GC4XQ4B - Enigma Series - Extreme Puzzle

GC4XQ4B - Enigma Series - Extreme Puzzle

By: Geöcraft

1. Here is the puzzle.

This puzzle will be very difficult to solve, but finding the cache will be easy.

Enigma Extreme Challenge

This puzzle will take an enormous effort to solve and is not for the faint of heart! If you are a mathematician or a talented computer programmer, you might have a slight edge (maybe). This puzzle will be straight forward as I will give you all the pieces, no mysteries to uncover, just the puzzle to solve. You will need basic understanding on how the Enigma Machine, from the WWII era operates. Although having one won't help you, as I have created my own wiring for this puzzle, and it is up to you to solve the puzzle with these settings!

Note, there are many versions of the enigma machine but the basic operation is the same.

Solution will plug into: N 44 XX.XXX W 089 XX.XXX

Here are the configurations:

Rotor 1: IWJCPSBTEOYAFKHRDXMNLUGVZQ step: R

Rotor 2: WXNGUIRKOHLBPEVDZTAFMSYJQC step: J

Rotor 3: JPZAOFYQUCMGWSILDKXHRVNETB step: M

Reflector: GLWDYTAONRZBVIHQPJUFSMCXEK

Ring setting: C,W,Q

Plugboard: V to R, S to B, G to Q, D to X, K to N, F to J, L to W, U to Y

Rotor Start: G E O

Message to interpret

QMYN VBUT YWBC YGJU HNZO VFDE GPXY XZLX RWKR YN

You will know you solved it when the coordinates are spelled out. Good luck!



2. Find an Enigma Simulator.

There are several Enigma simulators available online; however, most do not allow adjustment of the rotor wiring. Because the rotor wiring settings have been changed for this puzzle, the ability to modify these settings is key to solving it.

Here is a chart that shows the original wiring configuration of the Enigma machines. The Enigma machine that will be used to solve this puzzle only used rotors I, II, and III. Look at the column of numbers for rotor I. Notice that the numbers on the right are a-z, in order, and the numbers on the left are out of order. Now look at the rest of the rotor chart. For every rotor, the numbers on the right are a-z, in order, and the numbers on the left represent how that rotor is wired.

Here is the rotor wiring order for this puzzle. Notice that it is different than the original rotor wiring. You will not be able to solve this puzzle unless you can modify these settings.

Rotor 1: IWJCPSBTEOYAFKHRDXMNLUGVZQ
Rotor 2: WXNGUIRKOHLBPEVDZTAFMSYJQC
Rotor 3: JPZAOFYQUCMGWSILDKXHRVNETB

Here is the link to an Enigma simulator that provides a way to change the rotor wiring. It is the only simulator I found that accommodates this modification.

Enigma Simulator - (in Excel VBA)

When you open this page there will be two simulators to choose from. Select the "Enigma simulator in Excel VBA (101 kB)".

3. Read the Help Section and fix spreadsheet errors.

Before setting up the simulator, here are a couple of problems with the program you need to know about:

1. Make sure macros are enabled. When you open the software, if macros are not enabled, there will be a message near the top that gives you a Security Warning. Choose Options, and Enable Content. If macros are not enabled, this simulator will not work.

2. The Rotors are labeled incorrectly on the spreadsheet. Scroll down the sheet to the red rotor labels. They should be labeled:

Left rotor R1
Middle rotor R2
Right rotor R3


Here is a portion of the Help information that is very important. (It would be wise to read the entire Help section before proceeding with setup.)

Setup instructions

First notice that input cells are blue! (Do Not input any data in cells that are not blue!)

Start inputting the Number of letters in the blue cell in the upper left corner. If 8 is chosen the alphabet will be consisting of the letters a, b, c, d, e, f, g and h. If 26 is chosen you get the whole english alphabet from a to z.

Next input the permutations associated with the plugboard, the three rotors and the reflector in Enigma in line 20, 24 28, 32 and 36.

