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FBI Issues Code Cracking Challenge
coondoggie writes to tell us that the FBI has issued another cracking challenge for a new cipher on their site. Tens of thousands responded to a similar challenge last year. In addition to the challenge, the FBI is also offering a few primers on the subject. There are a number of sites offering cipher challenges, but it's funny to see the FBI encouraging such behavior.
Love the article:
Hillarious.
moox. for a new generation.
"There are a number of sites offering cipher challenges, just funny to see the FBI encouraging" ...terrsm? organized crime? porn? OSS?
The winner receives an all expense 1 way trip to the tropical island of Cuba!
...right in the middle of the post. Who says government doesn't work?
P.S. Winners get the same
What? A commercial?
or whichever foreign government owns the code that the FBI has just recruited the bright kids on the Internet to crack :-)
Houdini was always searching for better, more clever ways to perform escape acts and illusions. After he would debut a new trick, others would immediately try to emulate the trick. The trick was on them, though, because Houdini would frequently expose their methods (because it was originally his) and prove himself to be the true master magician.
No difference here. Just the FBI gauging the abilities of the community.
^[NO CARRIER]
No sig for you!!
The links in the article point to FBI challenges in 2007 and the kids challenge but do not point to the 2008 challenge.
Here is the FBI Cryptanalysis challenge 2008 http://www.fbi.gov/page2/dec08/code_122908.html
Other helpful links for reference
2007 challenge: http://www.fbi.gov/page2/nov07/code112107.html
Kids challenge: http://www.fbi.gov/kids/k5th/jobs9.htm
Hm. Hidden message.
Dear citizens: Please inform us if you have the talents necessary to be suspects in criminal cyber-cracking cases. That is all. Love, The FBI
Except for video games and aliens, it'll be a bunch of crypto guys battling it out with Matlab.
Has anyone got a link to the actual challenge?
TFS has links to a fucking article which links to another pile of useless shit.
I wonder if the submitter, coondoggie (mcooney@nww.com), is in any way related to networkworld.com, the host of the wholly useless article?
P.S. ScuttleMonkey, you are a useless cunt. Please RTFA before clicking the "OMGPOST!!!!" button.
It's like the FBI accidentally the whole bottle!
It's interesting to note that all of the participants in the challenge last year got an all expenses paid vacation to an undisclosed location. I guess it was a really cool vacation since none of them returned home.
The website also refers to the University of South Hampton.
I, however, am a resident of Southampton, thou insensitive clods.
Other notable residential locations include Northampton, Littlehampton and Southall.
http://www.fbi.gov/page2/dec08/code_122908.html
..."congratulations!". The rest is a breeze.
Who would have guessed, aye?
Kinda lame.
The company offered over $10,000.00 for not only hacking and cracking their server, but showing the company how they did it.
If memory serves (and it sometimes does not) they paid out the first and second years of the challenge, but in year three no one successfully broke into their web server environment.
I believed they kept eliminating modules that had holes and were not needing and closing holes in modules that were needed.
Based on what I read, they were able to 100% successfully secure their web servers from attacks only because they were using Linux as the OS.
I remembered comparing their results with others attempts with other operating systems and really wanting to learn Linux.
Now that I am using Unix and Linux and have a better understanding of what they were doing I can see the simple genius in such challenges.
Whether just for security or for scouting talent, whatever their reasons, its money well spent when they offer cash prizes to the few that are successful!
Is your Internet Throttled? Install DD-Wrt, OpenWRT or Tomato to learn the truth! Google: 1Gbps/1Gbps: 5 Communities
It was not, shall we say, stupendously hard. A little common sense and some patience was all it took. I expected that I'd be looking at something a little tougher than I used as clues in the scavenger hunt at my 10th birthday party.
The CB App. What's your 20?
Oh, come on. This is from an organization that cut funding for terrorism just before 9/11 to add resources to software piracy. Do you really think if they had the brains do do cryptanalysis they'd...
oh wait.
I suppose they are looking for brains, huh.
#fuckbeta #iamslashdot #dicemustdie
Interesting that FBI uses plone as their CMS and not Wordpress and they have IE compatibility CSS code like the rest of the planet.
Clue: Is there a reason why they have the crypto code displayed as a flash file and not a simple png or jpeg file?
Bleh. Its just a simple substitution cipher. They didn't even change the grouping of the letters. Took me about 5 minutes to figure it out.
