Running key cipher tools (umbra) ¶
By: DarkFibre on April 29, 2012, 10:50 p.m.
So I've been trying to decode Umbra transmission #24 (which is probably some odd viral marketing campaign based on cults and the apocalypse) and I am stumped. Hints indicate the code is a Vigenere and/or running key. My analysis says running key. The other running keys had a known message beginning/structure, this one doesn't seem to follow the rules.
I know crib dragging is the way you crack running keys and I even wrote a tool to do it for me and score the results. I tested it on a previously cracked running key and it seemed to work, but it doesn't seem to help with this one. I don't know if this means my code sucks or my scoring system sucks or I am just wrong about what kind of cipher this is.
Anyone want to take a crack?
Here are the numbers converted to 1=A…25=Y 0=Z which seems to be their format. Usually the word before 38 is last, past or next.
ROOAIQHHNUIULPUMGDLACZ
PZQZ 38 JQKOOPLMQOHVETPHVHSNLBUDLTHUXBOOBXHGTUAKOLAISYPIMO
KPDTHNISNEOSMNFCGNJWIMCNPCJNXGQAMNQZDEHGEJQMZJJAO
ZIOUUOXXCQIOGDJAIWGORIVJHAVTPOTDSQMUQCQUYCXCFIHMUE
EBHUCIWLSNHOSOAASQESWOGPEGGEQZXMTRLAPEBQFNVATVOKPI
DSRNARTZSWDVTRKXLVZSSUAOSQRLAMYWQMKQDNKYEXHCNLOJ
WMBRFINDNSEZPGQNXHFEQOKBBTQAAAFDJEJMQFYYOFVQVOKVD
XMUQREZHGLOOSIAQZQAAWQUODTXCWCDZJWYUXVRBDJPJOVVZ
UUQWVKTLZIWHMPLLZMXOCPHMRCPBUSDQSKQVHQOGVPPXOKBA
CWWGZDXSNIDEIQZCYLJWUHPBEDKRQMZSUGAPBZYNHUOZYHXBSJ
SPTPPBJEWZGT