Happy Cryptmas

The Cyber Security Challenge UK recently launched a new cyber challenge for the Xmas holiday. The challenge takes the form of an image containing a lot of random-looking text with a Christmas tree in the middle. I’m still not sure how to go about tackling this thing, but as a starting point I thought it would at least be useful to have this text in a more accessible form.

So here you go:

)JGvV4&pSvyJLiv lOOsOvGuHpY6SJ$X)>0^(iZozitXlVo|(PwnsmgsTm_sPux&X)pqh
NXiZnrQhSUPNUkxUXU xyXXm($QpnkmJ Gy(Jk$Tg%&O(nQxjG_wxzu^k$YQI$Z>mPvK_
YnqI V<%zxl|ruo|_s6&prqTVtU<<$ _/\_ szsvZwJuScioSHUX lhu^Hw|qvXTy<lTy
|rj(KMH^qw PPtjt _vqT%r XuvxN| >  < ShmUT$iLx<wYvQZkiVNvrRJWHT%TzNP$t
SN_6wzWO&MxL|)|pmqktqlq)K(<NGZ /` `. U1uswy<nZwwJyKtMU t&UpKwXp<6UH|J
vi%ysWzKgYwsw>LmoX7pURmgouS) .' ' o \ jsh3LyVQLPjs(IslgpNakMXw<UIRkjo
>P^KTOnM(LKRrH^&spwkmQ|vSj ( ()x  @ '. <m O)$q|KVPxvMG<QWT>(v|_PJHnnY
PW_zZMIPRhKPq<GNu%MsinGIxo .-'  *_.-'-; HJHXZH(XvQ&>xOmG|nmL&I>HXNGLS
TzwIw%2%ZTsWIKPrM%$K>(0Q .'   Q    ()  `-. Uww<_h4JiXopYgwriPqv6umNZM
G|h7m%)zjyMxVT>(J&vxY%i / @     o .x  *   ) yKlK%m2qHsV^r>>YyYNpULkTI
^I)^GVTR<3HX%l)KxMtnzuq `-...-""-    '-~'` Xu<0TsjO<Zz(rGj( RIy$<TGO|
Yzsn&7hSKV>QG%v(tLnqqi _.'`  Q *   k   @`-. o%QplS($tnzVTY%|I&lO3tis%
x3GGNGjIty)ozWVvQ_yo .'    o   . r   * k  '-. kGM<S7XyvZuH^UJXgroluYT
Zpnkh2RSv^kUIGtv)%| / @     .___.~-'  v  ()  `\ SH%ZGoW0vj(Ts^SH^zKSi
>o%Mm_vOyrput5GVmz (    ()    s    Q'.__Q   *.' )xGKuKI^<x%SRITQHljLi
J)Yk jT)zV@hK rj$hL '-.g' `--._  @         ``-. Swo)jiTNSJ5x<hxtkLOkS
(|kzLR&>Gx<IxikiH _.-'   @      __.-'~'-.  @  `-. mKsJ K^tquwV<i%Mx&Z
KsRm5N^o>ky_tg) .'    Z 2  ..-' z     o       m  `) 4QYoS%|rQo lI<chg
3RWVQsSIgu$ZVq /   .-a-._          * n  _.~-.*__.' 2nG^))wW>HQW0ivH>H
$O6UJ8oWpUuRQW '._   X   (7)  '-.____.-'Q   & . '-. rVO4PixQQhU$^yWHP
sx7xwQkPkYgW4QoKU ;--' Q   *         *     o*   @ '-. SW7ixIVMozxn>0z
vpJn(r3Lrzxmzx .-' *   '.___ ..~ - .      %   ()   a '. IPWI<&uR%SxUk
2jYyl%lim$O&O / @    o    f  *       _.''~.._()__.--'`-. P2TlQq_o>pyj
IyQvfHu(NY^q '-.___6   .        jp     w     *     J Q '. oyL7LHGQz6q
OjN>LUfTxpz) .':.  `'    .''~..__6__.--'`-.    _.~-.*__.' oUpSgiOiifg
(^2gH |psJQ /.  ':.z  .      g    @   e    $    ((-\/-)) ppoKTi6gmvKv
hmLZ|7JSIv ; ':.k ':.     :  ___\|/___   %   |----||----| wL6HGWG lhJ
wcviQst&v  |2q ':.   `   `   |   |   |f\--\/-|    ||    | QRPGNR_i6RN
lPyUe>pov<l \:.w ':(     r   |-5-|-6-| |  || | O<R||O<R | mGHUnt zLWX
uSU 4P^wgHUO '::.m_  ' - n   |___|___| |__||_|____~~____| HWNrLXUjsOd
Gjl|_xnZJ&N|nq%w4kN|YOvlSUyOToRixq(npN<a>SU) Xyrl$ZrjQYuXR^o|(mnnOPyr
YkIk3Kn^g(hvPyOIQ<vsPkoLLj$IRO|NoVmt% xtqxw$kspmhNiiknX2ylzL HX&kU%HX

By the way, you’ll notice that the text in the actual image is mostly coloured green in the region of the tree, and black/grey elsewhere, although there are several other colours dotted here and there. I’m hoping this information isn’t too important.

UPDATE: I just discovered an interesting tweet from the puzzle’s creator Senad Zukic (@CyberInquisitor)

@curvey109 @linuxisp the tree is slightly off :-)

— Senad Zukic (@CyberInquisitor) December 28, 2012

I think I know which bit is slightly off, too :-)