
Mossad 2018 challenge - harel
https://www.r-u-ready.xyz/
======
bernarpa
Spoiler:

... as it was said, the first brainfuck program prints xor-with-key. The
second program doesn't output anything but it sets the memory "array" with 12
non-zero values. By XORing these values with the phrase present in the image
(12 characters too) you get "35.205.32.11" which can be an IP (something in
Google's ranges), geographical coordinates (interpreted as x,y they point
somewhere in Israel, in fact) or I don't know whatever else.

~~~
cfrs
This link leads to page with the first challenge: "Your help is needed once
again to solve an urgent matter. Our digital forensics division is trying to
track the source of a phishing attack on one of our government officials..."

~~~
bernarpa
HaHaha! (cit.)

~~~
markyply
Yeah that's HEX decoded but I don't think it has anything to do with the
solution. I'm not sure though.

~~~
anonymmouse
I think it's more a joke from the fake 'anonymous' hacker in context to the
tech-news. After some testing I think the solution could be within this so
called 'pass-through' attack which is described in the tech-news.

There is an 'admin' account, with whom I think you can access the
/administration site. For now I think the solution could be with modifying
cookies, maybe the session cookie (after you create an account and log in) to
get access to the admin account

~~~
66anon66
I think the exploit would have something to do with the PNG profile picture
upload feature, I've figured out how to upload my own files but not sure what
I can do with this.

------
3ds

      >+-++<>-+--><[+-[
      ]+-]<+--+>[+--+]<
      [+>+<-]><----[-->
      +++<]>--.--------
      -.+++.[++>---<]>+
      +.-[----->++<]>-.
      +[->+++<]>+.+++++
      ++++++.----------
      --.----[->+++<]>+
      .-[-->+++++<]>---
      .------.[--->+<]>
      ++.[-]>+-++<>-+--
      ><[+-[]+-]<+--+>[
      +--+]<[+>+<-]><>+
      -++<>-+--><[+-[]+
      -]<+--+>[+--+]<[]
    
      +++++++++++[>++++
      +++++++<-]>+[<+>-
      ]-[>+<-------]>--
      -[<+>-][<+>-]>++>
      +[>++[-<++++++>]<
      <]>[<+>-]>+>++[++
      >++[-<+++++>]<<]>
      [<+>-]>+>+[>++++[
      -<++++>]<<]>[<+>-
      ]++++++++[>++++++
      +++++<-]>+[<+>-]+
      ++>>+>+[->+++[-<+
      ++++>]<<]>[<+>-]+
      +++++++[>++++++++
      <-]>+[<+>-]+++>++
      ++++>+>+-++<>-+--

------
artie_effim
Isn't that brainf*ck?

~~~
anvandare
Yes. The highlighted areas are:

>+-++<>-+--><[+-[ ]+-]<+--+>[+--+]< [+>+<-]><\----[--> +++<]>\--.--------
-.+++.[++>\---<]>\+ +.-[----->++<]>-. +[->+++<]>+.+++++ ++++++.----------
\--.----[->+++<]>\+ .-[-->+++++<]>\--- .------.[--->+<]> ++.[-]>+-++<>-+--
><[+-[]+-]<+--+>[ +--+]<[+>+<-]><>\+ -++<>-+--><[+-[]+ -]<+--+>[+--+]<[]

=> xor-with-key

+++++++++++[>++++ +++++++<-]>+[<+>\- ]-[>+<\-------]>\-- -[<+>-][<+>-]>++>
+[>++[-<++++++>]< <]>[<+>-]>+>++[++ >++[-<+++++>]<<]> [<+>-]>+>+[>++++[
-<++++>]<<]>[<+>\- ]++++++++[>++++++ +++++<-]>+[<+>-]+ ++>>+>+[->+++[-<\+
++++>]<<]>[<+>-]+ +++++++[>++++++++ <-]>+[<+>-]+++>++ ++++>+>+-++<>-+--

=> z.\SUY.ZA...

(hex values of the key: 7A B3 5C 53 55 59 03 5A 41 03 06 01)

xor-ing the .png with the key gives a data blob, so it's either an executable
(which I'm not going to run) or I did something wrong.

~~~
jerry40
z.\SUY.ZA... and Israel-is-70 (text from the picture) have the same length.

Coincidence?

