Author Topic: Secret messages thread (Read 17727 times)

combatking0 · « **on:** May 13, 2011 »

I would like to lay down a challenge to the other forum members, just for fun. I have sent Shockwave a copy of my new encoding program. He and I will have a discussion, in code, and we will see who can crack the code first.

It's really tough, but from what I've seen, we have a lot of skillful people here, so I reckon at least 1 person should be able to crack it without access to the source code.

Good luck!

IPHab raQ'X l9On OLXf NxNK Rv FA. DZr leyEC18 6AT UfeD5t yUvhHqFk 50FU31MG8, lYqXaI'2 pg1 zI3ur? mFEa IUXyjG AHc6cA Ekz L5s4 Xvl snqA TkGd7f4WF4 JA fa zG5F m3Bsl oA T4AdjekSLukx PHQ.

LittleWhite · « **Reply #1 on:** May 13, 2011 »

So, if I have understood well, the only way to crack it, is using a kind of bruteforce ...
Or, it's with the discussion with shockwave that we can have details to know how to reverse it ?

padman · « **Reply #2 on:** May 13, 2011 »

Yeah I'm a little confused myself. The letters are shifted around (probably by their ASCII values) but there's no recurring patterns. So I guess there is a certain pattern used for the shifts, probably a codeword. That's -like you said- not exactly easy to crack then. raQ'X could be isn't, Rv FA to do and lYqXaI'2 maybe couldn't or wouldn't. That's just some random guesses for a start. If you don't know how things are done and you don't have a program and a debugger other than your brain, it's probably just - and sorry no offense intended

- a waste of time.

combatking0 · « **Reply #3 on:** May 13, 2011 »

Alan Turing had only his brain to start, but you've got one word (raQ'X) correct. However, it isn't as straitforward as that

The more replies in the conversation, the more grammatical clues you'll have to work with.

I'll drop in another clue - there is a recurring pattern, but it's 916132832 characters long...

Jim · « **Reply #4 on:** May 13, 2011 »

That number is 62 to the power 5. And there are 26+26+10=62 symbols in your alphabet. But I suspect even if you gave us the full decrypted text we couldn't tell how you did it.
Jim

LittleWhite · « **Reply #5 on:** May 13, 2011 »

First, raQ'X if it is as it, in the original text, I will not be able to reverse the algorithm. (after search on Google, raQ'X is nothing revelant to me)
Secondly, I will spot only easy + / - rotation on ascii values.

And finally, I will try to break it ... soon, if time let me to do it ... maybe by doing some kind of bruteforce on ascii value ... to help me to direct my shoots. I mean, maybe some results will look interesting ...

In fact, if the algorithm is rotating (let's say + X and X changes every letters) at some point, a bruteforce will be able to decript one word by just random ... if we are adding a dictionnary correction ... (or google approching result)
But, of course, this is just a silly way to process it, and will take long (to code, or to approach good results).

Since I am doing genetic algorithms since some times, it could be a good use of it ... (key generated with the genetic algorithm, scoring done if the results approach something correct ... but the something correct can be perfectly done by humans only ... so )

and last try ... I have copy paste the text in my hexa editor ... just to know

but nothing particular at first sight

Binary wise can be interesting too ... like a new way of counting ...

bj · « **Reply #6 on:** May 14, 2011 »

Quote from: combatking0 on May 13, 2011

lYqXaI'2 pg1 zI3ur?

Given the conversation structure of this snippet I'd guess that pg1 is 'you'

combatking0 · « **Reply #7 on:** May 14, 2011 »

Jim has used my clue wisely.

I'm glad to see LittleWhite is up for the challenge. There's no rush, take as long as you need. Nobody will crack this on one message - I'm waiting for Shockwave's reply

Bj has guessed correctly...

You're chipping away at my encryption faster than I thought, and I know how to improve it for the next version, though not for the next message - the encryption method will remain the same until it is cracked. Still, the mods at FaceBook will have a tougher time with this

(edit) I've been in contact with Shockwave and he says he'll be back tomorrow, hopefully.

padman · « **Reply #8 on:** May 14, 2011 »

While you are at it you can try to solve this one too:

~~removed~~

Edit: Forget it, this was unsolvable due to a smelling pistake. Plus there's some bug in my code which somehow fucks up the decryption. Conclusion: don't drink and code.

Anyway, looking forward to see LittleWhite's brute force attempt in action.

Shockwave · « **Reply #9 on:** May 15, 2011 »

Quote

I'm waiting for Shockwave's reply

??

Sorry was I meant to do something?

combatking0 · « **Reply #10 on:** May 15, 2011 »

Sorry, I'd sent you a PM asking if we could have a conversation in code.

