Tags: crypto
Rating:
# Crypto 100_1
> Ciphertext:
> 52112515_4535_331534
> 442315_321144422453_231143_543445
> 213431313452_442315_5223244415_411112122444
> 2533341325_2533341325_331534
> 442315_21311122_2443_442315_4423244214_31243315
We got a cipher text that was five lines long and consisted of underscores and numbers from 1 to 5. With this information I was able to identify the cipher to have been created with [Polybius square](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polybius_square).
The original square [according to Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polybius_square) is as follows:
| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|-------|---|---|---|---|---|
| **1** | a | b | c | d | e |
| **2** | f | g | h |i/j| k |
| **3** | l | m | n | o | p |
| **4** | q | r | s | t | u |
| **5** | v | w | x | y | z |
Each character is presented with two numbers. The first number shows the row and the second number shows the column of the character.
I wrote the following Python script to decipher the ciphertext:
```python
ciphers = ['52112515_4535_331534',
'442315_321144422453_231143_543445',
'213431313452_442315_5223244415_411112122444',
'2533341325_2533341325_331534',
'442315_21311122_2443_442315_4423244214_31243315']
matrix = [['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e'],
['f', 'g', 'h', 'i', 'k'],
['l', 'm', 'n', 'o', 'p'],
['q', 'r', 's', 't', 'u'],
['v', 'w', 'x', 'y', 'z']]
plain = []
for c in ciphers:
words = c.split('_')
for word in words:
for num in range(0, len(word), 2):
y = int(word[num])
x = int(word[num + 1])
plain.append(matrix[y - 1][x - 1])
plain.append('_')
plain[len(plain) - 1] = '\n'
print ''.join(plain)
```
The scipt printed the following plaintext:
```
wake_up_neo
the_matrix_has_you
follow_the_white_qabbit
knock_knock_neo
the_flag_is_the_third_line
```
Despite the printed text claiming that the flag is 'follow_the_white_qabbit', the real flag didn't have a typo. The flag accepted by the site was 'follow_the_white_rabbit'.
