Microsoft Office 2016 - SheetProtection Hash
Technical details, regex signatures, and cracking commands for the Microsoft Office 2016 - SheetProtection algorithm.
What is Microsoft Office 2016 - SheetProtection?
The **Microsoft Office 2016 SheetProtection hash format** is derived from an internal proprietary cryptographic scheme used to secure Excel workbook structures, particularly for password-protected sheets. Its origins trace back to early Microsoft Office versions, evolving as a lightweight alternative to full-blown cryptographic protocols like AES, designed specifically for protecting workbook integrity and access control. Structurally, it employs a **custom hash-based mechanism** that combines a **SHA-1-derived checksum** with a **simple XOR-based obfuscation layer**, followed by a **base64-encoded output** (e.g., `AQAAAAEAACwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Identifying Microsoft Office 2016 - SheetProtection Hashes
Identifying a hash blindly is often difficult because multiple algorithms can output strings of the exact same length. For example, a standard 32-character hexadecimal string could be MD5, NTLM, MD4, or LM. To definitively identify Microsoft Office 2016 - SheetProtection, security researchers analyze the hash against a strict regular expression (regex) signature (shown above) to find structural matches.
How to Crack Microsoft Office 2016 - SheetProtection
If you need to recover the plaintext password for a Microsoft Office 2016 - SheetProtection hash during a penetration test or forensics investigation, you must supply the correct module ID to your cracking software. Use the exact commands provided at the top of this page to target the hash successfully.