Correcting Protobuf: Downgrade to 3.19.0 error

[A_n_g_e_l_a]

Someone posted this asking for help. This wrong protobuf version is such common issue, it needs its own thread.

[Attachment 69911 - Click to enlarge]

It mainly happens to users of WKS_KEYS or Frida using dumper.py who update or first install protobuf version 4.x.x.
That new version is incompatible with a piece of code within WKS-KEYS and Dumper There are two ways of correcting it.

There is a mis-match between the version of the module 'protobuf' (version 4.22.1 is current) and the version of protobuf that was used to create the file wv_proto2_pb2.py (version 3.20.3) used in WKS_KEYS or dumper. Both use wv_proto2_pb2.py.

One solution is to downgrade the protobuf module

pip install protobuf==3.20.3

will do it.

The other solution is a little more effort but should you wish to use the pywidevine python module to get keys, as well as use WKS-KEYS, it is the better way.

pip install protobuf=>4.22.1

In the WKS-KEYS folder is the path WKS-KEYS/pywidevine/L3/cdm/formats Within the formats folder are two files, the compiled protobuf that is causing the issue, wv_proto2_pb2.py and a file that allows us to create a new one - wv_proto2.proto
Similarly if your issue it with dumper the path you need is dumper-main/Helpers/wv_proto2_pb2.py but dumper DOES NOT include a proto script needed for compiling. However WKS-KEYS does.

I'll just run through updating wv_proto2_pb2.py from WKS-KEYS, but the same process works for dumper too.

First you need to install the compiler for protobuffers called protoc. My Linux system suggested this protobuf-compiler.x86_64 . After installation a check just calling protoc on the command line gave me the help response.

In a terminal window, change directory to WKS-KEYS/pywidevine/L3/cdm/formats and rename wv_proto2_pb2.py to wv_proto2_pb2.py.old in case you need to revert for any reason.
In the same folder run

protoc -I=./ --python_out=./ wv_proto2.proto

and it will compile a new version using the instructions in wv_proto2.proto. It is all very fast.

Here is my version compiled for protobuf version 4 https://anonfiles.com/caY5k7g2zc/wv_proto2_pb2_py. It should work everywhere just rename your old version as a backup and replace with this in the WKS-KEYS/pywidevine/L3/cdm/formats folder.

[shellcmd]

thank you A_n_g_e_l_a , and another method is creating a python env , and pip install protobuf 4.xx in the env environment.

[Jawz22]

thank you A_n_g_e_l_a , very helpful post, worked like a treat

[k2000]

if I replace my file with your file I get the same error.

[A_n_g_e_l_a]

if I replace my file with your file I get the same error.

Then check your work and maybe re-download. You can always compile a new protobuf yourself using the instructions given if you have any doubts about the 'file'.

[k2000]

if I replace my file with your file I get the same error.

Then check your work and maybe re-download. You can always compile a new protobuf yourself using the instructions given if you have any doubts about the 'file'.

I have no doubts about your file, I was only asking the question why I was getting the same error.

For compiled myself I find it quite complicated. Works on Windows for compiled?.