Secure MobiPocket Format and PeanutPress PalmOS eBooks Hacked

May 14, 2002

A hacker last week announced on an several eBook-related newsgroups, including microsoft.public.pocketpc.ebooks, alt.books.electronic, comp.sys.palmtops.pilot, that they had developed a method for unprotecting Secure Mobipocket Format and PeanutPress PalmOS eBooks.

As well as describing the methods employed to protected the eBooks and how to unprotect Secure Mobipocket Format and PeanutPress PalmOS eBooks, the hacker made a utility that demonstrated the weakness. The utility was made available for download from a Web site for a day or so -- the site is no longer accessible.

Unlike other developers, claiming the reason for circumvention was to give better access for personal use (see Acrobat eBook Reader and Microsoft Reader stories), the hacker cited no particular reason for the hack.