I could change it to me typing something. I have some idea of how to make it make sense. I'll start again:

3ReackLjPn2a
QjZ bI7x U1 9et 79bbMXkP 4o1E LWzZ HGl7nsVN9jU2 kAr EV1 k1 yrv zotpZB3 6E264Yq Wt xKe8q 36Wg5N eYGRD WnN9liA sW Xvl kR6o ag dXj jSxQj znFQCx. rMC gkc j1jtHc JzU YRjwF QXhO, br3 2Ge U7VN Olm QPwEwcfQOl kgw fTxsKme FRi Jd2TSBw aX ErfHY 9wFqyRW, X9O gc6DUVQG IdGy 5M3GH1 3s w 3nJqf Kha a8r Ru2vLUqGka zHJ5N 9StOfA8.

4YvO5YoGXH 5du lH2FQ oCqO iSQeY, Aagdk 54tS fkO i2lLv RkTOhxd. V 1PyVGA3 uf4jYC Wlu, eR TQT6k kz Fwl JSJx-gpMF xEQ BF WD4i3kVPre, uksUZap CS zlC4 n N3XO. oFAIxBR as4byj Rc W nGFDRPz gVWvkvT, 2DY Q8 1mc eWX9 gx gVYtVGQ, 6Bz ZrDJZ fY ehXH E1B HUlsSx I1E rfv9l pE5K jf Big9MFS 6yGWD4.

DYS waObUK xoG qRGH7yU EfJM uuA4 LLzLm 4TIPoHJ sLliy jGN yRnhg, KNJ TTVo HL59 mQLtl kPjSy4e 0sZ AM4tJ HF A dbm HGm9ieY 7A aAe9D 8nZJgFc. 2ELXG2P Y1it pP, TG5xk n4BO O7L K0o5fG. Wut 0ui XJI CyO - gDw ow5GJ hfK - raZ TKV EV9 SCnM. pmw Mwz 9Wr 0GeTEQ LYiYyz vfMd m2 0y GVLD nuThX. Loe xQsI VQ8F BpP FbTTDFn i8Xi noe 6nr9 m8W pO40nZ3 FO3gU COx YTo AgswB 0I 2zU qZhI0E 3S H5rU, hFW d2Hp 9KEn CtuZN GFhjO46bKX zy2A w4x 3gycc tw lOGPJ 4jbINb 35nzP xA F41Rb.

Shockwave · « **Reply #11 on:** May 15, 2011 »

Ah I see - I'll have to take a look at the program you sent I just haven't had time to do much this weekend

combatking0 · « **Reply #12 on:** May 15, 2011 »

That's understandable. I'll post a continuation of the above each day until you're ready, just in case anybody wants to try to decode more messages.

combatking0 · « **Reply #13 on:** May 16, 2011 »

3 W7er Hno0yE xi - Q Rs5x 56WMk T37k4 yob2C3GF

LittleWhite · « **Reply #14 on:** May 16, 2011 »

I was talking about crypting data with one guys which was doing a XOR using a key as a seed and changing the XOR key every operations ...

Well ... I don't have much time to worry about your game ... which is bad ... hope to have time soon :p

Jim · « **Reply #15 on:** May 17, 2011 »

3ReackLjPn2a = Introduction?
3 = I

Looks like your cipher always starts at the same place in its cycle.

Jim

combatking0 · « **Reply #16 on:** May 17, 2011 »

@Littlewhite - plenty of time. Don't worry about it.

@Jim - Those are correct. I haven't been changing the cycle offset, but there is the option to, just like the grandad of the system I'm using.

Jim · « **Reply #17 on:** May 17, 2011 »

Both ends of the conversation would need to know that offset before they could share messages?

Jim

combatking0 · « **Reply #18 on:** May 18, 2011 »

Correct, but there is a convinient method for this built into the program.

OMYaJ, y7jX L9G fdu xDULa dt4q94R Qd iB j9g3TXW 1GlvIfcy9jRv kG MH 6uQQE7bjwx wSRcDS2 A7 K hWTrr. h 9QJD aEGDrX bWA N2FaYQs THqx9 bGB E4VA J SPYvAw fOQ 0a7fX 0yAx o7BkOBeMiw IlPyFi. tsFVbMb, rsBV Vxda7EaL4 bS kK1Xd NJ khy gDBLC8 dKcG.

rain_storm · « **Reply #19 on:** May 18, 2011 »

Quote from: Jim on May 17, 2011

3ReackLjPn2a = Introduction?
3 = I

So "I" in the first position is always "3"
and "t" becomes "e" in the third
yet "t" becomes "P" in the eigth

and "o" in the fifth becomes "c"
but "o" in the tenth becomes "2"

Looks like a Ceaser Cipher with multiple keys,
With the displacement between each key being dependent on the letter position within the message. Can we assume that the displacement is fixed across keys?