Cracking MASTER BOOT RECORD Secret Tracks
Table of Contents
1 WARNING
This document contains clues to solving a puzzle.
If you want to solve it on your own without help, stop reading.
I’ll try not to give direct answers. I’ll try to write in such a way that you still need to run code. But there will be instructions and thoughts around solving it.
2 MASTER BOOT RECORD
What is MASTER BOOT RECORD?
https://twitter.com/masterbootrec
I am a 486DX-33MHz-64MB processing avant-garde chiptune, synthesized heavy metal & classical symphonic music. 100% Synthesized, 100% Dehumanized.
MBR has hidden secret tracks behind a puzzle that starts from http://mbrserver.com.
2.1 Decoding mbrserver.com
This looks like ASCII code points. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASCII
Let’s copy the first few items in that block of text and test it out.
In python, you can pass an integer to the chr function to get the Unicode character for that code point.
And since the text we get from the website comes in the form of Python strings, we’ll need to convert them to integers before passing them to the chr function by passing each string to the int function.
code_points = [ "087", "101", "108", "099", "111", "109", "101", ] message = "" for code_point in code_points: message += chr(int(code_point)) print(message)
Welcome
import requests import re html = requests.get("http://mbrserver.com/").text match = re.search(r"<pre class=\"lg\">(.*?)</pre>", html, flags=re.S) cleaned_match = re.sub(r"\W+", " ", match.group(1)).strip() message = "" for code_point in cleaned_match.split(" "): message += chr(int(code_point)) print(message)
Welcome back again where it all began Open are the ports. Services all started. Knock at every door and grab the missing strings Put them in a row and crack the code to win Scanning close the files may reveal some things Data you can't hear. Data you can't see. Scattered are the clues all around the disk Some are in plain sight some you need to think Check your mail for messages, log on IRC Feeling old already? Oh I bet you did. You will need some tools, look around for hacks Talk with all the daemons hiding in the dark Now don't be afraid. It's a simple game. All you need are memories buried in your brain For it's in the past where you need to start Surfing like a pirate. I wish you good luck.
3 FTP
mbr.txt is an NFO file modem.wav… maybe open in Audacity and look at spectrum? (stegonography?) (minimodem?)
4 Gopher
There’s an image with some binary and a welcome text with an email password on the Gopher server.
The email password is in an unfamiliar format.
Hint in the BBS with the text.
with open("secret-resources/image.png.txt") as f: text = f.read() chars = map(lambda x: chr(int(x, 2)), text.replace("\n", " ").strip().split(" ")) message_1 = "".join(list(chars)) chars = map(lambda x: chr(int(x, 16)), message_1.split(" ")) message_2 = "".join(chars) message_3 = "".join(map(lambda x: chr(int(x)), message_2.split(" "))) print(message_3)
iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAtAAAALQCAYAAAC5V0ecAAAABGdBTUEAALGP C/xhBQAAACBjSFJNAAB6JgAAgIQAAPoAAACA6AAAdTAAAOpgAAA6mAAAF3Cc ulE8AAAABmJLR0QAAAAAAAD5Q7t/AAAACXBIWXMAAA7DAAAOwwHHb6hkAACA ... AAAAFOAFGgAAAACgwJuikMqiWGbnjZ7+VMfYkx6dp4n6ss35aNTpolrsAP7f 9KQFHcvmRrKoe2RRO/Td35ftWZHMj/79tddem9tYRssn3HeHkwIu83V8I5Fc 655j5ulOpvALNAAAAABAAV6gAQAAAAAK/P8AKT7NFPDJBm0AAAAASUVORK5C YII=
5 C:/>DEFRAG
From https://masterbootrecord.bandcamp.com/
066 097 099 107 119 097 114 100 032 097 110 100 032 102 111 114 119 097 114 100 032 119 101 032 119 097 108 107 032 105 110 032 097 032 108 105 110 101 013 010 079 118 101 114 032 097 032 115 113 117 097 114 101 032 109 097 100 101 032 111 102 032 115 112 097 099 101 032 097 110 100 032 116 105 109 101 013 010 066 101 104 111 108 100 032 116 104 101 032 110 117 109 098 101 114 115 032 115 111 109 101 116 105 109 101 115 032 099 097 110 032 108 105 101 013 010 078 111 116 032 097 108 108 032 111 102 032 116 104 101 109 032 105 110 032 111 114 100 101 114 032 121 111 117 039 108 108 032 102 105 110 100 046 013 010 013 010 067 108 117 115 116 101 114 115 032 111 102 032 100 097 116 097 046 013 010 083 101 099 116 111 114 115 032 097 110 100 032 102 105 108 101 115 046 013 010 079 118 101 114 032 097 110 100 032 111 118 101 114 046 013 010 078 101 101 100 032 116 111 032 111 112 116 105 109 105 122 101 046 013 010 082 101 097 100 105 110 103 032 097 110 100 032 119 114 105 116 105 110 103 046 032 013 010 083 111 114 116 105 110 103 032 097 110 100 032 119 105 112 105 110 103 046 013 010 083 116 097 114 105 110 103 032 097 110 100 032 119 097 105 116 105 110 103 046 013 010 083 111 109 101 116 105 109 101 115 032 102 114 117 115 116 114 097 116 105 110 103 046 013 010 013 010 087 104 101 110 032 097 108 108 032 116 104 101 032 109 097 116 114 105 120 032 105 115 032 099 108 101 097 114 032 105 110 032 121 111 117 114 032 109 105 110 100 046 013 010 065 108 108 032 111 102 032 116 104 111 115 101 032 110 117 109 098 101 114 115 032 097 114 101 032 101 097 115 121 032 116 111 032 102 105 110 100 046 013 010 074 117 115 116 032 108 111 111 107 032 097 114 111 117 110 100 046 032 078 111 032 110 101 101 100 032 116 111 032 103 114 105 110 100 046 013 010 066 101 099 097 117 115 101 032 116 104 101 032 097 110 115 119 101 114 032 105 115 032 097 108 108 032 105 110 032 112 108 097 105 110 032 115 105 103 104 116 046 013 010 013 010 080 117 116 032 116 104 101 109 032 116 111 103 101 116 104 101 114 046 032 067 108 101 097 114 032 097 108 108 032 116 104 101 032 115 112 097 099 101 115 046 013 010 067 114 097 099 107 105 110 103 032 116 104 101 032 099 111 100 101 032 104 097 115 032 110 101 118 101 114 032 098 101 101 110 032 101 097 115 105 101 114 046 013 010 013 010 079 112 101 110 032 116 104 101 032 103 097 116 101 046 013 010 082 101 100 101 101 109 032 116 104 101 032 112 114 105 122 101 046 013 010 065 099 099 101 115 115 032 105 115 032 103 114 097 110 116 101 100 046 032 013 010 068 111 119 110 108 111 097 100 032 116 104 101 032 102 105 108 101 115 046
6 POP3
- Telnet into the server.
- Binary to int
- Char from int char code