"Be sure to drink your ovaltine"
What the hell does that mean?
I have decrypted. Answer is: U R under Arrest.
damn!
And the winners get all expenses incurred DMCA prosecutions!
With reasonable men I will reason; with humane men I will plead; but to tyrants I will give no quarter. -- William Lloyd
There were some dead give-away cribs.
Spoiler below...
sed -e s/H/b/g -e s/D/e/g -e s/A/f/g -e s/M/g/g -e s/B/i/g -e s/S/o/g -e s/K/v/g -e s/Y/w/g -e s/V/s/g -e s/F/t/g -e s/W/u/g -e s/T/p/g -e s/L/n/g -e s/C/d/g -e s/G/y/g -e s/N/c/g -e s/I/r/g -e s/J/a/g -e s/E/l/g -e s/Q/k/g -e s/O/h/g -e s/Z/m/g fbi.txt
Seriously, here's the answer :
Lbh ner va ivbyngvba bs gur QZPN.
Run! Run!
That, was, dumb.
Why embed the text in a flash object? code... I would of given this a shot if I could of relied on some normalized text, but no... that would make sense. Sense and gov't obviously don't belong in the same room. Yea... I am a little disappointed.
what it should be:
coondoggie writes to tell us that the FBI has issued another cracking challenge for a new cipher on their site. Tens of thousands responded to a similar challenge last year. In addition to the challenge the FBI is also offering a few primers on the subject. There are a number of sites offering cipher challenges, just funny to see the FBI encouraging 4J58I4JTK5NRO4844/4534852WDVJRIN67/368RB8XC0GJFNFXVXCVJVXV8R/GE8F/RETWQ8ER8WRHQ98CVUXHE8V09E8Q/WRWE8Q7T-E8THQEW/CHICKEN438R8SDFUEFNX7/4UDFJD7FH47FHEFT28FHEW6DFT
Those of us who think they know everything annoy those of us who do.
That code was way too easy, so don't worry I don't think you will get a free vacation or the like for that little work. Heck! If the FBI uses that kind of encryption I have to warn my grand mother that terrorists might try to hire her as cryptanalyst ... o.O
There are automated ones out there that solve this in under a second, but if you want to figure it out yourself try this page:
http://www.esg.montana.edu/meg/consbio/cryptogram/crypto.html
Here's the puzzle text to copy:
VFWTDLCSWV. YD NSLMIJFWEJFD GSW SL NIJNQBLM FOBV EJFDVF DLNIGTFBSL.
KBVBF YYY.AHB.MSK/NSCDC.OFZ FS EDF WV QLSY SA GSWI VWNNDVV.
Congratulations, you did it! Thanks for participating, and happy holidays.
Communications security in the US is a mission of the NSA, not the FBI. This contest should be shut down and the money used on it returned to the treasury. The FBI has no business doing this, no matter how "cool" it is.
The winner and all applicants will receive one free year of FBI wiretapping, complete with monitoring of all internet activities.
Agent Moldy: why can't we crack this code?
Agent slutty: Its to good for us to crack.
Agent Moldy: Think slutty think. How do we get someone to work on this for us?
Agent slutty: I know moldy we can create a contest and have someone else do it for us.
YHBT YHL HAND
Matlab?
I use APL, you insensitive clod. Much, much more fun for code cracking/number crunching!
Couldn't stand the weather
it's a substitution cipher- I solved it in about 10 minutes. the part towards the end that starts with YYY is a web address- guess which site??
What ever you do, DO NOT let the FBI congradulate you on your success.
Trying to install linux on my microwave, but keep getting a kernel panic...
When you win one of these contests, you may discover that your garbage is regularly replaced with phony garbage.
Table-ized A.I.
Took me longer to find a pencil than to crack the damn code. Now on to much more interesting things, like watching my three year old arrange the perfect train crash under a footstool.
You can get 15 minutes of fame, but you can go down in history for infamy.
V'q yvxr gb gnxr guvf bccbeghavgl gb fnl "Uryyb!" gb nyy zl snaf va qbzrfgvp fheirvyynapr.
This post expresses my opinion, not that of my employer. And yes, IAAL.
