content/news/2014-04-26-april-1st-2014-followup.markdown

   1 author: yano
   2 date: 2014-04-26 18:05:01+00:00
   3 slug: april-1st-2014-followup
   4 title: April 1st 2014, Followup
   5 ---
   6
   7 It's been almost too long for this blog post to arrive here after the April Fools quiz this year. Thanks to everyone who participated!
   8
   9
  10
  11 The first ten people who completed the challenges are, in descending order of aprilness:
  12
  13 (times are listed in UTC)
  14
  15
  16
  17
  18
  19
  20
  21
  22   1. 2014-04-02T18:25:17 booto
  23
  24     2014-04-02T23:36:53 Fuchs *
  25
  26   2. 2014-04-03T00:29:29 furry
  27
  28
  29   3. 2014-04-03T01:34:18 mniip
  30
  31
  32   4. 2014-04-03T09:41:38 jojo
  33
  34
  35   5. 2014-04-03T16:29:51 redi
  36
  37
  38   6. 2014-04-03T18:57:21 BlueShark
  39
  40
  41   7. 2014-04-04T15:33:24 larinadavid
  42
  43
  44   8. 2014-04-04T22:27:20 Omniflux
  45
  46
  47   9. 2014-04-04T23:02:19 apoc
  48
  49
  50   10. 2014-04-04T23:13:02 thommey
  51
  52
  53
  54
  55 _(*) user opted out of any prizes_
  56
  57 There were 25 additional nicks who completed the quiz and made it to the winner's circle but weren't fast enough to place in the top 10.
  58
  59
  60
  61 The prizes were cloaks for those in the top-10. In addition to the top-10 cloaks everyone else who finished the challenge that 'opted-in' were eligible for the _cloak lottery_. This was a lottery for 3 runnerup cloaks.
  62
  63
  64
  65 Out of the 25 additional people that completed the challenge, the following 3 won a cloak through the cloak lottery:
  66
  67
  68
  69
  70   * skasturi
  71
  72
  73   * danielg4
  74
  75
  76   * jojoa1997
  77
  78
  79
  80
  81
  82
  83 Here are the riddles and their solutions, in the original order:
  84
  85
  86
  87
  88
  89
  90
  91   * Level 0
  92
  93
  94     * The clue was given in the [April 1st blog post](http://blog.freenode.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/freenode41.png): _IyMjI3hrY2Q=_
  95
  96
  97     * That is the string `"####xkcd"` encoded using [base64](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Base64).
  98
  99     * The answer: **####xkcd**, which was the first channel in the quiz.
 100
 101
 102
 103
 104
 105
 106   * Level 1
 107
 108
 109     * Clue: _Tnl2cHItbmFxLU9iby1qbnl4LXZhZ2Itbi1vbmU=_
 110
 111
 112     * This is a [rot13](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ROT13)'ed and base64'ed string.
 113
 114
 115     * In [Python](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Python_%28programming_language%29): `"Tnl2cHItbmFxLU9iby1qbnl4LXZhZ2Itbi1vbmU=".decode('base64').decode('rot13')`
 116
 117
 118     * The answer: **####Alice-and-Bob-walk-into-a-bar**
 119
 120
 121
 122
 123
 124
 125   * Level 2
 126
 127
 128     * Clue: _MKWkpKMa_
 129
 130
 131     * This is another string that is encoded with a series of base64 and rot13 transformations.
 132
 133
 134     * In Python: `"MKWkpKMa".decode('rot13').decode('base64').decode('rot13')`
 135
 136
 137     * The answer: **####reddit**
 138
 139
 140
 141
 142
 143
 144   * Level 3
 145
 146
 147     * Clue: _SHg5RkR4SUpIeHFGSnlXVUlJSVFJeHFKCg== | Save this for a later level: [https://i.imgur.com/87cX9y4.jpg](https://i.imgur.com/87cX9y4.jpg) | 4 decodes needed_
 148
 149
 150     * Yet another string encoded with a series of base64 and rot13 transformations.
 151
 152
 153     * In Python: `"SHg5RkR4SUpIeHFGSnlXVUlJSVFJeHFKCg==".decode('base64').decode('rot13').decode('base64').decode('rot13')`
 154
 155
 156     * This yields: EBEORIETEMETHHPITI
 157
 158
 159     * Contestants were expected to do a web search for this and find out it is the end of the [Zodiac Killer's infamous message](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Zodiac_cipher.png).
 160
 161
 162     * The answer: **####zodiac**
 163
 164
 165
 166
 167
 168
 169   * Level 4
 170
 171
 172     * Clue: _[https://i.imgur.com/x4nejBh.png](https://i.imgur.com/x4nejBh.png) | LaTeX right direction | [Google!](https://lmsptfy.com/?q=alternatives%20to%20Google%20searching) | No maths needed_
 173
 174
 175     * The topic changed several times as contestants seemed pretty stumped on this level, the topic line above was its final form.
 176
 177
 178     * The answer: **####exner** - this was expected from figuring out what the equation is. Simply put, the equation in the image is [Exner's Equation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:PaolaExnerEqnRock.jpg).