The permutations associated with the three rotors R1 (left), R2 (middle) and R3 (right) in line 24, 28 nd 32 are supposed to be with "default settings", i.e. ring and rotor settings are all a's. The permutations of the rotors having specific ring and rotor settings are denoted L (left), M (middle) and N (right). The ring and rotor settings of the these rotors can be set in line 8 and 9.

Additionally each of these rotors has a notch (turnover or Step), and they can be set in line 7. You can chose your own permutations, if you like. However notice that the permutations associated with the plugboard as well as the reflector should be self-reciprocal, meaning that if a letter, say a, maps to a letter say f, then f should map to a. To test if your permutations are consistent, you can press the Test of permutations button. This will tell how many a's, b's, etc. are present in your permutation. Since a permutation should contain each letter exactly once, the permutation is consistent if a 1 shows up under each letter. If this is not the case you need to edit the permutation. If you press the button once again, the test-information disappears! Remark however that the plugboard and reflector permutations are not tested for reciprocity!



4. Setup the Enigma Simulator.

Using the setting information that was provided in the puzzle description, set up the Enigma simulator.

Geocache Description information:

Here are the configurations:

Rotor 1: IWJCPSBTEOYAFKHRDXMNLUGVZQ step: R

Rotor 2: WXNGUIRKOHLBPEVDZTAFMSYJQC step: J

Rotor 3: JPZAOFYQUCMGWSILDKXHRVNETB step: M

Reflector: GLWDYTAONRZBVIHQPJUFSMCXEK

Ring setting: C,W,Q

Plugboard: V to R, S to B, G to Q, D to X, K to N, F to J, L to W, U to Y

Rotor Start: G E O


Message to interpret:

Note:  You will not be able to fit the entire message into the space that's available.  It will be necessary to process the message in the following sections.

QMYN VBUT YWBC YGJU HNZO VFDE GPXY

XZLX RWKR YN

Now that the puzzle settings have been entered, the simulator must be Reset with the modified settings.  To accomplish this, click on the Reset button.  Notice that "Rotor settings (current)" now says "geo".  The Enigma simulator is now setup and ready to solve the encrypted message.

5.  Interpret the Encrypted Message.

To decrypt the hidden message, simply click on the Encrypt key, repeatedly, until the entire message line has been decrypted.  Record the numbers that are listed in the yellow boxes labeled "Cryptotext".  

The decrypted numbers are: 5,9,2,8,9,3,6.

To decrypt the rest of the puzzle message, the remaining unsolved message must be entered into the blue boxes labeled "Plaintext", the blue boxes labeled "Rotor settings (start)" must be changed, and the simulator must be Reset.


IMPORTANT

Write down the letters that are in the yellow boxes labeled "Rotor settings (current)"

Rotor settings (current):  G F Q

Enter these letters into the blue boxes labeled "Rotor settings (start)".

Now enter the rest of the coded message into the blue boxes labeled "Plaintext".

Remaining Message:  XZLX RWKR YN

Click the Reset button
(Notice that g,f,q is in the yellow boxes labeled "Rotor settings (current)".

To decrypt the rest of the message, click the Encrypt button, repeatedly, until all of the coded message has been decrypted.  Record the numbers that are listed in the yellow boxes labeled "Cryptotext".  

The decrypted numbers are: 2,1,5 (jive)

Perhaps "jive" was a little joke, or it may have been a way the CO could verify that "you" solved the puzzle and didn't just get the coordinates from another player.

Congratulations!  You have solved the Enigma puzzle!



6.  Put your Solved Coordinates together.

N 44 XX.XXX W 089 XX.XXX

The decrypted numbers are: 5,9,2,8,9,3,6,2,1,5

Solved Coordinates:

   N 44 59.289, W 089 36.215   

7. Verify the Solved Coordinates with GeoChecker.

You can check you answers with GeoChecker.

GeoChecker - Enigma