It's a pretty simple substitution cipher, and the obvious web address in the code makes it even simpler. A simple bit of guess work and you get the result:
"stupendous. we congratulate you on cracking this latest encryption. visit www.fbi.gov/coded.htm to let us know of your success"
The lookup table for the substitution is:
A : f; C : d; B : i; E : l; D : e; G : y; F : t; I : r; H : b; K : v; J : a; M : g; L : n; O : h; N : c; Q : k; S : o; T : p; W : u; V : s; Y : w; Z : m;
But I think it took longer to find the damn page and load the flash document than it did to decipher the message, I think maybe that was the real challenge.
Heh, can't figure this one out on your own?
You don't help them violate your privacy.
You can lead a man with reason but you can't make him think.
I was expecting something more than just a "good job" message at the designated URL. I guess it's the journey, not the destination. for those of you out there, use the URL to get you started.
Can get it... the messages is the one to the right not the rambling to the left
You don't win anything :(
This is a fantasy that geeks love to think about, "Ooooh if I were smart and showed off my l33t skills then spies would recruit me!"
As someone who worked in a non-American intelligence collection agency (but still part of the five eyes community) I can say that it is pure fantasy (the only agencies that still do this sort of recruitment -- on the rare occassion -- are usually HUMINT related, and they recruit on campuses, not off the net).
Intelligence agencies are made up of the same dimwits that you find in any government department. Their HR recruitment is also like any malfunctioning bureaucracy, i.e: HR throws out any candidates with a modicum of talent and then say to themselves, "oh hey, I got a great idea, let's hire blonde haired, blue-eyed caucasian women as HUMINT case officers who studied french and law, yeah that'll show them terrorists and russian gangstas. They'll NEVER see it coming ... that's the ticket." "That's a good idea bob, here have a promotion or two for being a fuckwad."
Oh, and LOL@getting paid lots in intelligence work. Yah, good one. Only if you are a contractor.
You are right about one thing though. The true professionals would work for the Chinese.
...I've gotten rusty over the years, shaddup!
I was hoping for more of a challenge, sheesh.
Then again, it was a somewhat enjoyable coffee break distraction.
Did you know that "FTW" ("for the win") is a direct translation of "Sieg Heil"?
Yes, rather strange...
I hope they don't guard any sensitive data with encryption that easy
Jealous? It's OK the grand dragons is gonna fix you up fine. I know he doesnt have a large penis like Obama but you will just have to deal with it.
I've solved it and posted the answer for y'all. Check it out here: http://c0nn0r.info/blog/2008/12/29/i-pwned-the-fbi-cyphertext-challenge-in-about-45-minutes-using-a-pen-and-paper/
R S T L N E...
I would like to give credit to Pat Sajak and the always beautiful Vanna White for helping me solve the FBI Cryptanalysis Challenge 2008.
I want my! I want my! I want my Eee PC!
So who's smarter? Dogbert or Brian
My first Journal Entry ever, in 8 years! http://slashdot.org/journal/365947/aphelion-scifi-fantasy-horror-poetry-webzine
It's either:
STUPENDOUS. WE
CONGRATULATE YOU ON
CRACKING THIS LATEST
ENCYPTION. VISIT
WWW.FBI.GOV/coded.htm
TO LET US KNOW OF
YOUR SUCESS
or, the real secret message:
CLASSIFY. US
ACCELERATING ALL OF
AMERICAS OWLS AROUND
ANTARCTICA. ALERT
CIA-NSA-DOD/NCSCA-DOE
TO LAY IN WAIT OF
MORE UPDATES.
You are supposed to go to the website to let them know of your sucess, but there is no contact information on the website. I guess they just check the logs?
stupendous. we congratulate you on cracking this latest encryption. visit www.fbi.gov/coded.htm to let us know of your success. Lame
Sting operation. Everyone who participates is subject to arrest. Enjoy, kiddies! :-D
Zooperman
So you're the first to open Elaine Roberts' mind!
If I were her, I'd pester mommy everyday: "Mommy, mommy, marry this man!"
call your mom on the phone and tell it to her. You'll hear from the FBI 15 minutes later if you found the correct answer.
--
Stay tuned for some shock and awe coming right up after this messages!
He told me they retired him quietly in his 30's with a big fat pensions ...
I think he'd probably written "The Art of Cryptology" during his employment days, in addition to the volumes of work he'd personally done.
... he has been doing nothing and growing peaches ever since. And when he says it his eyes twinkle.
