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 Forum index » Archive » Archive: General » Old News & Rumors
[TRAILHEAD] Active Analysis
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Oriza
Entrenched


Joined: 21 Dec 2007
Posts: 1078
Location: Michigan and Florida

 		[TRAILHEAD] Active Analysis
Received a strange email today from activesystemanalysisSPLATyahoo.com.

Quote:
Hearty Salutations!

Some data has been lost concerning SYSTEM A_DATA DELIVERY

Please help to restore SYSTEM A_DATA DELIVERY by restoring the following definitions.

BIAS:

CONDITIONS:

STATE:

UTILITY:

CLARIFY USE OF GBA OR UBA METHODOLOGY

albtcdhewfdgjhaisjckilwmpnkotpcqprbsttsuwvtwgxPyazxarbtcidwepfiglhpihjdkjlgmunxogphqirbsxthuivpwzxty


The ending string is the alphabet with characters inserted in every other (ish) letter. After removing the irrelevant letters, the remaining string run through ROT-11 gives us
Spoiler (Rollover to View):
we should(u)n't have named (ed)her Alic(c)e. that was owr first mistake.
(thanks amandel!)

Sounds like a grassroots trailhead to me. No idea what it's about yet though.
_________________
"You want weapons? We're in a library! Books! The best weapons in the world! This room's the greatest arsenal we could have. Here-- arm yourself."
--Doctor Who, Tooth and Claw

PostPosted: Fri Sep 27, 2013 7:35 pm
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catherwood
I Have 100 Cats and Smell of Wee

Joined: 25 Sep 2002
Posts: 4109
Location: Silicon Valley, CA

 		Re: [TRAILHEAD] Active Analysis
Oriza wrote:
albtcdhewfdgjhaisjckilwmpnkotpcqprbsttsuwvtwgxPyazxarbtcidwepfiglhpihjdkjlgmunxogphqirbsxthuivpwzxty

Is this a direct copy-paste from your email? The transcribed data (in the "is it spam?" thread) was different, but the solution is cleaner if I go straight from your email text and extract the alphabet myself.
same solution, once more with feeling
Spoiler (Rollover to View):
adjusted for a missing digit? I get:
lt.hwdjasciwpktcpbtswtgPaxrtiwpilphdjguxghibxhipzt
which is then ROT-11 solved as:
we.shouldnthavenamedherAlicethatwasourfirstmistake
and added spaces gives:
We shouldn't have named her Alice; that was our first mistake.

I am glad to see fewer typos in this solution, giving me more confidence that the puzzles will be fair.

PostPosted: Fri Sep 27, 2013 8:39 pm
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aklreaxmer
Veteran


Joined: 25 Sep 2013
Posts: 78

 		Have you responded to the email?

PostPosted: Fri Sep 27, 2013 10:24 pm
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Oriza
Entrenched


Joined: 21 Dec 2007
Posts: 1078
Location: Michigan and Florida

 		catherwood: I probably messed up with the letter extraction-- it was surprisingly difficult to pick out each individual letter. Thanks for clearing it up. The text in this thread is directly from the email, yes.

Am I the only one that got this email? Because that is sort of vaguely creepy-- my name is Alice.

I did respond to the email a few hours ago. I wasn't really sure what it was looking for so I gave it my best shot.

Quote:

BIAS: SEVERAL

CONDITIONS: NONE

STATE: ON

UTILITY: HOMO_SAPIENS

"GBA OR UBA METHODOLOGY" is an unknown string! Please clarify.

ahbsczdtedflgwhtinjpk


They responded:
Quote:

BIAS: SEVERAL Please enumerate

CONDITIONS: NONE Set conditions in "if:then" terminology; If you do not wish to set conditions then type "0"

STATE: ON

UTILITY: HOMO_SAPIENS This is not an exceptable utility; Please choose from the accepted ASA Emotional Spectrum/Utility Chart

"GBA OR UBA METHODOLOGY" is an unknown string! Please clarify. GBA Methodology uses Goals instead of Utility question box.

sTceybtvaxlbelsmcayxtyablkelsmcbygttavlaetsbcgyhtyavlhegslcxyjtnaxlgevsxclymtaatlmebslctyeteabldegshcpy


Like I said, I'm a) not good at ciphers and b) exhausted and need to get up early tomorrow. If anyone can figure out what it says let me know. In the meantime I sent them this to see what will happen:


Quote:
BIAS: INDUCTIVE <MINIMUM>

CONDITIONS: 0

STATE: ON

UTILITY:
ERROR! Unable to locate file asa_emotspectrum_chrt.txt. Please re-download a new copy or contact your systems administrator.

