Hacking the Paragon Mystery Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(micro)
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Phones are great to have if you are lost (especially when you have reception). This cache will allow you to try an extreme difficulty while knowing if you do get stuck you can always call for help and civilisation is right next door. This cache is about SMS messages. After completing this puzzle you will have a good idea about how SMS messages are handled on your phone.
The cache is not at the above coordinates. It is however a good starting point for adventurous people.
This cache is about SMS messages with a Paragon theme. The Paragon platform is one of the older mobile phone systems. Paragon was used on phones between about 2001 and 2008.
After completing the puzzle you will know:
- How SMS messages are encoded
- How long (multi page) SMS messages are handled
- Why some phones have a set maximum SMS storage limit even for short messages
You were told the location of a top secret Geocache in an SMS message. Unfortunately your Paragon phone slipped out of your pocket during a terrain 5 cache and the screen was smashed. AT commands were not working however you managed to access the file system and download your messages. The message you believe to contain the coordinates of the cache was downloaded from the location /a/mobile/msgdb/77.sms. It isn't a text file but a multi-part binary/xml, the xml was read easily however is of no use to you. You must decode the message to get to the cache. The hexdump of the message file is below:
00 8C 02 59 1C A7 00 8C 05 00 03 03 02 01 AA 70 50 18 44 97 97 CB 2E D0 14 FE A6 83 E8 E8 32 48 CC 0E 8F D7 20 7A 18 5E 06 C9 D3 EE 33 A8 1D 96 AF CB 72 90 B8 6C 7E CB CB 20 74 39 4C 4E BB CF A0 3A DC 05 3A 96 E9 A0 3A 1C 14 03 89 E5 61 F7 18 0D 42 A7 CF 68 16 88 FC 06 B9 DF 74 10 BC 4E 07 85 41 EC 37 1D F4 36 83 EE E5 F4 19 4D 07 BD DD 20 3A BA 0C 72 97 F1 74 90 58 1E 76 8F D1 A0 3A DC 05 A2 A2 CB 20 F6 7B 1C A6 A7 DF 6E 50 7A 0E 9A 82 64 61 9C 00 2A 05 00 03 03 02 02 6E 20 59 CC 15 C3 D1 40 45 50 AC 36 03 C1 62 AE DB 2C E6 02 51 D1 65 50 3B 3C 9F A7 ED 65 10 5D 5E 2E BB 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 3C 78 3E 0A 3C 73 20 61 3D 22 2B 36 31 34 31 31 39 39 30 30 35 37 22 20 6A 3D 22 32 35 35 22 2F 3E 0A 3C 2F 78 3E 0A
GPS reception is bad in the area however finding the cache should be easy by reading the extra clues in the message.
Please only attempt to find it during daylight and take someone with you, it is dangerous trying to retrieve it. You might need to take someone who is able to get to it.
You might need special equipment but it is not absolutely required.
Careful of spiders in the area, don't get tangled in Golden Orb Spiders' webs. If you're lucky you will find some interesting creatures around GZ. On my last visit there was a huge Grey Huntsman Spider, these are really scary spiders so please don't get frightened if it runs up your hand!
There are quite a few bush turkeys in the area and at times you can see almost as many as 10 from a single point.
You must sign the logbook. BYOP.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
mreb guerr cbvag guerr rvtug
pbapngrangrq
Treasures
You'll collect a digital Treasure from one of these collections when you find and log this geocache:
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