engrossed in reading the decrypted book. I just 'bought' the first free book I could find in the Sony store for testing purposes only. The goal was to determine whether to go through the hassle of upgrading the firmware of my PRS-500. Obviously this is not necessary.

- Erwin

[epstewart]

Originally Posted by evdberg

Eric,

I only installed the Sony Reader software, which generated the ADE license. I have not installed any software from Adobe (at least not that I know of).

I had to do a bit more to get it working than I described above. The formatting, or better said the lack thereof (no linebreaks), of the activation.dat file was also giving problems. So I decided to make a file that only consisted of the privateLicenseKey part and remove the rest. This worked.

No, I am not engrossed in reading the decrypted book. I just 'bought' the first free book I could find in the Sony store for testing purposes only. The goal was to determine whether to go through the hassle of upgrading the firmware of my PRS-500. Obviously this is not necessary.

- Erwin

Erwin,

I imagine that we have learned something important here: the Sony Reader software generates an ADE license key whose adeptkey.dat file has a different internal structure than the one that the Adobe Digital Editions software generates. I must admit that surprises me, since one might think they would be identical ... but you never know.

I'm confused about your PRS-500 Sony Reader: if the Sony Reader software generates the adeptkey.dat license key file on your Mac, why is the PRS-500 itself unable to read the DRM-encrypted e-books, unless you remove the DRM encryption first. I am using the Stanza reader software on an iPhone and have to strip off the DRM for that. But I am surprised you need to do so also.

Cheers,
Eric

[evdberg]

My PRS-500 needs a firmware upgrade to support ePub files. However, for the upgrade the unit needs to be sent back to Sony USA. This is all well arranged for US customers, but not for non-US customers. Although one Australian customer managed to arrange the upgrade, it is all a lot of hassle. After decrypting the ePub I can simply convert it to LRF and upload it to my PRS-500 using Calibre. I use the very same method for books from the Kindle store.

- Erwin

[epstewart]

Originally Posted by evdberg

My PRS-500 needs a firmware upgrade to support ePub files. However, for the upgrade the unit needs to be sent back to Sony USA. This is all well arranged for US customers, but not for non-US customers. Although one Australian customer managed to arrange the upgrade, it is all a lot of hassle. After decrypting the ePub I can simply convert it to LRF and upload it to my PRS-500 using Calibre. I use the very same method for books from the Kindle store.

- Erwin

OK, Erwin, I understand now what your situation is. Thanks for spelling it out.

The following is for the benefit of others who may be in the same situation:

My ADEPTKey Generator 1.1a AppleScript (download it link removed) works under Mac OS X 10.5 "Leopard" or 10.6 "Snow Leopard" to extract from your ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Digital Editions/activation.dat file a cryptographic key which it puts in a new file, adeptkey.der. (You can put that adeptkey.der on the desktop or in any folder you want to, and you can change the name of the output file to whatever you want.)

adeptkey.der (or whatever you chose to call it) then is used by the ineptepub.pyw Python script when you decrypt (remove the Digital Rights Management encryption of) an Adobe Digital Editions e-book. The output of ineptepub.pyw is an unencrypted .epub file that you can use in any way that you can any other EPUB e-book.

Erwin (evdberg) has an activation.dat file that was not generated by the Adobe Digital Editions software. ADEPTKey Generator 1.1a does not work with activation.dat files such as Erwin's that come from the Sony Reader software on a Mac -- unless you do what Erwin did and edit the Sony Reader activation.dat file.

[DaveNB]

Before re-installing Python 2.6 and PyCrypto from scratch, try typing this from the command line:

cd <to whatever directory you have all your ineptepub.py script stored in>

/usr/bin/python2.5 ineptepub

Originally Posted by epstewart

Try trashing the /Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.6/ folder and then reinstalling Python 2.6 and PyCrypto, in that order. It worked for me ...

Eric

[DaveNB]

Found this great website/howto on creating self contained python applications that run like any other applications in OS X.

Then follow the directions here:
http://svn.pythonmac.org/py2app/py2a...doc/index.html

The key to this is when creating your own standalone python application is to specify that you want to use python2.5 in the creation of your application.

Feel free to PM me if you need any help getting this to work for you.

Dave

[DaveNB]

Got a few folks asking how to do this step by step. Here is what I did to compile standalone Python applications.

IMPORTANT: After compiling these programs, I recommend immediately deleting them from your hard drive to avoid getting into any legal enganglements (DMCA), do not use them to illegally strip DRM if it is illegal for you to do so in your country. This is only meant as an exercise in learning to compile stand alone Python programs.

