PDFDecryptor Component

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The PDFDecryptor component decrypts PDF documents.

Syntax

TsbxPDFDecryptor

Remarks

PDFDecryptor decrypts PDF documents encrypted with passwords or certificates.

Use PDFDecryptor to decrypt protected PDF documents. The PDF specification offers two encryption types:

• Password-based encryption: only someone who knows the password can decrypt the document.
• Certificate-based encryption: only the person who has the private key matching the encryption certificate can decrypt the document.

Decryption is often used not only to restrict access to the document content, but also to assign specific access permissions. Among such permissions are allowed printing quality, permission to modify or extract content, to fill in forms, and a few others.

To decrypt a document encrypted with a password, simply assign the password to Password property. If the provided password matches either one of the 'user' and 'owner' passwords, it will be used to decrypt the document. While PDF allows you to use different passwords for less-restricted owner and more-restricted user, this is rarely used in practice, with the majority of implementations sticking to the same password for both types of users.

To decrypt a document encrypted with a certificate, load the recipient's certificate using CertificateManager or CertificateStorage components and assign it to the DecryptionCertificate property. The certificate needs to include the associated private key.

You can assign the decryption material before processing the document (if you know beforehand what type of encryption was used), or on-the-fly, upon discovery that a particular document is encrypted. To implement the latter approach, please subscribe to Encrypted event. This event can fire for one or more times, notifying you of each encryption method that was used to protect the document. You can then assign the password or certificate inside the event handler accordingly.

Once you have decrypted the document, use the > property to check the document permissions, and other properties of the DocumentInfo object to find out the encryption details.

Finally, provide the input and output locations using InputFile (or InputBytes) and OutputFile properties and call the Decrypt method to complete the operation. If OutputFile is not assigned, the encrypted document will be generated in OutputBytes. decryptor.InputFile = "encrypted.pdf"; decryptor.OutputFile = "decrypted.pdf"; decryptor.Password = "password"; decryptor.Decrypt();

Property List

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The following is the full list of the properties of the component with short descriptions. Click on the links for further details.

Method List

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The following is the full list of the methods of the component with short descriptions. Click on the links for further details.

Event List

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The following is the full list of the events fired by the component with short descriptions. Click on the links for further details.

Config Settings

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The following is a list of config settings for the component with short descriptions. Click on the links for further details.

DecryptionCertificateBytes Property (PDFDecryptor Component)

Returns the raw certificate data in DER format.

Syntax

__property DynamicArray DecryptionCertificateBytes = { read=FDecryptionCertificateBytes };

Remarks

Returns the raw certificate data in DER format.

This property is read-only and not available at design time.

Data Type

Byte Array

DecryptionCertificateHandle Property (PDFDecryptor Component)

Allows to get or set a 'handle', a unique identifier of the underlying property object.

Syntax

__property __int64 DecryptionCertificateHandle = { read=FDecryptionCertificateHandle, write=FSetDecryptionCertificateHandle };

Default Value

0

Remarks

Allows to get or set a 'handle', a unique identifier of the underlying property object. Use this property to assign objects of the same type in a quicker manner, without copying them fieldwise.

When you pass a handle of one object to another, the source object is copied to the destination rather than assigned. It is safe to get rid of the original object after such operation. pdfSigner.setSigningCertHandle(certMgr.getCertHandle());

This property is not available at design time.

Data Type

Long64

DocumentInfoEncryptionAlgorithm Property (PDFDecryptor Component)

The symmetric algorithm used to encrypt the document.

Syntax

__property String DocumentInfoEncryptionAlgorithm = { read=FDocumentInfoEncryptionAlgorithm };

Default Value

""

Remarks

The symmetric algorithm used to encrypt the document.

This property contains the encryption algorithm that was used to encrypt the PDF document.

Supported values:

This property is read-only and not available at design time.

Data Type

String

DocumentInfoEncryptionType Property (PDFDecryptor Component)

The document encryption type.

Syntax

__property TsbxPDFDecryptorDocumentInfoEncryptionTypes DocumentInfoEncryptionType = { read=FDocumentInfoEncryptionType };

enum TsbxPDFDecryptorDocumentInfoEncryptionTypes {
  petNone=0,
  petPassword=1,
  petCertificate=2
};

Default Value

petPassword

Remarks

The document encryption type.

