In 2012, an anonymous image was posted online, leading to a series of puzzles and a message to call a specific phone number. The caller received a recording with another puzzle, which involved finding a list of coordinates scattered around the globe. At these locations, posters with a QR code led to a Deep Web link. This link required an email to receive a final, encrypted message. The message was encrypted with RSA cryptography, and the key was a low bits module. The solution involved finding the two prime numbers that multiplied to form the 'n' value in the public key, then generating the private key to decipher the message. The deciphered message contained a list of words to be encrypted with the Cicada 3301 public key and sent to the email address from which the initial instructions were received. The sender was then to sign the message with their own PGP key. If the message was correctly signed and the words were correct, the sender would be invited to join Cicada 3301. The group's last official appearance was in 2013, after which they remained silent.
1. In 2012, an anonymous image was posted on the internet seeking highly intelligent individuals.
2. The image contained a code that, when solved, led to a link.
3. This link led to a Reddit, which then led to a book.
4. Solving the code of the book revealed a message with a phone number to call.
5. Calling this number played a recording with another puzzle.
6. The puzzle involved finding three prime numbers associated with the original 'final.jpg' image.
7. The coordinates from this puzzle were spread across the globe, including the U.S., Australia, France, South Korea, and Poland.
8. At these coordinates, posters with a cicada logo and a QR code were found.
9. The QR code contained another puzzle that, when solved, revealed a Deep Web link.
10. This Deep Web link asked for an email address to send an exclusive puzzle for recruitment by the Cicada 3301.
11. The final test was a message cryptographed with RSA.
12. The message mentioned that the public key used to encrypt had a low bits module and was breakable.
13. The encrypted message was a number, unique to each person who arrived at the puzzle.
14. Sharing the message or key would result in not receiving the next step.
15. The public key used in RSA encryption was composed of values 'n' and 'e'.
16. The value 'n' was the result of the multiplication of two big prime numbers.
17. The message was encrypted using a unique key for each person who arrived at the puzzle.
18. The final message instructed the solver to create a PGP key for their email address, upload it on the MIT keys server, and encrypt a list of words using the Cicada 3301 public key.
19. The encrypted and signed text was to be sent to the email which the solver received their numbers from.
20. The final message also provided a list of words to be encrypted: house, elephant, tongue, store, ball, intellect, roof, far, ear, and fight.
21. The solver was to sign the message with their private PGP key and send it to Cicada for verification.
22. If everything was correct, the solver would receive a final email, an invitation to the Cicada 3301 recruitment.
23. In 2012, people who supposedly received the final email disappeared after a few days.
24. Cicada 3301 made its last official appearance in 2013, exactly one year after the first post in 2012.
25. After this, there were no more messages from Cicada 3301 until 2018.