Skip to content

Classical Ciphers #7 Mystery Cache

Hidden : 11/15/2021
Difficulty:
5 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size:   other (other)

Join now to view geocache location details. It's free!

Watch

How Geocaching Works

Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions in our disclaimer.

Geocache Description:


[LT]

VIC šifras matyt yra paskutinis klasikinis algoritmas, kurio realizacijai užtenka tik pieštuko ir lapo popieriaus. Jis ilgokai ir sėkmingai buvo  naudojamas vienos žvalgybininkų grupės darbe. Ši veikla tęsėsi iki 1957 metų, kai šifrų analizei jau senokai buvo aktyviai naudojami kompiuteriai ir modernūs kriptoanalizės metodai. Net ir tada, kai Amerikos Nacionalinės Saugumo agentūros specialistai sukaupė nemažai žvalgybinių pranešimų, užšifruotų šiuo algoritmu, jiems nepavyko šifro "nulaužti". Tik kai Tarybų Sąjungos žvalgybai dirbęs Reino Hayhanen (slapyvardis VICTOR) pats pasidavė JAV tarnyboms ir pateikė  algoritmo  detales, visa slaptoji informacija buvo perskaityta. Dabar jau galime susipažinti su VIC šifro algoritmu, tai įdomi kelių populiarių algoritmų kombinacija.

Viena geo grupė Lietuvoje VIC šifrą naudoja tarpusavio komunikacijai. Pavyko perimti svarbų pranešimą, kurį pabandykite perskaityti. Žinome ir dalį slaptosios informacijos, sudarančios šifro raktą, deja tik dalį.

 

[EN]

The VIC cipher is apparently a last classic pencil and paper hand-operated cipher. It was used by the Soviet spy Reino Hayhanen  for a long time and successfully. This activity continued till 1957, and at that time quite powerful computers and modern cryptanalysis methods have  been actively used by leading specialists of most intelligence agencies. Even when  specialists from the American National Security Agency (NSA) have accumulated a number of intelligence messages encrypted by this algorithm, the VIC cipher remained unbroken. Only after defection of  Reino Hayhanen (nickname VICTOR) in 1957 the structure of the algorithm was available to NSA and all confidential information of encrypted messages was read. Now we can analyse the details of VIC cipher, it is an interesting combination of a few popular ciphers.

One Geo group in Lithuania started to use the VIC cipher to communicate among the members of this group. We've been able to intercept one important secret message. Some part of the secret information that makes the encryption key is also known, but unfortunately only a part.  Read this message and you will get the coordinates of the hidden cache.

 

Encryption Key:

Personal Number = 8
Checkerboard Key = " ATONE SIR"
Alphabet = "ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ./"

Ciphertext:

50932 30260 28243 52510 34004 32268 33264 25445 00949 66336 50801 82343 56473 08552 33060 48508 31536 63075 50316 36752 26652 30302 65063 08553 00360 24860 89353 48248 00354 59878 54343 33066 18469 90019 82352 64182 42265 00549 85643 22386 03503 15816 57481 85632 58820 45265 50000 52640

 

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

1. Gnfx: PBBEQVANGRF 2. Gnfx: 61kkkkkkkk 3. Svany: Ybbx sbe gur svany uvag va gur purpxre / uvagnf cngrvxgnf prxrelwr

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)