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SHA-1 Mystery Cache

Hidden : 9/12/2005
Difficulty:
4 out of 5
Terrain:
1 out of 5

Size: Size:   micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:

This mystery cache requires some knowledge or will to learn about cryptographic hash functions. The difficulty rating is only for finding the coordinates, not the cache, which is very easy to reach.

NOTE: The given coordinates (also minutes) are completely bogus and only give a hint of the area where the cache is located! Read the description carefully.

The SHA (Secure Hash Algorithm) family is a set of related cryptographic hash functions. These functions are used in many everyday computer systems (like Internet banking), usually to protect the integrity of communication (to detect if someone has changed the message or data while it was transferred). This mystery uses the most common of those hash functions, SHA-1.

All information and tools you need to find the cache is available on this page and elsewhere on the Internet.

Message:
49 20 61 6d 20 6e 6f 74 20 6f 6e 6c 79 20 61 20 
6e 65 72 64 20 62 75 74 20 61 6c 73 6f 20 61 20 
67 72 65 61 74 20 67 65 6f 63 61 63 68 65 72 21 
20 3a 2d 29 ** ** ** **
SHA-1 digest of the message:
0d 07 39 f4 f3 4b de 66 97 a6 e4 56 02 ea 2e 3b e5 84 ac 1e
Real cache coordinates:

60° 08.xxx 024° 40.yyy, where

xxx = first half of the hidden message data
yyy = last half of the hidden message data

The hidden message data is marked with '*'-characters. Your task is to find the hidden message data so that the message matches the given SHA-1 digest. When you have found it, you also have found the coordinates to the cache.



Check your solution / tarkasta ratkaisusi

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Lbh zvtug arrq gb svaq gur pbqre va lbh, be va lbhe arvtuobeubbq. / Wbf rg vgfr bfnn xbbqngn, fnngng gneivgn nchn.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)