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Decode this! 21/07/2010 at 13:29 #1476
GeoffM
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6376 posts
This extract may or may not be coded text - or it may simply be a randomly generated string. Each is a unique reference to a particular train service on a particular date so it might contain headcodes (TIDs or UIDs for those familiar with timetables) and dates.

Sample data follows (there is a preceding space on each line which is not being shown by this forum software, but which appears to be part of the ID, as does the pair of equals signs at the end):

XV1fCOSlT5TQz1VBA5mvYQ==
kRSd8SB7ZLxPja4BR8Idqg==
vVdU138EatKPXy87kThwTw==
/6J28UgqV4+/iEmY0Ic2fw==
ZOfTHgwODAGcL2FZ6uHe9w==
1CxVjRuBa51t1m7XSJqjyQ==
niIfqfJla1QqNQE+ICnB2Q==
wRY8JK9RSHm3M5bgZpH2sw==
DJPSBOgBlB4aDDTAjfLmLQ==
q3JMiAfKpJrhiMPQH5zI5g==
/Yf/oZYZW81Y4rPHivNzKg==
UieQNDUt1Pz3QXGpKSYKsA==
DbSeGP5N5RFhGdZg+4tb2w==
U4SPz2r5gG1ku2WXV8WMIw==
fHNV+ppAZ5IzTQFQYbLKiQ==
8sg2rqXKnNTdfHM43OLFhA==
ouHNuQd4g3FsqUXVDfo2oQ==
S7PxoZfw6eWQQ7cZqc4BnA==
lx+DU2C8jdgDi7fv9CceZg==
rUWmMFRnpPrqGu8ZmSV0Og==
JuyTB2KMYkgclLbZs2GwwQ==
IDV+HZ7/x0IVToCiByVqrw==
XkCtiEd9bJj1DWmw+PsBVA==
bY0T2BVLoPRgUjLoOMwKZA==
3/L60gD5mimm8lNBij2nAA==
wjaBPNOwTdM/bBBxDjUC8g==
ncBnkhdHjN07CGxzZNJhTw==
s/+zCfmeURNpcvJNFaBC4A==
d+Zp+v2JtdeSo0ehFsInQA==
zO35LMzpHO4/MP58HaUypw==
mQfWcyayv0TzXIWK6czE9A==
zuNBOx1XwrObkaacrOE7HQ==
pYuH69rUt9Wb9CByHycMvA==
+BYVah4SEKYLZMccpru+dQ==
+23Tn1MbX3xQ2kOC1AWDdw==
H740Cjdfq6w46teMQooVEQ==
DfaSI15x72g0l8Sw7BBt2w==
fqlQp5AG5qJvSHxvldT3RA==
BbE8dPUxARR8qj14YpMHgQ==
aKTff2wkCY1mh/UuKARzWQ==
EEVFYhSnkIIy8hreXJ1q5g==
VbAflwwZoPdr1yyYIk/icg==
ruYeOkgA/BUEsIu6HD4fiw==
i+UNfgX2kfw0r2sWOTtV6g==
oIsKZqfpS0wf8L/+hkIKHg==
BjM5r8AZZ9b2uMKWL9T0QQ==
ffP8YNizP8z0Xc3GyZ70+g==
ua/UF8UyU7GRC5ip8xJ6zg==
JIHFAlFhiyDaogwjU5vr3w==
eN8YX1+9pHPZNBmbDSgfxw==
EMoLiR5tSD70WumqZagUvA==
4KtZQeXTdAO4gsqVY6trmQ==
Ha2Cmjj73a1mO6C+BM6eEQ==
6V7/2EkE4RxjQZyo4ieXNA==
vgoQ12M+67gCKUq7xdVWHQ==
mlhmzEAZsJFARDWyJSMaKg==

Doesn't seem to be base64. As I say, it may be a completely random string with no information in it whatsoever.

SimSig Boss
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Decode this! 21/07/2010 at 13:29 #10136
GeoffM
Avatar
6376 posts
This extract may or may not be coded text - or it may simply be a randomly generated string. Each is a unique reference to a particular train service on a particular date so it might contain headcodes (TIDs or UIDs for those familiar with timetables) and dates.

Sample data follows (there is a preceding space on each line which is not being shown by this forum software, but which appears to be part of the ID, as does the pair of equals signs at the end):

