Your Reward!
Absolutely nothing! You've successfully wasted your time.
Challenge History
- Cybersecurity Competitions: For years, I've been building cyber challenges like this one, with dozens of competitors for New Mexico State University, and the (Removed, due to bots).
- Competitions: I've competed in numerous challenges just like this one, from in person events to online national/international challenges.
How QR Codes Work
QR codes are two-dimensional barcodes that can store various types of data. Here's the theory behind them:
Basic Structure
- Finder Patterns: In this challenge you filled in the green rectangles, corresponding to the finder codes. These are used by your camera to locate and orient the QR Code.
- Timing Patterns: These are on off bits, we interupt them in #1 causing problems in reading the QR code.
- Alignment Patterns: This is the small circle with a dot in the center. These are used to solve distorted codes.
- Data Area: The remaining bits are used for data, and data redundancy. You can cover large parts of a QR code with little to no effect.
Error Correction
- QR codes use Reed-Solomon error correction
- Four levels available: L (~7%), M (~15%), Q (~25%), H (~30%)
- The higher the correction, the more of a QR code that can be covered. This is how QR codes can have images in the center.
Cipher Solver Tools
You could have used any of these popular Cybersecurity tools:
| dCode.fr | Comprehensive toolkit for solving hundreds of cipher types and encodings |
| CyberChef | Used to generate your own ciphers using blocks. |
| Boxentriq | Interactive tools for cryptanalysis and cipher solving, useful for the challenges you completed. |