Kryptos & The Cyrillic Projector

1. Kryptos & The Cyrillic Projector Elonka Dunin Def Con 12 July 30 - August 1, 2004

2. Overview • Introduction • PhreakNIC Code & Kryptos • Jim Sanborn's Sculptures • Kryptos • Antipodes • The Cyrillic Projector • Vigenère Tables • Speculations • Summary

3. Who am I? • Elonka Dunin, General Manager of Online Community at Simutronics Corp. (www.play.net) • In the online multiplayer games business for almost 15 years • Computer hobbyist since I was tall enough to see over the top of a keypunch machine • (unofficial) Cryptography speaker at Def Con since 2001

4. Who am I? • First to crack: • PhreakNIC v3.0, PhreakNIC5 and PN6 Codes • @LANta.con 2 Code • September 11th - Organized the Simutronics Crisis Center, uncovered the "Bloodwrath Hoax" • Team leader for cracking the Cyrillic Projector Cipher in September 2003

5. The PhreakNIC v3.0 Code • Had been uncracked since its release in October 1999 • I cracked it in 10 days • Won a free trip to PhreakNIC v4.0 in Nashville • Free hotel, drinks, T-shirts, etc.

6. http://members.aol.com/nova1337/tutorial.htm

7. The CIA’s Kryptos Sculpture

8. Kryptos • Commissioned in 1988 • Dedicated in 1990 • Code systems designed by Ed Scheidt, Chairman of a "CIA Cryptographic Center" • Sculptor: James Sanborn

9. CIA & Kryptos • Difficult to examine the sculpture, because: • Only people with "official business" can access CIA • The Agency is not easy to find (no street address!)

10. CIA & Kryptos • I did, however, obtain an invitation

11. Kryptos – Part 4 Ciphertext • ?OBKRUOXOGHULBSOLIFBBWFLRVQQPRNGKSSO TWTQSJQSSEKZZWATJKLUDIAWINFBNYP VTTMZFPKWGDKZXTJCDIGKUHUAUEKCAR

12. Kryptos • Two panels are a vigenère table • A keyword builds a cipher alphabet • First keyword: Kryptos • Solvers (of the first three parts): • 1998: David Stein, CIA Analyst • 1999: Jim Gillogly • ???: Three unnamed NSA analysts

13. Jim Sanborn • Born 1945 in Washington DC • Studied Archaeology at Oxford • Traveled extensively through Asia • Bachelor’s Degree in Social Anthropology • Master’s degree in Sculpture • No (public) comprehensive list of his works existed, until I started making one in 2003

14. Kryptos Solver – David Stein • Solved parts 1-3 in 1998 • Works at CIA • Solved Kryptos on his own time, working on evenings and weekends • Used pencil and paper methods • Married and a new father, not working on it seriously anymore

15. Jim Gillogly • Has solved several other historical codes, with computer assistance • Debunked Beale cipher • Working on Voynich Manuscript • Ex-Head of American Cryptogram Association • Solved Kryptos (parts 1-3) in 1999, by running a computer attack

16. The "Untitled Kryptos Piece" • After creating the CIA version of Kryptos, Sanborn made a smaller "untitled" version, which was sold to a private collector • One side has all the text of the CIA's Kryptos (with at least two distinct differences) • One side has encrypted Russian text • Most of the Russian text is duplicated on the Cyrillic Projector

17. The "Untitled Kryptos Piece"

18. The "Untitled Kryptos Piece" – Antipodes

19. Sanborn’s Cyrillic Projector

20. Untitled Kryptos Piece – Differences • Russian Side: • Cyrillic Projector only has about 75% of the Antipodes text • (but all of the Russian has now been solved)

21. Untitled Kryptos Piece – Differences • English Side: • Sections are in a different order, and aligned differently. • Untitled version contains two extra dots

22. Kryptos

23. Vigenère Table

24. Vigenère Table • Keyword: Kryptos • KRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZ KRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZ RYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZK YPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKR PTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRY TOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYP OSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPT SABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTO ABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOS BCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSA CDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSAB

25. Kryptos – Part 1

26. EMUFPHZLRF BETWEENSUB KRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZ PTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRY ABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOS LMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJ IJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGH MNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJL PTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRY SABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTO EFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCD SABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTO TOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYP Kryptos – Part 1

27. Kryptos – Part 1 • EMUFPHZLRFAXYUSDJKZLDKRNSHGNFIVJYQTQUXQBQVYUVLLTREVJYQTMKYRDMFD • Keywords: KRYPTOS and PALIMPSEST • “Between subtle shading and the absence of light lies the nuance of iqlusion.”