NOTE: ineptkey.py will not compile for OS X (it has Windows dependencies), you need it to generate the adept.der file that has the decryption key for your DRM protected ePubs and you will have to find some other way to do this.

WARNING:
-You should be comfortable with issuing Unix Command Line commands in Terminal and you need admin level permissions on your computer complete these instructions. Read through all of the instructions first and if you don't understand any of this or if it scares you, this is probably NOT for you. You CAN potentially screw up your computer pretty bad or lose data if you don't know what you're doing in the command line, you have been warned!!!

-I have not personally reviewed the PyCrypto nor the Adept ineptepub.pyw and ineptpdf.pyw source code and cannot guarantee the fitness or safety of these programs. You do this at your own risk, I'm not responsible if you crash your computer, screw up your OS X install/system, lose data, etc.

1) Create a folder on your Desktop and call it Adept
2) Locate on the internet from a reliable source, Download and Install the pycrypto 2.0.1 for 10.5 package.
3) Download, unzip and place the Python programs you want to compile into the Adept folder. Rename them so that the filenames end in ".py" instead of ".pyw"
4) Open your Terminal application.
5) Type: cd ~/Desktop/Adept
6) Type: curl -O http://peak.telecommunity.com/dist/ez_setup.py
7) Type: sudo python2.5 ez_setup.py -U setuptools
8) Type: ls /usr/local/bin to make sure that the following files are present: easy_install, easy_install-2.5, py2applet
You may want to add /usr/local/bin to your environment path to make things easier for you. If these files are not present, you did not successfully install the py2applet package and you will need to read through the web page referenced below for further information.
9) Type: /usr/local/bin/py2applet --make-setup <name of the Python program you want to build>.py
If successful, the output should say: Wrote setup.py
10) Type: python2.5 setup.py py2app
11) The resulting OS X application will be in a folder called "dist". Copy the application to your Desktop, try running it.
12) Before you try building another Python application, you should delete the "build" and "dist" folders by Typing: rm -rf build dist

Repeat steps 9 - 12 for building additional Python programs.

These instructions are taken from this URL/Online resource: http://svn.pythonmac.org/py2app/py2a...doc/index.html

If it is legal for you to strip DRM from the ePubs that you own where you live, PLEASE DO NOT use this capability for piracy and have due consideration for the Authors and Copyright holders of your ePubs.

Good luck,

Dave

[epstewart]

Folks,

I invite you to try out the new version, ADEPTKey Generator 2.0 (download it link removed, then unzip it if it doesn't unzip by itself), of my AppleScript-based application that lets Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard and 10.6 Snow Leopard users create an adeptkey.der file. That file can then be used by the ineptkey.pyw Python/PyCrypto script to decrypt an Adobe Digital Editions e-book.

Version 2.0 adds the capability to deal with an activation.dat file that was created by Sony Reader software for the Mac, in addition to still working with an activation.dat file generated by the Adobe Digital Editions software itself. The Sony Reader software puts Mac-style return characters, not Unix-style newline characters, in the file. Thank you to the incognito person who provided me with the necessary changes to the Unix "shell script" that my AppleScript uses to extract the adeptkey.der file from activation.dat.

If you want to see the actual AppleScript code, you can download and unzip link removed, which expands into a folder containing both the source AppleScript and the compiled application.

As before, my script makes sure you actually have a ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Digital Editions/activation.dat file. For that reason, you need to Authorize Computer ... in Adobe Digital Editions before running my script. (If you are using Sony Reader software, not ADE, I assume there is an equivalent way to generate ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Digital Editions/activation.dat.)

Also, my script lets you choose any output filename, with adeptkey.der being the default name, and also the folder location for the output file.

I will be very appreciative if as many of you as possible will try my new ADEPTKey Generator 2.0 version and report back in this thread or in a private message to me as to whether it works for you or not. I believe it will work with Snow Leopard but have tried it only on Leopard. I have not tried it with Sony Reader's version of the activation.dat file, either.

Regards to all,
Eric

Moderator note: This site has a policy not to host or provide links to software or instructions used to defeat DRM. You can discuss it but do not provide instructions or links.

[rcuadro]

Dang! Can someone PM the link

[Alexander Turcic]

Important

Guys, please respect our policy to not directly link to tools that can be used to break DRM. Also, please don't ask for detailed how-to instruction.

I am sure everyone can understand why we must be very strict about this.

[rwe]

i tried the above scripts, but i want to go back to base,
it didn't work (i use python version om my mac)
i got message:error: problem decrypting session key

i buy books and i want to use it on different readers supporting ADE
i don't want to liberate them completely, just use it on my own computers, my own readers.

when i import a book bought from B&N, so with a cc based drm key
and i import it into ADE, then i get the next message

Lee__Nothing_to_Lose__Jack.epub:
Licentie van document geldt voor een andere gebruikersaccount

licence of document is for another useraccount, does this mean i have to authorise ADE with the same user and pwd as used on B&N?
if i remember correctly, the ADE was based on a mailadress and given pwd
how can i make this work??