He may have secrets in the peaches. Analyze their DNA and see if there's any coded messages inside.
Why isn't it NSCDC.OFR rather than .OFZ?
It also seems odd that the Y=W instead of X=W.
So I tried coded.htx and .htz but no page found, I guess they just silently log how cool you are.
Of course my computations may be off. I think I started drinking a little too early this morning.
Do they also offer primes on the subject ?
The Wise adapts himself to the world. The Fool adapts the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the Fool.
"it's funny to see the FBI encouraging such behavior"
Probably best categorized under "know your enemy"...
The FBi issues a code to be cracked with the simplicity of a 3 on a scale of 1 to 100 in terms of advanced technologies used in current cryptography. HAha - / they aren't looking for the 99% of society that can figure out the simple sub ciPher. Food for thought: With present technology in cryptography pushing the upper maxim of what we as a species are capable of understanding (in terms of entropy of data with a key) - lets just say someone went another direction. Intelligent "believable" misinformation is more powerful than anything else that could be devised in the world of intelligence. What would be the impact in the world of hidden secrets if an algorithm could encrypt a paragraph of data into an output resembling a ciphered textual paragraph instead of just random letters? Example 1: Paragraph A is encrypted .. instead of yielding random chaotic letters it yields a paragraph of of completely different content/context. How? Take 100 characters - First, these aren't words but 8 bit vectors of data. How do you you transpose 100 8 bit vectors into 100 other 8 bit vectors - the answer: very carefully and with a map along the way of course (the key). Yes it's 100% possible.
Example 2:
Take it a step further and instead of encrypting into another paragraph. Yield a paragraph that is ciphered with a determined amount of complexity.
What would be the advantage of having a barely breakable code, yield a cipher that wasn't just mono-interpretive? Pretty powerful.
The trojan horse of modern crypto-design? or just the fbi spending time putting up a code that I could break when i was 5?
"coondoggie writes to tell us that the FBI has issued another cracking challenge for a new cipher on their site. Tens of thousands responded to a similar challenge last year. In addition to the challenge, the FBI is also offering a few primers on the subject. There are a number of sites offering cipher challenges, but it's funny to see the FBI encouraging such behavior."
-.....so they can know who to declare a threat to national security and round up. What's next? Lawrence Livermore and Sandia having a contest on who can develop the next generation of explosives?
Knowing Google's lust for data collection, the Soviet Union is still alive and well inside the psyche of Sergey Brin....
"University of South Hampton", nope I can't figure out where that is!
"Don't belong. Never join. Think for yourself. Peace." V.Stone, Microsoft Corporation
its simple really, and kills several birds with one stone. They are concerned with the 'hackers' who keep cracking this stuff, MAFIAA is annoyed that people keep cracking their often laughable security / encyption (who remembers the magic marker solution). Mafiaa pays them to host the challenge, and 'protects' some material with the very thing being 'cracked' in the challenge.
Then clearly they round up all the winners, let the DMCA circumvention suits fly, and add them to watch lists all at the same time. we'll just ignore the whole entrapment thing and laugh ok?
Brilliant.
1. host 'contest'
2. let net hackers do your work.. I mean crack the code for you
3. ???
4. profit
again just a joke
"Jazz isn't dead, it just smells funny" ~Frank Zappa
EdelFactor
The idea is to generate interest in the subject :D
While it took all of a few minutes to 'solve'
manually, it merely shows folks that their interests
in puzzle solving can actually be of some use in
the field of crypto.
A more interesting use would be to put currently
unbroken ciphers in use by ( insert organization
here ) and see if the online community can break
them. Why settle of X number of employees when
you have have Y^Z folks doing it for free (fun) ?
"You are a stranger"
"operation Meaty Sandwitch is all go!"
This contest is nothing more than a fishing expedition to see those who are smart enough to break codes and brazen and stupid enough to have the testicular resources to demonstrate the same in public.
File under the heading "Let every flower bloom".
Submission as evidence constitutes plaintiff and/or prosecutorial misconduct.
President Jeb Bush (Get used to it.) becasue they cannot trust anyone else.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=KF3Ry-xcXAg
RR
Maybe this is like those stings where the police dupe some idiot criminals to show up somewhere under the guise of getting some free stuff, then slap the cuffs on 'em. Are they logging the IP of people who go to that website which in turn is compared against a list of people they want to talk to? Why else would they do something like this?