 179
 180
 181
 182
 183
 184
 185   * Level 5
 186
 187
 188     * Clue: _[https://i.imgur.com/SandvWX.gif](https://i.imgur.com/SandvWX.gif) | Save this for a later level: [https://i.imgur.com/QpTubts.jpg](https://i.imgur.com/QpTubts.jpg)_
 189
 190
 191     * This level was pretty tricky. This is an image that has more to it than meets the eye.
 192
 193
 194     * Steps for recovering useful information:
 195
 196
 197       * Un[zip](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zip_%28file_format%29) the [.gif](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphics_Interchange_Format)
 198
 199
 200       * Open the secret.txt file.
 201
 202
 203
 204
 205
 206     * Inside secret.txt is: ####Kolmogorov
 207
 208
 209     * The answer: **####Kolmogorov**
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 211
 212
 213
 214
 215
 216   * Level 6
 217
 218
 219     * Clue: _[https://www.dropbox.com/s/emz7xy3p9r2ivxe/wat.unknown](https://www.dropbox.com/s/emz7xy3p9r2ivxe/wat.unknown) (verify the file, sha256sum: 0efade1bb29d1b7fdd65e5612159e262cbd41a2e27ed89a0144701a5556da68f)_
 220
 221
 222     * This file is more stenography:
 223
 224
 225       * Use '[file](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_%28command%29)' to determine what the file type is.
 226
 227
 228       * Un-[7zip](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7-Zip) the .unknown file
 229
 230
 231       * Base64 decode the output
 232
 233
 234       * Use 'file' to determine that the output is a [.jpg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JPEG)
 235
 236
 237       * Unzip the .jpg
 238
 239
 240       * Un[tar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tar_%28computing%29) two.tar.[gz](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gzip)
 241
 242
 243       * Open the surprised.txt file.
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 245
 246
 247
 248
 249     * The content of surprised.txt is: ####ImSoMetaEvenThisAcronym
 250
 251
 252     * The answer: **####ImSoMetaEvenThisAcronym**
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 255
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 257
 258
 259   * Level 7
 260
 261
 262     * Clue: _AQwPfPN1ZBXNfvNj4bPmVR4fVQYPfPNlZBXNfvNkAP4jZhXNflOS and "Da Vinci" | Jules Verne | s/.02/.03/ in the decrypted text
 263 _
 264
 265     * The clue is base64'ed and rot13'ed. To decode it in Python: `print "AQwPfPN1ZBXNfvNj4bPmVR4fVQYPfPNlZBXNfvNkAP4jZhXNflOS".decode('rot13').decode('base64')`
 266
 267
 268     * This yields: 48° 50′ 0″ N, 2° 20′ 14.02″ E
 269
 270
 271     * These are GPS coordinates for the [Paris meridian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Meridian).
 272
 273
 274     * From this and the "Da Vinci" clue contestants were expected to find the [Wikipedia](https://www.wikipedia.org/) page about the [Rose Line](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose_Line).
 275
 276
 277     * The specific quote that contestants were suppose to find:
 278
 279     "Dan Brown simply invented the 'Rose Line' linking Rosslyn and Glastonbury. The name 'Roslin' definitely does not derive from any 'hallowed Rose Line'. It has nothing to do with a 'Rose Bloodline' or a 'Rose Line meridian'. There are many medieval spellings of 'Rosslyn'. 'Roslin' is certainly not the 'original spelling': it is now the most common spelling for the village."[18]
 280
 281
 282
 283     * The "Jules Verne" clue is suppose to reaffirm to contestants that they were on the right track:
 284
 285     The competition between the Paris and Greenwich meridians is a plot element in Jules Verne's "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea", published just before the international decision in favor of the British one.
 286
 287
 288
 289     * The answer: **####roslin**
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 291
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 293
 294
 295
 296   * Level 8
 297
 298
 299     * Original topic: Clue: _ZANKNMEPAXULMJCAGLKHKTOLUPSRDD | [https://i.imgur.com/6ayrOMq.png](https://i.imgur.com/6ayrOMq.png)_
 300
 301
 302     * New topic: _UIVXUJZIULMJCAGLKHKTOLUPSRDD | [https://i.imgur.com/6ayrOMq.png](https://i.imgur.com/6ayrOMq.png)_
 303
 304
 305     * The string in both topics is encoded with a [Four-square cipher](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four-square_cipher).
 306
 307
 308     * Here are two scripts that were built for Four-square:
 309
 310
 311       * encrypt, [http://git.io/Y6JIww](http://git.io/Y6JIww)
 312
 313
 314       * decrypt, [http://git.io/CQuh8g](http://git.io/CQuh8g)
 315
 316
 317
 318
 319
 320     * Using "IRC" and "xkcd" - the keys saved earlier, the text decrypts to: POVAROVOSOLNECHNOGORSKRUSSIA
 321
 322
 323     * Originally it was: ZELENOGRADSOLNECHNOGORSKRUSSIA
 324
 325
 326     * The answer: **####POVAROVOSOLNECHNOGORSKRUSSIA**
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 328
 329
 330
 331
 332
 333   * Level 9
 334
 335
 336     * Clue: _ZCLVLLCOIUTKKJSCEKHHHSMKTOOPBA | OGUCSSGAPVGVLUMBTVOGICUNJDHSTB | RUTJJGNXUNTY | Letters that would repeat in a typical word do not repeat in the key(s), example 'freenode' would be 'frenod' | [https://i.imgur.com/pGIBjEE.png](https://i.imgur.com/pGIBjEE.png) | [http://is.gd/TgNsvm](http://is.gd/TgNsvm)_
 337
 338
 339     * Alright this one is really really really tricky. The topic changed _several_ times.
