Kryptos & The Cyrillic Projector

Elonka Dunin

Def Con 12

July 30 - August 1, 2004

Overview

– Introduction– PhreakNIC Code & Kryptos– Jim Sanborn's Sculptures

• Kryptos

• Antipodes

• The Cyrillic Projector

– Vigenère Tables– Speculations– Summary

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

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

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.

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

The CIA’s Kryptos Sculpture

Kryptos

Commissioned in 1988 Dedicated in 1990 Code systems designed by Ed Scheidt,

Chairman of a "CIA Cryptographic Center" Sculptor: James Sanborn

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!)

CIA & Kryptos

I did, however, obtain an invitation

Kryptos – Part 4 Ciphertext

?OBKRUOXOGHULBSOLIFBBWFLRVQQPRNGKSSO TWTQSJQSSEKZZWATJKLUDIAWINFBNYP VTTMZFPKWGDKZXTJCDIGKUHUAUEKCAR

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

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

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

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

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

The "Untitled Kryptos Piece"

The "Untitled Kryptos Piece" – Antipodes

Sanborn’s Cyrillic Projector

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)

Untitled Kryptos Piece – Differences English Side:

– Sections are in a different order, and aligned differently.

– Untitled version contains two extra dots

Kryptos

Vigenère Table

Vigenère Table

Keyword: Kryptos KRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZ

KRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSBCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSACDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSAB

Kryptos – Part 1

Kryptos – Part 1

EMUFPHZLRF BETWEENSUB

KRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZ

PTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRY

ABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOS

LMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJ

IJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGH

MNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJL

PTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRY

SABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTO

EFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCD

SABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTO

TOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYP

Kryptos – Part 1 EMUFPHZLRFAXYUSDJKZLDKRNSHGNFIVJ

YQTQUXQBQVYUVLLTREVJYQTMKYRDMFD Keywords: KRYPTOS and PALIMPSEST

“Between subtle shading and the absence of light lies the nuance of iqlusion.”

Kryptos – Part 2

Kryptos – Part 2 Ciphertext VFPJUDEEHZWETZYVGWHKKQETGFQJNCEGGWHKK?DQMCPFQZDQMMIAGPFXHQRLGTIMVMZJANQLVKQEDAGDVFRPJUNGEUNAQZGZLECGYUXUEENJTBJLBQCRTBJDFHRRYIZETKZEMVDUFKSJHKFWHKUWQLSZFTIHHDDDUVH?DWKBFUFPWNTDFIYCUQZEREEVLDKFEZMOQQJLTTUGSYQPFEUNLAVIDXFLGGTEZ?FKZBSFDQVGOGIPUFXHHDRKFFHQNTGPUAECNUVPDJMQCLQUMUNEDFQELZZVRRGKFFVOEEXBDMVPNFQXEZLGREDNQFMPNZGLFLPMRJQYALMGNUVPDXVKPDQUMEBEDMHDAFMJGZNUPLGEWJLLAETG

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.

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" ?

Kryptos – Part 3

Kryptos – Part 3 Ciphertext ENDYAHROHNLSRHEOCPTEOIBIDYSHNAIACHTNREYULDSLLSLLNOHSNOSMRWXMNETPRNGATIHNRARPESLNNELEBLPIIACAEWMTWNDITEENRAHCTENEUDRETNHAEOETFOLSEDTIWENHAEIOYTEYQHEENCTAYCREIFTBRSPAMHHEWENATAMATEGYEERLBTEEFOASFIOTUETUAEOTOARMAEERTNRTIBSEDDNIAAHTTMSTEWPIEROAGRIEWFEBAECTDDHILCEIHSITEGOEAOSDDRYDLORITRKLMLEHAGTDHARDPNEOHMGFMFEUHEECDMRIPFEIMEHNLSSTTRTVDOHW

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

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?

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.")

Kryptos – Part 4 Ciphertext

?OBKRUOXOGHULBSOLIFBBWFLRVQQPRNGKSSO TWTQSJQSSEKZZWATJKLUDIAWINFBNYP VTTMZFPKWGDKZXTJCDIGKUHUAUEKCAR

The Cyrillic Projector

The Cyrillic Projector – History

Created in early 90s for gallery shows Installed at UNC-Charlotte in 1997 Kryptos Group started studying it in 2003

The Cyrillic Projector

Three Step Solution Process– Transcription– Decryption– Translation

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 П

Ъ 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

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.

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.

The Cyrillic Projector – Decryption Elonka, while reading her weblogs, saw an interesting link on

September 19, 2003 . . .

http://home.earthlink.net/~xxxxxx/CPSolution.htm

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

The Cyrillic Projector – Translation Example of the problem:

– thissentencemightbeeasxlyunderstondbbletoanativeenglishspeekerbutsomeonenotfamiliarwethenglishwouldhaveagreatdealoftroublereidingortranslatingitplusthefactthatthereisntanypuncuuationisntanyhelpeither

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 . . .

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.

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 …

The Cyrillic Projector – Source Document for Part 2

Cyrillic Projector Solutions (/.)

Then Slashdot got ahold of the news . . . Alternate proposed solutions on Slashdot

– "Send more vodka!"– "Keep information away from Moose and

Squirrel!"

Cyrillic Projector

Kryptos

Latitude & Longitude

38 57 6.5 North, 77 8 44 West

Kryptos – The Bird's Eye View

Related Sanborn Artwork at Langley Morse code: sos, shadow forces, lucid

memory, "t is your position" . . .