This property indicates the kind of encryption that was used to encrypt the PDF document.

Supported values:

This property is read-only and not available at design time.

Data Type

Integer

DocumentInfoMetadataEncrypted Property (PDFDecryptor Component)

Indicates if the document metadata is encrypted.

Syntax

__property bool DocumentInfoMetadataEncrypted = { read=FDocumentInfoMetadataEncrypted };

Default Value

true

Remarks

Indicates if the document metadata is encrypted.

Use this property to check if the document metadata is encrypted.

Metadata contains additional information about the document such as its name and author.

This property is read-only and not available at design time.

Data Type

Boolean

DocumentInfoPermissions Property (PDFDecryptor Component)

Contains the document permissions associated with the encryption.

Syntax

__property int DocumentInfoPermissions = { read=FDocumentInfoPermissions };

Default Value

0

Remarks

Contains the document permissions associated with the encryption.

Use this property to check the permissions protected by this encryption. The PDF specification expects applications to comply with these permissions when handling encrypted documents. Contains a bit mask of the following flags:

This property is read-only and not available at design time.

Data Type

Integer

ExternalCryptoAsyncDocumentID Property (PDFDecryptor Component)

Specifies an optional document ID for SignAsyncBegin() and SignAsyncEnd() calls.

Syntax

__property String ExternalCryptoAsyncDocumentID = { read=FExternalCryptoAsyncDocumentID, write=FSetExternalCryptoAsyncDocumentID };

Default Value

""

Remarks

Specifies an optional document ID for SignAsyncBegin() and SignAsyncEnd() calls.

Use this property when working with multi-signature DCAuth requests and responses to uniquely identify documents signed within a larger batch. On the completion stage, this value helps the signing component identify the correct signature in the returned batch of responses.

If using batched requests, make sure to set this property to the same value on both the pre-signing (SignAsyncBegin) and completion (SignAsyncEnd) stages.

Data Type

String

ExternalCryptoCustomParams Property (PDFDecryptor Component)

Custom parameters to be passed to the signing service (uninterpreted).

Syntax

__property String ExternalCryptoCustomParams = { read=FExternalCryptoCustomParams, write=FSetExternalCryptoCustomParams };

Default Value

""

Remarks

Custom parameters to be passed to the signing service (uninterpreted).

This property is not available at design time.

Data Type

String

ExternalCryptoData Property (PDFDecryptor Component)

Additional data to be included in the async state and mirrored back by the requestor.

Syntax

__property String ExternalCryptoData = { read=FExternalCryptoData, write=FSetExternalCryptoData };

Default Value

""

Remarks

Additional data to be included in the async state and mirrored back by the requestor.

This property is not available at design time.

Data Type

String

ExternalCryptoExternalHashCalculation Property (PDFDecryptor Component)

Specifies whether the message hash is to be calculated at the external endpoint.

Syntax

__property bool ExternalCryptoExternalHashCalculation = { read=FExternalCryptoExternalHashCalculation, write=FSetExternalCryptoExternalHashCalculation };

Default Value

false

Remarks

Specifies whether the message hash is to be calculated at the external endpoint. Please note that this mode is not supported by the DCAuth component.

If set to true, the component will pass a few kilobytes of to-be-signed data from the document to the OnExternalSign event. This only applies when SignExternal() is called.

Data Type

Boolean

ExternalCryptoHashAlgorithm Property (PDFDecryptor Component)

Specifies the request's signature hash algorithm.

Syntax

__property String ExternalCryptoHashAlgorithm = { read=FExternalCryptoHashAlgorithm, write=FSetExternalCryptoHashAlgorithm };

Default Value

"SHA256"

Remarks

Specifies the request's signature hash algorithm.

Data Type

String

ExternalCryptoKeyID Property (PDFDecryptor Component)

The ID of the pre-shared key used for DC request authentication.

