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This was the "magic bullet" for older RARs. If the user knew even one unencrypted file that existed inside the encrypted RAR (for example, a standard readme.txt or a common system file), the v4.03 tool could compare the encrypted version with the known plaintext. Through XOR comparison, it could reverse-engineer the encryption key, bypassing the password entirely. This worked spectacularly on RAR v3.x and early v4.x headers. winrar password remover v4.03 tool 2013
The 2013 technology did not have the robust GPU acceleration capabilities seen in modern tools, making it significantly slower by today's standards. Modern Alternatives and Security Considerations Leo nearly jumped out of his chair