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Damn it.
Ok, so I know what it is now at least (I actually thought this earlier and discounted it because of a lack of a private key).
I'll have a look again after tea.
[quote=Cougar ]Ok, so I know what it is now at least (I actually thought this earlier and discounted it because of a lack of a private key).
Which probably makes google the only realistic attack vector.
Well, it's got a PGP header. Encrypted document. Guess it's not just a signature or public key. Without the private key, it's no go.
p.s. is googling the detail likely to get you on a watch list? 😉
... yes, which is where I'm at now (and hence why I discounted it at first). Having to hack a PGP message seemed far too obscure given the context.
Does seems a daft puzzle to give without the key to decrypt it. Unless its some sort of trap and anyone that breaks it will get a knock on the door from men in black suits.
[i]Edit: There's no need to hack it, the plain text is in a presentation[/i]
what's a pgp message aye why would you get a knock on the door for decrypting it?
Cracked it.
Google gives this particular message as an example of PGP, but no translation. I've just found it -with- the translation in a NATO presentation.
[i]Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read.[/i]
Thanks all. That took me far too long.
Edit: There's no need to hack it, the plain text is in a presentation
I didn't see your edit till after I'd found it, FWIW.
Lol, good, more fun for you the less help you needed to find it 😀
I learnt recently at a team building exercise the answer to most of these types of puzzle is just a quick google away - although this one seems a bit daft in that google seems to be the [u]only[/u] way to solve it
That was 3rd hit on my google - it's clearly a standard example PGP encoded message given it seems to be used in various different presntations on encryption/steganography, though strangely most don't give the plain text.
[quote=fifeandy ]although this one seems a bit daft in that google seems to be the only way to solve it
I'm sure lots of supercomputers and lots of time would be an alternative approach 😉
Well Cougar does have access to lots of computers.....
I learnt recently at a team building exercise the answer to most of these types of puzzle is just a quick google away - although this one seems a bit daft in that google seems to be the only way to solve it
Yeah. MD5 is a good example of that, MD5 is fairly readily brute-forced (it's designed for speed) but the most efficient way of cracking it is to Google it.
That was 3rd hit on my google - it's clearly a standard example PGP encoded message given it seems to be used in various different presntations on encryption/steganography, though strangely most don't give the plain text.
I found the same thing, the only place I found which game you the actual translation was that one document, which seems odd but hey. (It was further down than third on my results, maybe 5 or 6.)
Either the one with the plaintext was the original source and the others all borrowed it from that, or there's some other original source we didn't find. I suspect some of those presentations will have used it as sample PGP message without any idea what the plaintext is.
edit: a bit more googling suggests that certainly isn't the original source, that message appears in https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=AAnzJXtXQTUC from 1999 (though that may not be the earliest)
Got a reply from the question setter,
[i]In my mind the answer can be put into a 5 letter combo lock. But the fact that you were able to track down the origin & even decode the encryption is utterly impressive.[/i]
I've replied,
[i] If the answer is "crypt" or something, I'm going to kill you in your sleep.[/i]
mh77 - Member
what's a pgp message aye why would you get a knock on the door for decrypting it?
Pretty Good Privacy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pretty_Good_Privacy
A tool for encrypting and signing documents. Can be integrated into mail software to encrypt messages. Fell out of favour as it's a pain in the backside to faff about exchanging keys.
As for the knock on the door, the above nato presentation is an example of the kind of stuff authorities think people use encryption for. Though we all use encryption effectively all the time as the web uses it heavily. Still though, not knowing at the time what's in the message, if it turned out to be bomb making instructions or something.. ! 😮 😀
Cheers kenny. Aye the encryption idea these clowns in the gov have is ridiculous. I used to work with a guy that was in the TA, doing bomb disposal, he came in one day and asked me to print a file for him, schematics for bomb disposal! Aye security is good in the army eh.. Pretty sure you could have used them to make a bomb if you were that way inclined.
He left me with a cheers mate, make sure you delete those files eh? 😆 just aswell i'm an honest sort!
[quote=Cougar ]But the fact that you were able to track down the origin & even decode the encryption is utterly impressive.
He's not heard of google then? 😆