[epstewart]

Originally Posted by rwe

i tried the above scripts, but i want to go back to base,
it didn't work (i use python version om my mac)
i got message:error: problem decrypting session key

i buy books and i want to use it on different readers supporting ADE
i don't want to liberate them completely, just use it on my own computers, my own readers.

when i import a book bought from B&N, so with a cc based drm key
and i import it into ADE, then i get the next message

Lee__Nothing_to_Lose__Jack.epub:
Licentie van document geldt voor een andere gebruikersaccount

licence of document is for another useraccount, does this mean i have to authorise ADE with the same user and pwd as used on B&N?
if i remember correctly, the ADE was based on a mailadress and given pwd
how can i make this work??

It's me, epstewart, the guy who made ADEPTKey Generator 2.0. I also blog at the Viva eBooks! blog, and I wonder if you are not the Anonymous comment author that asked a similar question at my iPhone: Reading Adobe/EPUB eBooks post. (For others: that post gives step-by-step instructions on how to make Adobe DRM protected eBooks readable on an iPhone, by stripping off the DRM as discussed in this thread.)

I am interested in helping you solve your problem. I am not so much of an expert that I can definitely tell you what to do to solve your problem, but let me make the following comments and let others who know more than I do add their expertise.

I believe the books you buy from B&N are not Adobe DRM-encrypted. B&N (as far as I know) does not sell books that use Adobe Digital Editions Protection Technology (ADEPT), the DRM encryption methodology from Adobe which this forum thread is about. I think you are right to say that a B&N account that uses a credit card number and a password to buy books cannot be made to match up with the Adobe Digital Editions application, whose authorization/activation involves using an "Adobe ID" (typically your e-mail address) and a password.

Here is a way that you may be able to use to tell whether your book is in fact ADEPT-encrypted. Here's what you do. Copy the original e-book file, putting the new copy on your Desktop, so that you are not working with the original file. (If you option-drag the file to the Desktop, you'll get a new copy of the file on the Desktop.) Then change the filename extension of the copied file on the Desktop from whatever it was originally to .zip. You can do that by doing Get Info on the copied file on the Desktop (shortcut: command-I) and editing the extension in the Name & Extension field. You will then click "Use .zip" in the dialog box that comes up to confirm your intention. Also, still in the Get Info window, set "Open with:" to the Mac's Archive Utility. (Do not click on "Change All ... " unless you want any double-clicked ZIP archive to use this utility.) Now close the Get Info window.

Once you have the .zip extension on the copied file and have the file set to open in Archive Utility, double-click the file. You should see the ZIP file expand into a new folder on your Desktop. The new folder's name reflects the name of your book. Open that folder. In it should be a META-INF folder. Open it. In the META-INF folder should be a file called rights.xml. Open it in TextEdit (best way: drag its icon to the TextEdit icon on the dock). The very first line of the rights.xml file should look something like this:

<?xml version="1.0"?><adept:rights xmlns:adept="http://ns.adobe.com/adept"><licenseToken xmlns="http://ns.adobe.com/adept">

If it looks nothing like that, then almost certainly your book is not ADEPT-encrypted!

***

Also, rwe, I do not quite understand why you want a B&N e-book to be readable in different readers supporting ADE, anyway. I find that B&N e-books work in eReader, for example, which you can get as a free download for your computer or for your iPhone or iPod Touch by clicking here and then clicking on Get eReader Software. B&N offers its own eReader software here

Plus, you can go here to download the Stanza app for computers and/or iPhone/iPod Touch. It has the ability to transfer DRM-protected eReader books (which yours from B&N may be; does it have a .pdb filename extension in the Finder?) from the desktop version of Stanza (which cannot actually read the books) to the iPhone/iPod version (which can). See this FAQ.

I hope this helps ...

Eric

[mores]

Great, a tutorial on using something on a Mac that starts with "First, you need a PC!"



EDIT: Now that I'm done with complaining I'll read the rest of the post in depth!

[epstewart]

Originally Posted by mores

Great, a tutorial on using something on a Mac that starts with "First, you need a PC!"



EDIT: Now that I'm done with complaining I'll read the rest of the post in depth!

mores,

You really ought to read this thread in depth, because the whole point is that you do not need a PC!

See my iPhone: Reading Adobe/EPUB eBooks blog post for step-by-step instructions for either a Mac or a PC.

Cheers,
Eric