Syntax

__property String ExternalCryptoKeyID = { read=FExternalCryptoKeyID, write=FSetExternalCryptoKeyID };

Default Value

""

Remarks

The ID of the pre-shared key used for DC request authentication.

Asynchronous DCAuth-driven communication requires that parties authenticate each other with a secret pre-shared cryptographic key. This provides an extra protection layer for the protocol and diminishes the risk of the private key becoming abused by foreign parties. Use this property to provide the pre-shared key identifier, and use ExternalCryptoKeySecret to pass the key itself.

The same KeyID/KeySecret pair should be used on the DCAuth side for the signing requests to be accepted.

Note: The KeyID/KeySecret scheme is very similar to the AuthKey scheme used in various Cloud service providers to authenticate users.

Example: signer.ExternalCrypto.KeyID = "MainSigningKey"; signer.ExternalCrypto.KeySecret = "abcdef0123456789";

Data Type

String

ExternalCryptoKeySecret Property (PDFDecryptor Component)

The pre-shared key used for DC request authentication.

Syntax

__property String ExternalCryptoKeySecret = { read=FExternalCryptoKeySecret, write=FSetExternalCryptoKeySecret };

Default Value

""

Remarks

The pre-shared key used for DC request authentication. This key must be set and match the key used by the DCAuth counterpart for the scheme to work.

Read more about configuring authentication in the ExternalCryptoKeyID topic.

Data Type

String

ExternalCryptoMethod Property (PDFDecryptor Component)

Specifies the asynchronous signing method.

Syntax

__property TsbxPDFDecryptorExternalCryptoMethods ExternalCryptoMethod = { read=FExternalCryptoMethod, write=FSetExternalCryptoMethod };

enum TsbxPDFDecryptorExternalCryptoMethods {
  asmdPKCS1=0,
  asmdPKCS7=1
};

Default Value

asmdPKCS1

Remarks

Specifies the asynchronous signing method. This is typically defined by the DC server capabilities and setup.

Available options:

Data Type

Integer

ExternalCryptoMode Property (PDFDecryptor Component)

Specifies the external cryptography mode.

Syntax

__property TsbxPDFDecryptorExternalCryptoModes ExternalCryptoMode = { read=FExternalCryptoMode, write=FSetExternalCryptoMode };

enum TsbxPDFDecryptorExternalCryptoModes {
  ecmDefault=0,
  ecmDisabled=1,
  ecmGeneric=2,
  ecmDCAuth=3,
  ecmDCAuthJSON=4
};

Default Value

ecmDefault

Remarks

Specifies the external cryptography mode.

Available options:

This property is not available at design time.

Data Type

Integer

ExternalCryptoPublicKeyAlgorithm Property (PDFDecryptor Component)

Provide the public key algorithm here if the certificate is not available on the pre-signing stage.

Syntax

__property String ExternalCryptoPublicKeyAlgorithm = { read=FExternalCryptoPublicKeyAlgorithm, write=FSetExternalCryptoPublicKeyAlgorithm };

Default Value

""

Remarks

Provide the public key algorithm here if the certificate is not available on the pre-signing stage.

Data Type

String

FIPSMode Property (PDFDecryptor Component)

Reserved.

Syntax

__property bool FIPSMode = { read=FFIPSMode, write=FSetFIPSMode };

Default Value

false

Remarks

This property is reserved for future use.

Data Type

Boolean

InputBytes Property (PDFDecryptor Component)

Use this property to pass the input to component in byte array form.

Syntax

__property DynamicArray InputBytes = { read=FInputBytes, write=FSetInputBytes };

Remarks

Assign a byte array containing the data to be processed to this property.

This property is not available at design time.

Data Type

Byte Array

InputFile Property (PDFDecryptor Component)

The PDF file to be decrypted.

Syntax

__property String InputFile = { read=FInputFile, write=FSetInputFile };

Default Value

""

Remarks

Provide the path to the PDF document to be decrypted.

Data Type

String

OutputBytes Property (PDFDecryptor Component)

Use this property to read the output the component object has produced.

Syntax

__property DynamicArray OutputBytes = { read=FOutputBytes };

Remarks

Read the contents of this property after the operation has completed to read the produced output. This property will only be set if the OutputFile and OutputStream properties had not been assigned.

