Rogue One is hitting theaters, and with its release, we now have an “official” answer to how Princess Leia received the plans to the Death Star in A New Hope. In years past, however, when the old Expanded Universe flourished, there was another explanation… and it’s more complex and ludicrous than you could possibly imagine.
Source: Gizmodo – The Obscenely Complex Way the Rebels Stole the Death Star Plans in the Original Star Wars Expanded Universe