~~~
anvandare
No coincidences with games like this. :) (I went over it again, and of course
a simple blob isn't just a binary, it has no magic bytes or anything, stupid.)
Using "Israel-is-70" gives me ... 3?.205.32.11 Which of course looks like an
IP-address, but incomplete (the ? is C0). Probably made a mistake with the
decoding of the key-part of the brainfuck. Still, only 10 numbers to pick
from: 3[0-9].205.32.11

Edit: thanks to Seagull for pointing it out already, the key was off by one
byte. So that gives 35.205.32.11

~~~
jerry40
Ok, so actually the puzzle has been cracked. Nothing else we can do. This end
was definitely not happy.

~~~
bernarpa
You're wrong... Go through an Israeli proxy to that IP (or via TOR by
configuring exit nodes), it's only the beginning. ;-)

~~~
jerry40
Perhaps, but the fact IP hidden behind the wall means that this challenge is
not for everyone. Disappointing. Good luck in your adventure though!

------
devilmoon
If someone wants to take a stab at it with OCR, these are the two highlighted
portions of brainfuck

[https://imgur.com/a/6r48NEN](https://imgur.com/a/6r48NEN)

------
harel
Fellas, please, keep the politics out of it. You got Facebook for that... :)

~~~
bhouston
You are incorrect, we are allowed to discuss politics on hacker news and have
opinions on politics, especially when it intersects technology. It is done all
the time here on hacker news.

~~~
harel
From the guidelines:

    
    
        Off-Topic: Most stories about politics, or crime, or sports, unless they're evidence of some interesting new phenomenon. 
    

This story was posted as one of technical interest. The political side effects
are not of technical interest.

~~~
bhouston
> Off-Topic: Most stories about politics, or crime, or sports, unless they're
> evidence of some interesting new phenomenon.

You are quoting a guideline about what stories should be posted to Hacker
News, and using that in your argument that we can not discuss political
aspects of a story. That is not the case.

> The political side effects are not of technical interest.

This is your opinion, which you are trying to pretend is a rule here on hacker
news.

~~~
harel
Not trying to pretend any rules. Just convention I've seen here over the years
with some reference in the guidelines. If you feel you need to discuss
politics, by all means - go crazy.

------
YuvalMesh
Has anyone gotten farther than registration? I'm stuck in the 35.205.32.11
page and I don't know how to advance from there. Any help anyone?

------
audiometry
Is this supposed to be some penetration/decryption challenge? If I get in, I
get a job?

~~~
sourcesmith
The page description is 'Mossad 2018 challenge countdown'...

------
mor123
What to after I enter to the blog I don't get it from yesterday

------
hungerstrike
Why would anyone who is aware of what's going on in the world today want to
work for military/intelligence murderers? Deception is the main weapon for
these scumbags and that very weapon is _regularly_ used to fleece the rest of
the population.

Unless you're going to work from the inside to expose their massive amounts of
bullshit, I find it deplorable. Honestly, I think you'd have to be either
brain-washed by the cult-like repetition of nationalism and military-hero
worship or just a real evil asshole to dedicate your life to helping these
people.

------
sillysaurus3
Recall when the Mossad assassinated someone in a Dubai hotel:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7d9KDysPbZ0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7d9KDysPbZ0)

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Mahmoud_Al-
Ma...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Mahmoud_Al-Mabhouh)

The only reason I point this out is because many (most?) techies have a
natural aversion to helping out this sort of thing.

It's totally fine if you don't. But it's easy to forget the end result.

~~~
ronreiter
He is a murderer and a terrorist. If you murder people because they are
Israeli and you think you can get away with it, think again.

~~~
Waterluvian
This is the attitude that makes it hard for me to take Israel seriously. Like
they have an inherent right to go after whoever wherever.

It feels like a CIA / KGB learned trait.

I think I'm most frustrated by the notion of other nations going to work in my
country. You do you. But not in my yard, eh.

~~~
placebo
I'm curious, how do you interpret the above as the "right to go after whoever
wherever?"

~~~
Waterluvian
The parent comment disappeared so I cannot answer you without recalling from
memory what was said. That's unfair because I don't have confidence in my
memory.