This property is read-only and not available at design time.

Data Type

Byte Array

OutputFile Property (PDFDecryptor Component)

The file to save the decrypted document to.

Syntax

__property String OutputFile = { read=FOutputFile, write=FSetOutputFile };

Default Value

""

Remarks

Specifies the path where the decrypted PDF should be saved.

Data Type

String

Password Property (PDFDecryptor Component)

The decryption password.

Syntax

__property String Password = { read=FPassword, write=FSetPassword };

Default Value

""

Remarks

Use this property to provide the decryption password.

Data Type

String

Config Method (PDFDecryptor Component)

Sets or retrieves a configuration setting.

Syntax

String __fastcall Config(String ConfigurationString);

Remarks

Config is a generic method available in every component. It is used to set and retrieve configuration settings for the component.

These settings are similar in functionality to properties, but they are rarely used. In order to avoid "polluting" the property namespace of the component, access to these internal properties is provided through the Config method.

To set a configuration setting named PROPERTY, you must call Config("PROPERTY=VALUE"), where VALUE is the value of the setting expressed as a string. For boolean values, use the strings "True", "False", "0", "1", "Yes", or "No" (case does not matter).

To read (query) the value of a configuration setting, you must call Config("PROPERTY"). The value will be returned as a string.

Decrypt Method (PDFDecryptor Component)

Decrypts a PDF document.

Syntax

void __fastcall Decrypt();

Remarks

Use this method to decrypt a PDF document provided via InputFile (InputStream). The decrypted document will be saved in OutputFile (OutputStream).

DoAction Method (PDFDecryptor Component)

Performs an additional action.

Syntax

String __fastcall DoAction(String ActionID, String ActionParams);

Remarks

DoAction is a generic method available in every component. It is used to perform an additional action introduced after the product major release. The list of actions is not fixed, and may be flexibly extended over time.

The unique identifier (case insensitive) of the action is provided in the ActionID parameter.

ActionParams contains the value of a single parameter, or a list of multiple parameters for the action in the form of PARAM1=VALUE1;PARAM2=VALUE2;....

Common ActionIDs:

Reset Method (PDFDecryptor Component)

Resets the component settings.

Syntax

void __fastcall Reset();

Remarks

Reset is a generic method available in every component.

DocumentLoaded Event (PDFDecryptor Component)

This event is fired when the document has been loaded into memory.

Syntax

typedef struct {
  bool Cancel;
} TsbxPDFDecryptorDocumentLoadedEventParams;
typedef void __fastcall (__closure *TsbxPDFDecryptorDocumentLoadedEvent)(System::TObject* Sender, TsbxPDFDecryptorDocumentLoadedEventParams *e);
__property TsbxPDFDecryptorDocumentLoadedEvent OnDocumentLoaded = { read=FOnDocumentLoaded, write=FOnDocumentLoaded };

Remarks

The handler for this event is a good place to check the document structure, which may be useful when preparing the signature. For example, you can use the Pages information to find the optimal position for the signature widget.

Set Cancel to true to terminate document processing on this stage.

Encrypted Event (PDFDecryptor Component)

Notifies the application that the document is encrypted and provides recipient certificate details if asymmetric encryption was used to encrypt the document.

Syntax

typedef struct {
  bool CertUsed;
  String IssuerRDN;
  DynamicArray SerialNumber;
  DynamicArray SubjectKeyID;
  bool NeedCredential;
  bool SkipThis;
} TsbxPDFDecryptorEncryptedEventParams;
typedef void __fastcall (__closure *TsbxPDFDecryptorEncryptedEvent)(System::TObject* Sender, TsbxPDFDecryptorEncryptedEventParams *e);
__property TsbxPDFDecryptorEncryptedEvent OnEncrypted = { read=FOnEncrypted, write=FOnEncrypted };

Remarks

The component fires this event when processing encrypted documents to report the fact of encryption and pass certificate parameters to the user.

This event fires repeatedly for each encryption mechanism used in the document until the user provides the correct credential via the DecryptionCertificate or Password property (depending on the encryption method used), or sets SkipThis to true.