28. Kryptos – Part 2

29. Kryptos – Part 2 Ciphertext • VFPJUDEEHZWETZYVGWHKKQETGFQJNCEGGWHKK?DQMCPFQZDQMMIAGPFXHQRLGTIMVMZJANQLVKQEDAGDVFRPJUNGEUNAQZGZLECGYUXUEENJTBJLBQCRTBJDFHRRYIZETKZEMVDUFKSJHKFWHKUWQLSZFTIHHDDDUVH?DWKBFUFPWNTDFIYCUQZEREEVLDKFEZMOQQJLTTUGSYQPFEUNLAVIDXFLGGTEZ?FKZBSFDQVGOGIPUFXHHDRKFFHQNTGPUAECNUVPDJMQCLQUMUNEDFQELZZVRRGKFFVOEEXBDMVPNFQXEZLGREDNQFMPNZGLFLPMRJQYALMGNUVPDXVKPDQUMEBEDMHDAFMJGZNUPLGEWJLLAETG

30. Kryptos – Part 2 Plaintext • Keywords: KRYPTOS and ABSCISSA • It was totally invisible. How's that possible? They used the earth's magnetic field. x The information was gathered and transmitted undergruund to an unknown location. x Does Langley know about this? They should: it's buried out there somewhere. x Who knows the exact location? Only WW. This was his last message: x 38 degrees 57 minutes 6.5 seconds North, 77 degrees 8 minutes 44 seconds West. ID by rows.

31. Kryptos Part 1 – A clue for part 2? • Between subtle shading and the absence of light lies the nuance of iqlusion. • Subtle Shading: SS • Absence: ABS • Light: C • ABS C I SS A • ABSCISSA  ABS SS "C I A" ?

32. Kryptos – Part 3

33. Kryptos – Part 3 Ciphertext • ENDYAHROHNLSRHEOCPTEOIBIDYSHNAIACHTNREYULDSLLSLLNOHSNOSMRWXMNETPRNGATIHNRARPESLNNELEBLPIIACAEWMTWNDITEENRAHCTENEUDRETNHAEOETFOLSEDTIWENHAEIOYTEYQHEENCTAYCREIFTBRSPAMHHEWENATAMATEGYEERLBTEEFOASFIOTUETUAEOTOARMAEERTNRTIBSEDDNIAAHTTMSTEWPIEROAGRIEWFEBAECTDDHILCEIHSITEGOEAOSDDRYDLORITRKLMLEHAGTDHARDPNEOHMGFMFEUHEECDMRIPFEIMEHNLSSTTRTVDOHW

34. Kryptos Part 3 – Rows • ENDYAHROHNLSRHEOCPTEOIBIDYSHNAIACHTNREYULDSLLSLL NOHSNOSMRWXMNETPRNGATIHNRARPESLNNELEBLPIIACAEWMT WNDITEENRAHCTENEUDRETNHAEOETFOLSEDTIWENHAEIOYTEY QHEENCTAYCREIFTBRSPAMHHEWENATAMATEGYEERLBTEEFOAS FIOTUETUAEOTOARMAEERTNRTIBSEDDNIAAHTTMSTEWPIEROA GRIEWFEBAECTDDHILCEIHSITEGOEAOSDDRYDLORITRKLMLEH AGTDHARDPNEOHMGFMFEUHEECDMRIPFEIMEHNLSSTTRTVDOHW? • S L O W L Y D E S P A R A T L Y

35. Kryptos – Part 3 Plaintext • Slowly, desparatly slowly, the remains of passage debris that encumbered the lower part of the doorway was removed. With trembling hands I made a tiny breach in the upper left-hand corner. And then, widening the hole a little, I inserted the candle and peered in. The hot air escaping from the chamber caused the flame to flicker, but presently details of the room within emerged from the mist. x Can you see anything q?

