Help; I need a 90% solution

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3 total messages Started by Benjamin Ellsworth Fri, 11 Mar 1988 02:40

#4118

Author: Benjamin Ellsworth
Date: Fri, 11 Mar 1988 02:40

15 lines
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I am not a DES expert, no not even close.  I am appealing to those who
might be.

I have a document with troff format commands imbedded in it.  I have
the troff output.  I had encrypted the file using UN*X crypt.  Now I 
cannot remember the password. 

Does having the vast majority of the plaintext available make the 
decryption easier?  Easy enough to try it?

----------

Benjamin Ellsworth
...hplabs!hpcvlx!ben

Re: Help; I need a 90% solution

#4121

Author: Doug Gwyn
Date: Sat, 12 Mar 1988 08:55

16 lines
1264 bytes

In article <3350001@hpcvlx.HP.COM> ben@hpcvlx.HP.COM (Benjamin Ellsworth) writes:
>I have a document with troff format commands imbedded in it.  I have
>the troff output.  I had encrypted the file using UN*X crypt.  Now I 
>cannot remember the password. 
>
>Does having the vast majority of the plaintext available make the 
>decryption easier?  Easy enough to try it?

The UNIX "crypt" utility does not use DES; it's based on a junior
version of the Hebern machine (a la Enigma).  The "Crypt Breaker's
WorkBench" (posted to one of the source newsgroups some time during
the past year) is up to the task of reconstructing the plaintext
given some probable words.  It can even do so without probable words,
although it takes more work.  If you don't have CBW, perhaps someone
knows where you can get it, or contact me by E-mail and we can
discuss the options.

Re: Help; I need a 90% solution

#4125

Author: Jim Kimble
Date: Sat, 12 Mar 1988 22:42

20 lines
1074 bytes

In article <3350001@hpcvlx.HP.COM> ben@hpcvlx.HP.COM (Benjamin Ellsworth) writes:
>
>I am not a DES expert, no not even close.  I am appealing to those who
>the troff output.  I had encrypted the file using UN*X crypt.  Now I 
>cannot remember the password. 
>


This is proof positive that you should have taken the password and written
it on a pad of paper and kept it in the top drawer of your desk ;-).


--Jim Kimble

"I used to be into necrophillia, flagellation, and beastiality -- but my
friends said I was just beating a dead horse."

UUCP: {hplabs!hp-sdd, sdcsvax, nosc}!crash!jkimble
ARPA: crash!jkimble@nosc
INET: jkimble@crash.CTS.COM

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