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Is there a way to show the password that protects macros after you have entered the password (or in this case, bypassed the password)? (Not looking for workbook protected password).

Example: 1) Open excel, 2) open VB Editor, 3) enter password to view macros, 4) add new macro that shows you the password.

I have been asked to update the macros on a lot of legacy files that have password protected macros. To be clear: the workbook is not protected. I used the below link which allowed me to view the macros on the book. (I used the 32 bit code, but I had to transfer my files to a computer with 32 bit excel since my work station is running 64 and then transfer them back).

I realize there are other workarounds after bypassing the password, such as disabling the password and then work on that file moving forward, but there is benefit in just finding out what the password is, thus I'm hoping there is a direct solution to my problem. The individual who made this password has locked many macros in many workbooks, and we have it on good authority he used the same passwords across the board. If I can find the password on one, I can unlock all of them.

Please let me know if anything else needs to be clarified.

Link that allowed me to bypass password: Is there a way to crack the password on an Excel VBA Project?

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urdearboy
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  • I have that linked code stored in a macro-enabled workbook named `CrackerJack.xlsm` that I keep handy. If you can remove the VBA password and/or change it to something else, then why don't you just do that? If the password itself was stored anywhere, I'm pretty sure it'd be all over the Internet by now, and effectively useless. So, remove the passwords, and call it a day. No? – Mathieu Guindon May 09 '18 at 19:40
  • https://stackoverflow.com/questions/1026483/is-there-a-way-to-crack-the-password-on-an-excel-vba-project?noredirect=1&lq=1 – braX May 09 '18 at 19:45
  • @braX that's precisely what the OP is linking to ;-) – Mathieu Guindon May 09 '18 at 19:45
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    Point is, cracking VBE protection is *already* all over the Internet, making this protection effectively useless. I'd just remove the passwords, and leave it at that. – Mathieu Guindon May 09 '18 at 19:51
  • @MathieuGuindon as the post said, there IS benefit to knowing the password (would save me time of having to move all the workbooks, unlock them one by one, save them, and move them back to my original machine). This is a work-around to a root problem (whats the password) and I was just seeing if there was a way to avoid the workaround for both practicality reasons and pure curiosity if it was possible. – urdearboy May 09 '18 at 19:51
  • @MathieuGuindon I assumed my ask was not do-able, but I also assumed i wouldn't be able to view a locked macro with only 10 min of research so I figured why not ask! – urdearboy May 09 '18 at 19:53

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No, it is not possible to show the password. The reason is that it isn't stored in the workbook. When you enter the password it encrypted in a way that can't be decrypted - also known as a hash. When you log in the entered password is also encrypted and then compared.
If you want to do something like this, you'll have to build something around Excel's password mechanisms that capture passwords and store them somewhere, before using them to unlock. There are single sign on solutions that do things like this, but I can't recommend this approach.

Sam
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    Twitched at "encrypted in a way that can't be decrypted - also known as a hash" - hashing != encryption... but I see what you're saying. Anyway, Excel (the host application) has zero knowledge of the VBA project's password, and zero bearing on the VBE's password-protection mechanics - that's all on the VBE. – Mathieu Guindon May 09 '18 at 19:47
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    I expected this comment, but I have found that this is the easiest, albeit not technically correct, way to explain hashing. – Sam May 09 '18 at 19:53