 340
 341
 342     * The three strings are encoded with [Four-square](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four-square_cipher) from the previous level with the same keys.
 343
 344
 345     * Contestants were expected to use 'UVB' and 'RUSSIA' as keys for the Four-square cipher.
 346
 347
 348     * It was expected that contestants arrive at 'UVB' from the channel name, ####POVAROVOSOLNECHNOGORSKRUSSIA
 349
 350
 351     * The former transmitter[27] was located near Povarovo, Russia[28] at 56°5′0″N 37°6′37″E which is about halfway between Zelenograd and Solnechnogorsk and 40 kilometres (25 mi) northwest of Moscow, near the village of Lozhki.
 352
 353
 354
 355     * The is.gd link points to a file that has the "No Q" image from a previous level hidden in it.
 356
 357
 358     * The "RUTJJGNXUNTY" decrypts to [AaronHSwartz](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Swartz)
 359
 360
 361     * The answer: **####AaronHSwartz**
 362
 363
 364
 365
 366
 367
 368   * Level 10
 369
 370
 371     * Clue: _HKGJSUOJVRLGSBELAUHOUIGLVRURWMGTUGJGWTKN_
 372
 373
 374     * Originally this channel (####AaronHSwartz) was suppose to be the winner's circle, however due to too many people leaking answers and channel names, one more challenge was added.
 375
 376
 377     * Same cipher as before, this time the keys were 'DEMAND' and 'PROGRESS'
 378
 379
 380     * [_Demand Progress_](http://www.demandprogress.org/) is an Internet activist-related organization specializing in petitions to help gain traction for legal movements against Internet censorship and related subjects, started by Aaron Swartz, [source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demand_Progress).
 381
 382
 383     * The clue decrypts to JOINUSNOWANDSHARETHESOFTWAREWRITTENBYRMS
 384
 385
 386     * RMS is [Richard Matthew Stallman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Stallman), and [_'Join Us Now and Share the Software'_](https://www.gnu.org/music/free-software-song.html) is an openly licensed song by Richard Stallman.
 387
 388
 389     * The answer: **####JOINUSNOWANDSHARETHESOFTWAREWRITTENBYRMS**
 390
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 397
 398
 399 The topic in ####JOINUSNOWANDSHARETHESOFTWAREWRITTENBYRMS was: _Congratulations on solving the freenode's April Fools 2014 Crypto Challenge | Want MOAR? #ircpuzzles_
 400
 401
 402 Congratulations to those who participated this year!
 403
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 405
 406
 407
 408 The 25 additional people that completed the challenge:
 409
 410
 411
 412
 413
 414
 415   * 2014-04-05T04:06:53 knivey
 416
 417
 418   * 2014-04-05T10:00:12 Tordek
 419
 420
 421   * 2014-04-05T15:40:50 jacob1 *
 422
 423
 424   * 2014-04-05T15:48:48 stac
 425
 426
 427   * 2014-04-05T16:24:01 Changaco *
 428
 429
 430   * 2014-04-05T17:30:01 Arch-TK *
 431
 432
 433   * 2014-04-05T17:35:05 ar *
 434
 435
 436   * 2014-04-05T18:16:20 Weetos *
 437
 438
 439   * 2014-04-05T18:38:39 nyuszika7h
 440
 441
 442   * 2014-04-05T18:56:26 vi[NLR]
 443
 444
 445   * 2014-04-05T19:06:38 tkd *
 446
 447
 448   * 2014-04-05T21:54:56 Chiyo
 449
 450
 451   * 2014-04-05T22:46:01 slidercrank
 452
 453
 454   * 2014-04-05T22:54:10 jojoa1997
 455
 456
 457   * 2014-04-06T00:55:51 Pixelz *
 458
 459
 460   * 2014-04-06T02:53:25 Transfusion
 461
 462
 463   * 2014-04-06T02:58:15 DonkeyHotei
 464
 465
 466   * 2014-04-06T03:04:01 sdamashek *
 467
 468
 469   * 2014-04-06T03:07:49 Cypi *
 470
 471
 472   * 2014-04-06T03:36:03 FXOR
 473
 474
 475   * 2014-04-06T13:44:35 pad
 476
 477
 478   * 2014-04-06T19:22:06 skasturi
 479
 480
 481   * 2014-04-06T19:37:13 Bloodhound
 482
 483
 484   * 2014-04-07T08:16:22 molly *
 485
 486
 487   * 2014-04-07T14:42:32 Bijan-E
 488
 489
 490
 491
 492 _(*) user opted out of the cloak lottery_