GBA OR UBA METHODOLOGY: GBA

tedslcoqzcxpezcplojzfcepie.lcpjzfmptyrxzytezcpo.nlyjzfdpyoxplqtwphtesawltyepie

_________________
"You want weapons? We're in a library! Books! The best weapons in the world! This room's the greatest arsenal we could have. Here-- arm yourself."
--Doctor Who, Tooth and Claw

PostPosted: Fri Sep 27, 2013 11:52 pm
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MrToasty
I Have 100 Cats and Smell of Wee


Joined: 03 Aug 2004
Posts: 4310
Location: Des Moines, IA

 		From their response last line I get:
Spoiler (Rollover to View):
Alice is the first in a chain of consequences that is all i know

which was mixed in with repeated
Spoiler (Rollover to View):
scytale


PostPosted: Sat Sep 28, 2013 12:35 am
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Oriza
Entrenched


Joined: 21 Dec 2007
Posts: 1078
Location: Michigan and Florida

 		That explains it then, that "scytale" really threw me off.

I haven't gotten anything from them yet since I sent the email last night. Here's hoping they respond soon.
_________________
"You want weapons? We're in a library! Books! The best weapons in the world! This room's the greatest arsenal we could have. Here-- arm yourself."
--Doctor Who, Tooth and Claw

PostPosted: Sat Sep 28, 2013 11:48 pm
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Atropanocturna
Decorated


Joined: 09 Nov 2008
Posts: 240

 		I received this as well. My name is not Alice, so they didn't single you out Smile
_________________
Looking for something that sparks my interest.....
Mourning:ThisIsMyMilwaukee

PostPosted: Sun Sep 29, 2013 3:29 am
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Oriza
Entrenched


Joined: 21 Dec 2007
Posts: 1078
Location: Michigan and Florida

 		Phew! Figured it wasn't just sent to me, there'd be no point in that.

Got a response from them today:
Quote:
Hearty Salutations!

Definitions accepted.

Without Goal specified SYSTEM A_DATA DELIVERY will begin intake/dump cycle.

Initial run will take 72 hours. During this time no definitions may be changed.


iTmnnloytesduprpejtzhfactpw-axslatgwoLoDdLiddpenaewzezlrlzszeoethxocwpiltoptlyarscopudtaizmyndoptzsquqreestphtactvwpajswazgroropdcizdyejazf


I guess that means we wait 3 days while SYSTEM A_DATA DELIVERY guy "runs".
_________________
"You want weapons? We're in a library! Books! The best weapons in the world! This room's the greatest arsenal we could have. Here-- arm yourself."
--Doctor Who, Tooth and Claw

PostPosted: Sun Sep 29, 2013 1:29 pm
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MrToasty
I Have 100 Cats and Smell of Wee


Joined: 03 Aug 2004
Posts: 4310
Location: Des Moines, IA

 		Hmm, repeated text from that one:
Spoiler (Rollover to View):
imnotsurethatwasagoodideawellseehowitplasoutimnotsurethatwasagoodideaf

and the ROTed text:
Spoiler (Rollover to View):
Icantseeyoure-mailASAsectoogoodimreadingresponseofftheirkeyloggeronyo


PostPosted: Sun Sep 29, 2013 1:54 pm
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Billy Brown
Decorated

Joined: 18 Dec 2004
Posts: 196

 		Ooh, I got the original email too. I was on the verge of posting it but have never posted a trailhead before and got nervous that it might just be spam, so I sent a reply to try and ascertain the situation. I didn't hear anything back and had no luck deciphering the character string so I assumed it was spam. Silly me; I won't be so shy at coming forward next time.

Anyway, I'm on board for this. I'll try sending another reply to see if I can get any new information for us.

EDIT:

MrToasty wrote:
Hmm, repeated text from that one:
Spoiler (Rollover to View):
imnotsurethatwasagoodideawellseehowitplasoutimnotsurethatwasagoodideaf

and the ROTed text:
Spoiler (Rollover to View):
Icantseeyoure-mailASAsectoogoodimreadingresponseofftheirkeyloggeronyo


I think maybe the 'f' at the end of the repeated string was supposed to go into the text to be ROTed, making more sense of the end:

Spoiler (Rollover to View):
I can't see your e-mail, ASA sec (security, presumably?) too good. I'm reading response off their key logger on you.


PostPosted: Fri Oct 04, 2013 3:30 am
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