36. Kryptos – Part 3 Explanation • Paraphrased account from Howard Carter’s diary, upon the opening of King Tut’s tomb • November 26, 1922 • His answer to "Can you see anything?" • "Yes, wonderful things." (or "Yes, it is wonderful.")

37. Kryptos – Part 4 Ciphertext • ?OBKRUOXOGHULBSOLIFBBWFLRVQQPRNGKSSO TWTQSJQSSEKZZWATJKLUDIAWINFBNYP VTTMZFPKWGDKZXTJCDIGKUHUAUEKCAR

38. The Cyrillic Projector

39. The Cyrillic Projector – History • Created in early 90s for gallery shows • Installed at UNC-Charlotte in 1997 • Kryptos Group started studying it in 2003

40. The Cyrillic Projector • Three Step Solution Process • Transcription • Decryption • Translation

41. The Cyrillic Projector – Transcription • Pictures taken May 2003 by Randall Bollig • Transcript created June 2003 • Л T Ф E Ю T Ф Я Й Я M П X Ц Ф A Ч H Щ П B Б Г Ж Ч C К Ь Г Г Л З Д Э Й ПЪ К X C Й P Э A Ф H Ф П Щ B П E Ц P Д Ф A Щ Ш T К C X C Ч Ы У X X E ЮК У M Л E Ч Л Ы T O Б H E Я Ж Ж И Ь H Э З Щ Ц P Л Ы Б П H Ф O И И A Б ЬП И К Л E У P Ы C M Ъ Ш Л Л Б X M X Л Ж Ш P A Щ P Й Л П E O O Й Й B ЦИ Ъ Л Б X Ц P Ы Ч C К A P C P B Я Э Ф К Ю Ф P Ю M O Я З O Л O Д Э Ш P З УД X M A Э X O Й Г Й Ю Ф M Щ X X C B И И З X A Г Й Я Ь П C И Б P P Ш O MК T C У Я Г X У Ь Л E У P Ы C M Ъ Ш C П П Я Я Ц Ш У Ш A Ц Ч П И M Ш HP Б Ч P Я Ы M И У P A Д Ф A И Ю Й Ы Ц Я Л O H У Ф Ж O Ф Ш X Ф Ж C БB Ъ Ч Д Ц C Ф Б M Д Э Ш P З У Д X У P Б Ш T O К Щ Ъ M X П O T O X O Щ ЧЖ A Ц Д Щ P A Ю Г O Й B P Б Г Ю Б З Г E Ж P Й Л П E O O Й Й B Ц H З П Г ФЦ З A И B Я Ю Ф Л Ъ Ц X C Ч Ы Ш Ь Б E O M Щ Ш Ж T Э Д Й O T T Ф X П PП Л O Д Э Щ P З У Д X К П Г Ф O Ц Б Щ Ъ M M Э К Ч E P Л M К Ъ Ц Ц З Щ ЛФ Ц Ч Ъ Щ К B H Ф A E C Д П T Д Ф П P Я Й К Ю H X B Ц Б Ю E И C Ч Я Ч ЦX M Ж Л C П P Ч У Л Э Ш Ж Ы И И M E D U S A И H X E З Л Ч З P З Й К ЛП П E B Л Ч C X Ц Ы O Й B P Б У Д X C B Ъ Г Ж Ч C К A P C P B Я Э Ф P Щ ФЯ Ц Щ П Ъ З Ы T Ф O Й Й У C Д T Ю T B C Б P X C П Б Щ Л Ш К У B Й Й Г З

42. The Cyrillic Projector – Anonymous Message • In July 2003, I received an email via my company's anonymous feedback form: I have managed to solve the cryptographic portion of the cipher. It is, as advertised, not terribly difficult… P.S. I am doing this anonymously because I have a sense of humor.

43. Anonymous Message • Should an anonymous solver get credit? • No. • In most cases, credit goes not to the first person who *does* something, but the first person who can prove that they've done it, by supplying enough information that the work can be independently verified and duplicated. • If it can't be duplicated, it's probably not real.