Related Sanborn Artwork at Langley A dozen other pieces around the CIA

“campus” Compass

Morse code: “digetal interpretatu” (pictures courtesy of Jim Gillogly)

Kryptos Part 3 – Different Methods KRYPTOS = 1473625 ENDYAHROHNLSRHEOCPTEOIBIDYSHNAIACHTNREYULDSLLSLL 4

NOHSNOSMRWXMNETPRNGATIHNRARPESLNNELEBLPIIACAEWMT 3WNDITEENRAHCTENEUDRETNHAEOETFOLSEDTIWENHAEIOYTEY 2QHEENCTAYCREIFTBRSPAMHHEWENATAMATEGYEERLBTEEFOAS 1FIOTUETUAEOTOARMAEERTNRTIBSEDDNIAAHTTMSTEWPIEROA 7GRIEWFEBAECTDDHILCEIHSITEGOEAOSDDRYDLORITRKLMLEH 6AGTDHARDPNEOHMGFMFEUHEECDMRIPFEIMEHNLSSTTRTVDOHW? 5

– KRYPTOS– KOPRSTY = 1234567– KRYPTOS = 1473625

“192” formula: C = (192*P + 191) modulus 337 Double-columnar transposition

Kryptos – Part 3 – Alignment

Part 3 – Alignment

Sanborn: "This is important."

Other Kryptos Discoveries / Speculations The missing "L" IBCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDE

JCDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEF KDEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFG LEFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGH MFGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHINGHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJL OHIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJL PIJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLM QJLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMN RLMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQ SMNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQU TNQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUV UQUVWXZKRYPTOSABCDEFGHIJLMNQUVW

Other Kryptos Discoveries / Speculations Originally thought:

– Ciphertext: 867 chars, tableau: 864

Add in missed "L"– Ciphertext: 867 chars, tableau: 865

Add in two reference spaces:– Ciphertext: 867 chars, tableau: 867

Other Kryptos Speculations / Info

Spelling errors "iqlusion" and "undergruund":– Sanborn said, "Those errors are deliberate. It's

not *what* they are that's so important though, as their orientation or positioning."

Different Vigenère Systems

Thomas Jefferson Wheel Cipher (M-94)

Wheel Cipher Images from Monticello/Thomas Jefferson Foundation, Inc

Kryptos – Part 4 Ciphertext ?OBKRUOXOGHULBSOLIFBBWFLRVQQPRNGKSSO TWTQSJQSSEKZZWATJKLUDIAWINFBNYP VTTMZFPKWGDKZXTJCDIGKUHUAUEKCAR

7-letter rows: ?OBKRUO

XOGHULBSOLIFBBWFLRVQQPRNGKSSOTWTQSJQSSEKZZWATJKLUDIAWINFBNYPVTTMZFPKWGDKZXTJCDIGKUHUAUEKCAR

Kryptos – 7 letters

Ed Scheidt

CIA’s "Wizard of Codes" Currently working for TecSec Likes ties with hieroglyphic patterns Said the last part of Kryptos would probably

stand for 10 years before it was cracked. "I saved the best for last."

Other Kryptos Discoveries / Speculations IM from "MolleeH" "The key to Kryptos is komitet" Komitet is the "K" in KGB

– Komitet Gosudarstvenoi Bezopasnosti – Committee of State Security

Molly Hale is the head of the CIA's Public Affairs department

"Key" not "keyword" 7 letters in Komitet

Komitet

Hint or Hoax?

"The key to Kryptos is komitet" Whoever sent the IM:

– Knew I was working on Kryptos

– (possibly) knew some CIA structure (Molly Hale)

– Knew some crypto terminology: "key" not "keyword"

– Knew some cold war history: "Komitet" is not commonly known.

– Sent a *7-letter* key

– Knew how to cover their tracks

Sanborn's Other Sculptures

Has over 100 pieces around the world Some are encrypted, or in other languages

– French, Latin, Russian, Iroquois, Spanish, Chinese, Greek, Ethiopian, Creek, Algonquin

Some have sections in binary– Connecticut, Florida– IRS Computing Center, West Virginia

"Covert Operations Fragments" Other curiosities:

– Three sculptures that use quotes from Adam Smith– Three sculptures that use engraved compasses– One named "Hidden under the Three Events“

Zola Spy Restaurant, Washington DC

Kryptos in Pop Culture

Kryptos and the Da Vinci Code Novel

Kryptos in Pop Culture

Image courtesy Patrick Foster, pf008@yahoo.com

Sanborn on NPR

1999 Interview

Kryptos

Summary Kryptos has 4 sections of code

– 3 of the 4 have been solved Sanborn's "Untitled Kryptos Piece" has two sides

– The CIA side repeats the text of Kryptos over and over– The KGB side was what we solved in September 2003– Both sides have obvious spelling errors

• Unknown how many are accidental or deliberate

Both Jim Sanborn and Ed Scheidt said Kryptos was designed to be solved

Elonka: "Is part 4 solvable?"– Sanborn: "Yes. It ain't easy, but it's solvable."

Things we need help with

Linguists to transcribe/translate– Iroquois

– Creek

– Algonquin

– Abyssinian

– Chinese

– Greek

3D modelers

To get more information

http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/kryptos http://www.elonka.com/kryptos Sci.crypt newsgroup (search on “kryptos”) Subscribe by emailing:

– kryptos-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

AIM: Elonka Google

Q & A

Famous Unsolved Codes

1. Beale Ciphers 2. Voynich Manuscript 3. Dorabella Cipher 4. Zodiac Killer Ciphers 5. Kryptos