FBI Issues Code Cracking Challenge

coondoggie writes to tell us that the FBI has issued another cracking challenge for a new cipher on their site. Tens of thousands responded to a similar challenge last year. In addition to the challenge, the FBI is also offering a few primers on the subject. There are a number of sites offering cipher challenges, but it's funny to see the FBI encouraging such behavior.

Link to the 2008 challenge

[root777]

The links in the article point to FBI challenges in 2007 and the kids challenge but do not point to the 2008 challenge.

Here is the FBI Cryptanalysis challenge 2008 http://www.fbi.gov/page2/dec08/code_122908.html [fbi.gov]

Other helpful links for reference
2007 challenge: http://www.fbi.gov/page2/nov07/code112107.html [fbi.gov]
Kids challenge: http://www.fbi.gov/kids/k5th/jobs9.htm [fbi.gov]

Re:link to challenge

[Anonymous Coward]

Wow. Cryptograms in the newspaper are harder than that.

stupendous. we
congratulate you on
cracking this latest
encryption. visit
www.fbi.gov/coded.htm
to let us know of
your success.

Cryptogram tool

[Jade E. 2]

There are automated ones out there that solve this in under a second, but if you want to figure it out yourself try this page:

http://www.esg.montana.edu/meg/consbio/cryptogram/crypto.html [montana.edu]

Here's the puzzle text to copy:

VFWTDLCSWV. YD NSLMIJFWEJFD GSW SL NIJNQBLM FOBV EJFDVF DLNIGTFBSL.
KBVBF YYY.AHB.MSK/NSCDC.OFZ FS EDF WV QLSY SA GSWI VWNNDVV.

Re:Link to the 2008 challenge

[Chris Daniel]

Also, here's the code (transcribed a damn Flash file; wtf you guys):

VFWTDLCSWV. YD NSLMIJFWEJFD GSW SL NIJNQBLM FOBV EJFDVF DLNIGTFBSL. KBVBF YYY.AHB.MSK/NSCDC.OFZ FS EDF WV QLSY SA GSWI VWNNDVV.

Lameness filter ... it was presented in caps on the original, so it is presented as such here!

Re:Link to the 2008 challenge

[enFi]

Presuming that the text is all the information we need - maybe the got creative and did steganography, or a message hidden in the flash source.

I agree with the characters; if newlines are relevant:

VFWTDLCSWV. YD
NSLMIJFWEJFD GSW SL
NIJNQBLM FOBV EJFDVF
DLNIGTFBSL. KBVBF
YYY.AHB.MSK/NSCDC.OFZ
FS EDF WV QLSY SA
GSWI VWNNDVV.

Re:Link to the 2008 challenge

[laddiebuck]

It remains fairly trivial after your substitutions. vivit -> visit, then the last line but one is "to let us know of". After those chars, the whole thing falls into place. The final translation table is tr '[abcdefghijklmnoqstvwyz]' '[fideltybravngchkopsuwm]'. You're supposed to visit this trite URL [fbi.gov], which congratulates you. Maybe they really did mix it up with the kids' challenge.

Answer

[ottffs]

I've solved it and posted the answer for y'all. Check it out here: http://c0nn0r.info/blog/2008/12/29/i-pwned-the-fbi-cyphertext-challenge-in-about-45-minutes-using-a-pen-and-paper/ [c0nn0r.info]

Re:Link to the 2008 challenge

[93 Escort Wagon]

Also, here's the code (transcribed a damn Flash file; wtf you guys):

VFWTDLCSWV. YD NSLMIJFWEJFD GSW SL
NIJNQBLM FOBV EJFDVF DLNIGTFBSL. KBVBF
YYY.AHB.MSK/NSCDC.OFZ FS EDF WV QLSY SA
GSWI VWNNDVV.

Lameness filter ... it was presented in caps on the original, so it is presented as such here!

Easy - "Be sure to drink your Ovaltine!"