diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 6e7b3f6c..5bde6674 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@ News
 - **2019-05-22 v0.54.2**:
     - bugfix release: fixed several issues related to encrypted documents
       and XLM/XLF Excel 4 macros
+    - msoffcrypto-tool is now installed by default to handle encrypted documents
+    - olevba and msodde now handle documents encrypted with common passwords such
+      as 123, 1234, 4321, 12345, 123456, VelvetSweatShop automatically.
 - **2019-04-04 v0.54**:
     - olevba, msodde: added support for encrypted MS Office files 
     - olevba: added detection and extraction of XLM/XLF Excel 4 macros (thanks to plugin_biff from Didier Stevens' oledump)
diff --git a/oletools/crypto.py b/oletools/crypto.py
index ae80589c..c48d6c22 100644
--- a/oletools/crypto.py
+++ b/oletools/crypto.py
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ def script_main_function(input_file, passwords, crypto_nesting=0, args):
 # CHANGELOG:
 # 2019-02-14 v0.01 CH: - first version with encryption check from oleid
 # 2019-04-01 v0.54 PL: - fixed bug in is_encrypted_ole
+# 2019-05-23       PL: - added DEFAULT_PASSWORDS list
 
 __version__ = '0.54.2'
 
@@ -308,6 +309,9 @@ def _is_encrypted_ole(ole):
 #: using this password
 WRITE_PROTECT_ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD = 'VelvetSweatshop'
 
+#: list of common passwords to be tried by default, used by malware
+DEFAULT_PASSWORDS = [WRITE_PROTECT_ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD, '123', '1234', '12345', '123456', '4321']
+
 
 def _check_msoffcrypto():
     """Raise a :py:class:`CryptoLibNotImported` if msoffcrypto not imported."""
@@ -347,7 +351,7 @@ def decrypt(filename, passwords=None, **temp_file_args):
     if isinstance(passwords, str):
         passwords = (passwords, )
     elif not passwords:
-        passwords = (WRITE_PROTECT_ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD, )
+        passwords = DEFAULT_PASSWORDS
 
     # check temp file args
     if 'prefix' not in temp_file_args:
diff --git a/oletools/msodde.py b/oletools/msodde.py
index 1a3a2753..07beac1e 100644
--- a/oletools/msodde.py
+++ b/oletools/msodde.py
@@ -986,10 +986,9 @@ def process_maybe_encrypted(filepath, passwords=None, crypto_nesting=0,
 
     decrypted_file = None
     if passwords is None:
-        passwords = [crypto.WRITE_PROTECT_ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD, ]
+        passwords = crypto.DEFAULT_PASSWORDS
     else:
-        passwords = list(passwords) + \
-            [crypto.WRITE_PROTECT_ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD, ]
+        passwords = list(passwords) + crypto.DEFAULT_PASSWORDS
     try:
         logger.debug('Trying to decrypt file')
         decrypted_file = crypto.decrypt(filepath, passwords)
diff --git a/oletools/olevba.py b/oletools/olevba.py
index 578978e0..1b4a64a5 100644
--- a/oletools/olevba.py
+++ b/oletools/olevba.py
@@ -3890,8 +3890,7 @@ def process_file(filename, data, container, options, crypto_nesting=0):
     decrypted_file = None
     try:
         log.debug('Checking encryption passwords {}'.format(options.password))
-        passwords = options.password + \
-            [crypto.WRITE_PROTECT_ENCRYPTION_PASSWORD, ]
+        passwords = options.password + crypto.DEFAULT_PASSWORDS
         decrypted_file = crypto.decrypt(filename, passwords)
         if not decrypted_file:
             log.error('Decrypt failed, run with debug output to get details')