The CertUsed parameter specifies the encryption method used. If set to true, it indicates that the document uses asymmetric (certificate-based) encryption. In that case, the IssuerRDN, SerialNumber, and SubjectKeyID parameters provide the details of the encryption certificate. Note that the document can be encrypted with more than one certificate (or have "more than one recipient"), in which case each certificate will invoke its own Encrypted event loop.

CertUsed set to false indicates that the document uses password encryption. In this case, provide the password via the Password property.

The NeedCredential parameter specifies whether the correct credential is already available to the component or still needs to be set. One example where NeedCredential would be set to false is where it had been provided by the application prior to processing the document (e.g. by setting the Password property to a known pre-defined value). If NeedCredential is set to true, you must provide the valid credential for the decryption process to succeed.

Error Event (PDFDecryptor Component)

Information about errors during signing/validation.

Syntax

typedef struct {
  int ErrorCode;
  String Description;
} TsbxPDFDecryptorErrorEventParams;
typedef void __fastcall (__closure *TsbxPDFDecryptorErrorEvent)(System::TObject* Sender, TsbxPDFDecryptorErrorEventParams *e);
__property TsbxPDFDecryptorErrorEvent OnError = { read=FOnError, write=FOnError };

Remarks

The event is fired in case of exceptional conditions during PDF processing.

ErrorCode contains an error code and Description contains a textual description of the error.

ExternalDecrypt Event (PDFDecryptor Component)

Handles remote or external decryption.

Syntax

typedef struct {
  String OperationId;
  String Algorithm;
  String Pars;
  String EncryptedData;
  String Data;
} TsbxPDFDecryptorExternalDecryptEventParams;
typedef void __fastcall (__closure *TsbxPDFDecryptorExternalDecryptEvent)(System::TObject* Sender, TsbxPDFDecryptorExternalDecryptEventParams *e);
__property TsbxPDFDecryptorExternalDecryptEvent OnExternalDecrypt = { read=FOnExternalDecrypt, write=FOnExternalDecrypt };

Remarks

Assign a handler to this event if you need to delegate a low-level decryption operation to an external, remote, or custom decryption engine. The handler receives an encrypted value in the EncryptedData parameter, and is expected to decrypt it and place the decrypted value into the Data parameter.

OperationId provides a comment about the operation and its origin. It depends on the exact component being used, and may be empty. Algorithm specifies the encryption algorithm being used, and Pars contains algorithm-dependent parameters.

The component uses base16 (hex) encoding for the EncryptedData, Data, and Pars parameters. If your decryption engine uses a different input and output encoding, you may need to decode and/or encode the data before and/or after the decryption.

Sample data encoded in base16: a0dee2a0382afbb09120ffa7ccd8a152 - lower case base16 A0DEE2A0382AFBB09120FFA7CCD8A152 - upper case base16

Notification Event (PDFDecryptor Component)

This event notifies the application about an underlying control flow event.

Syntax

typedef struct {
  String EventID;
  String EventParam;
} TsbxPDFDecryptorNotificationEventParams;
typedef void __fastcall (__closure *TsbxPDFDecryptorNotificationEvent)(System::TObject* Sender, TsbxPDFDecryptorNotificationEventParams *e);
__property TsbxPDFDecryptorNotificationEvent OnNotification = { read=FOnNotification, write=FOnNotification };

Remarks

The component fires this event to let the application know about some event, occurrence, or milestone in the component. For example, it may fire to report completion of the document processing. The list of events being reported is not fixed, and may be flexibly extended over time.

The unique identifier of the event is provided in the EventID parameter. EventParam contains any parameters accompanying the occurrence. Depending on the type of the component, the exact action it is performing, or the document being processed, one or both may be omitted.

This component can fire this event with the following EventID values:

Config Settings (PDFDecryptor Component)

The component accepts one or more of the following configuration settings. Configuration settings are similar in functionality to properties, but they are rarely used. In order to avoid "polluting" the property namespace of the component, access to these internal properties is provided through the Config method.

PDFDecryptor Config Settings

Base Config Settings

Trappable Errors (PDFDecryptor Component)

PDFDecryptor Errors