44. The Cyrillic Projector – Decryption • Elonka, while reading her weblogs, saw an interesting link on September 19, 2003 . . . • http://home.earthlink.net/~xxxxxx/CPSolution.htm

45. The Cyrillic Projector – Decryption • Decryption confirmed September 19, 2003 • B Ы C O Ч A Й Ъ И M И C К У C C T B O M B T A Й H O Й P A З B E Д К E C П И T A E T C Я C П O C O Б H O C T Ь P A З P A Б O T A T Ь И C T O Ч H И К К O T O P Ы M T Ы Б У Д E Ш Ь B C E Ц E Л O P A H П O P Я Ж A T Ь C Я И К O H T P O Л И P O B A T Ь П O Э T O C У T A Й H O Й P A З B E Д Ы B A T E Л Ь H O Й C Л У Ж Б Ы К O H T P O Л И P У E M Ы Й И C T O Ч H И К К A К П P A B И Л O П O C T A Я Л Я E T C A M У Ю H A Д E Ж H У Э И H Ф O P M A Ц И Ю К O H T P O Л И P У E M Ы M C Ч И T A E T C Я К У П Л E H H Ы Й И Л И H A X O Д Я Щ И Й C Я B Л Ю Б O Й Д P У Г O Й З A B И T И M O C T И И C T O Ч H И К П O T P A Д И Ц И И Ц E Л Ь Э П P O Ф E C C И O H A Л A P A Б O T A Ю

46. The Cyrillic Projector – Translation • Example of the problem: • thissentencemightbeeasxlyunderstondbbletoanativeenglishspeekerbutsomeonenotfamiliarwethenglishwouldhaveagreatdealoftroublereidingortranslatingitplusthefactthatthereisntanypuncuuationisntanyhelpeither

47. The Cyrillic Projector – Translation • Translation provided by Stanley Dunin, Anatoly K., and Elonka Dunin on September 20th, 2003 • BЫCOЧAЙЪИM ИCКУCCTBOM B TAЙHOЙ PAЗBEДКE CПИTAETCЯ CПOCOБHOCTЬ PAЗPAБOTATЬ ИCTOЧHИК КOTOPЫM TЫ БУДEШЬ BCEЦEЛO PAHПOPЯЖATЬCЯ И КOHTPOЛИPOBATЬ ПOЭTOCУ TAЙHOЙ PAЗBEДЫBATEЛЬHOЙ CЛУЖБЫ КOHTPOЛИPУEMЫЙ ИCTOЧHИК КAК ПPABИЛO ПOCTAЯЛЯET CAMУЮ HAДEЖHУЭ ИHФOPMAЦИЮ КOHTPOЛИPУEMЫM CЧИTAETCЯ КУПЛEHHЫЙ ИЛИ HAXOДЯЩИЙCЯ B ЛЮБOЙ ДPУГOЙ ЗABИTИMOCTИ ИCTOЧHИК ПO TPAДИЦИИ ЦEЛЬЭ ПPOФECCИOHAЛA . . .

48. The Cyrillic Projector – Translation (Part 1) • The highest skill of the secret service is the ability to develop a source, which you will handle and control completely so that the source supplies, as a rule, the most reliable information. A controllable source is a source that is considered bought or made otherwise dependent by some means. Traditionally, the goal of the secret service professional is to ensnare any potential-value source of information with a psychological net, and pull tight this net at the appropriate time. There are not too many possibilities for this, but those secret agents who develop controllable sources of information will get promotions and the respect of colleagues. However, the methods and behavioral techniques that are needed to attain this goal are radically contrary to the ethics and morality of society in the field of interpersonal relations.

49. The Cyrillic Projector – Translation (Part 2) • … about the creation of Sakharov's new anti-Soviet address to The West and its use by Americans for goals inimical to the Soviet Union. In May, academician A. D. Sakharov wrote a report for members of  the Pugwash Conference. This report contains sharp anti-Soviet evaluations of the internal and foreign policy of  the CPSU and the Soviet Government, and it also contains an accusation against the USSR about the intensification of  army, navy, missile arsenal, and air force, and intervention in …

50. The Cyrillic Projector – Source Document for Part 2