XV1fCOSlT5TQz1VBA5mvYQ==
kRSd8SB7ZLxPja4BR8Idqg==
vVdU138EatKPXy87kThwTw==
/6J28UgqV4+/iEmY0Ic2fw==
ZOfTHgwODAGcL2FZ6uHe9w==
1CxVjRuBa51t1m7XSJqjyQ==
niIfqfJla1QqNQE+ICnB2Q==
wRY8JK9RSHm3M5bgZpH2sw==
DJPSBOgBlB4aDDTAjfLmLQ==
q3JMiAfKpJrhiMPQH5zI5g==
/Yf/oZYZW81Y4rPHivNzKg==
UieQNDUt1Pz3QXGpKSYKsA==
DbSeGP5N5RFhGdZg+4tb2w==
U4SPz2r5gG1ku2WXV8WMIw==
fHNV+ppAZ5IzTQFQYbLKiQ==
8sg2rqXKnNTdfHM43OLFhA==
ouHNuQd4g3FsqUXVDfo2oQ==
S7PxoZfw6eWQQ7cZqc4BnA==
lx+DU2C8jdgDi7fv9CceZg==
rUWmMFRnpPrqGu8ZmSV0Og==
JuyTB2KMYkgclLbZs2GwwQ==
IDV+HZ7/x0IVToCiByVqrw==
XkCtiEd9bJj1DWmw+PsBVA==
bY0T2BVLoPRgUjLoOMwKZA==
3/L60gD5mimm8lNBij2nAA==
wjaBPNOwTdM/bBBxDjUC8g==
ncBnkhdHjN07CGxzZNJhTw==
s/+zCfmeURNpcvJNFaBC4A==
d+Zp+v2JtdeSo0ehFsInQA==
zO35LMzpHO4/MP58HaUypw==
mQfWcyayv0TzXIWK6czE9A==
zuNBOx1XwrObkaacrOE7HQ==
pYuH69rUt9Wb9CByHycMvA==
+BYVah4SEKYLZMccpru+dQ==
+23Tn1MbX3xQ2kOC1AWDdw==
H740Cjdfq6w46teMQooVEQ==
DfaSI15x72g0l8Sw7BBt2w==
fqlQp5AG5qJvSHxvldT3RA==
BbE8dPUxARR8qj14YpMHgQ==
aKTff2wkCY1mh/UuKARzWQ==
EEVFYhSnkIIy8hreXJ1q5g==
VbAflwwZoPdr1yyYIk/icg==
ruYeOkgA/BUEsIu6HD4fiw==
i+UNfgX2kfw0r2sWOTtV6g==
oIsKZqfpS0wf8L/+hkIKHg==
BjM5r8AZZ9b2uMKWL9T0QQ==
ffP8YNizP8z0Xc3GyZ70+g==
ua/UF8UyU7GRC5ip8xJ6zg==
JIHFAlFhiyDaogwjU5vr3w==
eN8YX1+9pHPZNBmbDSgfxw==
EMoLiR5tSD70WumqZagUvA==
4KtZQeXTdAO4gsqVY6trmQ==
Ha2Cmjj73a1mO6C+BM6eEQ==
6V7/2EkE4RxjQZyo4ieXNA==
vgoQ12M+67gCKUq7xdVWHQ==
mlhmzEAZsJFARDWyJSMaKg==

Doesn't seem to be base64. As I say, it may be a completely random string with no information in it whatsoever.

SimSig Boss
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Decode this! 21/07/2010 at 14:59 #10138
clive
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2789 posts
Um, it *is* base64. That is, each line is a separate base64 encoding of a 16 byte (128 bit) pattern. Not only does it use exactly the base64 alphabet, but the character before the == is always one of A, Q, g, or w (which are precisely the four encodings that end in four binary zeroes).

What they're an encoding *of* is a harder question.

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Decode this! 21/07/2010 at 15:19 #10139
clive
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2789 posts
The first 8 decode as the following hex sequences:

5D 5D 5F 08 E4 A5 4F 94 D0 CF 55 41 03 99 AF 61
91 14 9D F1 20 7B 64 BC 4F 8D AE 01 47 C2 1D AA
BD 57 54 D7 7F 04 6A D2 8F 5F 2F 3B 91 38 70 4F
FF A2 76 F1 48 2A 57 8F BF 88 49 98 D0 87 36 7F
64 E7 D3 1E 0C 0E 0C 01 9C 2F 61 59 EA E1 DE F7
D4 2C 55 8D 1B 81 6B 9D 6D D6 6E D7 48 9A A3 C9
9E 22 1F A9 F2 65 6B 54 2A 35 01 3E 20 29 C1 D9
C1 16 3C 24 AF 51 48 79 B7 33 96 E0 66 91 F6 B3

There's nothing there that meets the eye. It's the right length to be an MD5 hash of something, but without the something it would be impossible to check.

Do you have any more clues?

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Decode this! 21/07/2010 at 17:12 #10141
afro09
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167 posts
I have decoded the hex values Chris got from the base64 codes in to binary, then from binary to text to see if I could read anything from it but when printed as text it is just a load of keyboard symbols not letters what so ever. should be interesting to see the solution.

Alan.

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Decode this! 21/07/2010 at 18:37 #10144
Sacro
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1171 posts
Hmmm, could be a fun challenge, I guess you mean there should be a chr$(20) at the beginning of each line, also any clues as to where this file came from?
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Decode this! 21/07/2010 at 18:49 #10146
AndyG
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1842 posts
Maybe send it to Bletchley Park? 70 years too late perhaps?
I can only help one person a day. Today's not your day. Tomorrow doesn't look too good either.
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Decode this! 21/07/2010 at 20:49 #10149
GeoffM
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6376 posts
clive said:
Um, it *is* base64. That is, each line is a separate base64 encoding of a 16 byte (128 bit) pattern. Not only does it use exactly the base64 alphabet, but the character before the == is always one of A, Q, g, or w (which are precisely the four encodings that end in four binary zeroes).

What they're an encoding *of* is a harder question.
Hmm, as others have said, it comes up as garbage on the screen so I assumed it wasn't base64 as you'd expect some sort of pattern IF it was a string that meant something.

As to what it is, there is a National Rail SOAP/WSDL service which will give you departure and arrival boards, and train information. The specific train is identified by one of the strings quoted earlier. I wanted to know if the string actually meant anything or was just a random, unique identifier - which it would appear to be. The SOAP service is documented on their website so AFAIC it's for public consumption - but they don't tell you what the ID actually means. I've also emailed them to no avail.

SimSig Boss
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