Kryptos K4 Solution - an OTP

[Ibn Şifre]

I think I've found the solution to Kryptos K4. I believe that Jim Sanborn and Ed Scheidt used the last rows of K3, after a simple transformation, as a One Time Pad. Then they used "Letter" masks (a mask in the shape of a letter) to determine which characters of K3 would be used with the K4 ciphertext. They placed steganography around the edges to give a clue as to the letter mask used. The amazing thing is that they did it 6 times (reused the pad 6 times). So K4 is much longer than just 97 characters.

In order to do this they used "condensed - text message like" English, and there is in each a significant amount of misspellings ~ 16% (but they use the misspellings to form other messages).

The plaintext indicates, to me (this is my interpretation) that Kryptos is a memorial to one of the CIA's best spies, Oleg V. Penkovsky. In addition Jim Sanborn, Ed Scheidt and those at the CIA who helped them are calling out to save Penkovsky from a dishonor that has been placed upon him.

Oleg V. Penkovsky spied from the heart of the Soviet Union for us. The information he gave to the USA was of the most critical importance. Information which included reports on Soviet ICBM technology. This helped JFK during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Had he not done what he did, we quite possibly would have found ourselves in a nuclear war.

When he was captured by the KGB, during his interrogation he signaled the CIA and SIS that the Soviets were about to launch a surprise attack upon the west. The cover story has been that he told the KGB of this signal, but not what it meant, so that when the KGB sent it as a trap for our case officers working over there, the US might believe it and launch a nuclear counter attack.

This is the story the CIA has maintained - it is a false cover story, as I believe the Kryptos plaintext reveals. The true reason is that the KGB gave Penkovsky, since he was proving hard to get information out of, LSD, and probably tricked him into actually thinking that the Soviets were about to attack so that he would relieve his secrets.

The CIA formed a plan to save Penkovsky from execution, involving Kim Philby. But it failed, and they had to cover this up. The main, true, reason as Kryptos suggests, is that they could not reveal the use of LSD since that revelation would expose their Project MK Ultra, the CIA's secret mind control project of which the administering of LSD was a big part of (which was quite illegal). Thus they placed or allowed to be suggested a great lie upon Penkovsky, one of our greatest spies; that he wished to bring the whole world down with him. The reason that it would have lead to exposure was that the Soviets had learned about Mk Ultra from George Blake, who had also informed them, indirectly, about Penkovsky. Thus a deal was made between the KGB, the CIA, and the SIS not to expose each other. Penkovsky was lost in this deal. I realize that this sounds a bit amazing - and it's hard to see all of this interpretation, but it is there. This is what Kryptos is about, I believe.

I have it posted on DropBox at:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ej67g58cg3iuty2/Kryptos%20K4%20Solution%20V5_1.pdf

Just download the file "Kryptos K4 Solution V5_1.pdf" (version 5.1). I hope the members of the group can reach it. If not then I'll figure out a better way of posting it somewhere where they can.

Please read it - I know it's very long - but it is amazing. Any questions you have please feel welcome to email me at ibnsifre at yahoo dot com. Please help me and Jim and Ed and all those that helped them reveal this so that honor is restored to Penkovsky.

Sincerely,
Ibn Sifre

[Ibn Şifre]

Just an update to the sci.crypt group here. 3-5. I sent and I made an FOIA request of the CIA today for 5 documents that the solution I found says are buried. If anyone wishes to read the document and comes up with a better solution then you are welcome to make your own request using mine as an example - but note I am not an expert at these things and I'm not sure that I didn't mess up, this is the first time I have every made a FOIA request.

*******
*******
*******
Phone #: *******

May 27th, 2014


Information and Privacy Coordinator
Central Intelligence Agency
Washington, D.C. 20505

Dear CIA Coordinator:

I would like to make a request under the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. subsection 552. I am requesting five sets of documents relating to Kryptos, the sculpture by Jim Sanborn located on the grounds of the headquarters of the CIA in Langley, Virginia. The documents, I believe, are buried under the parts of Kryptos itself. Also, possibly a sixth document exists detailing DCI William Webster's views. I am also requesting this document, if such one exists.

These documents are related to our (the CIA's) spy Oleg V. Penkovsky, the attempt to save him, his interrogation by the KGB, project MK Ultra, and information regarding Kim Philby and George Blake.

If the CIA has no knowledge of these specific documents, then I am requesting documents in particular:

1. Involving any plans the CIA may have made and attempted to save Oleg Penkovsky's life.

2. Any documents relating to H.A.R. "Kim" Philby's or any others of the Cambridge Five spies' involvement with anything relating to Penkovsky, and in particular involvement in any plans or actions relating to saving Penkovsky and concerning any visits with him by Kim Philby.

3. Any documents relating to correspondence between the CIA and/or Allen W. Dulles and Kim Philby and/or any of the Cambridge Five spies concerning Penkovsky.

4. Any documents relating to or concerning George Blake and Penkovsky, including any views George Blake may have had or communicated to the CIA and/or Allen Dulles.

5. Any documents relating to Penkovsky concerning or mentioning Project MK Ultra.

6. Any documents concerning the Penkovsky's interrogation by the KGB, and in particular concerning the use of the drug LSD.

7. Any KGB documents concerning the interrogation of Penkovsky, the plans of the CIA to save him, and it's knowledge of Project MK Ultra.

8. Any documents concerning any agreement involving the KGB and the CIA concerning project MK Ultra.

9. Any documents containing the views of Allen Dulles and/or the CIA involving the death of Penkovsky and the CIA's reasons for actions related to its attempt at saving him and, in its aftermath, reasons for not exposing the KGB's use of LSD during the KGB's interrogation of Penkovsky.

10. Any information regarding any plans or attempts as part of the effort to save Penkovsky involving exposure of Kim Philby or any of the Cambridge Five spies as being homosexuals. Any information regarding using George Blake's Jewish heritage in a negative way regarding any plans or attempts as part of any effort to save Penkovsky.

11. Any communication with the CIA and the White House concerning this matter of Penkovsky, his interrogation, his death, the efforts to save Penkovsky, the results of any inquiry as to why it failed and why Penkovsky was caught by the KGB, and concerning any agreements came to with the KGB regarding project MK Ultra.


I believe that 3 of the Five documents may be found under certain Morse Code symbols on the rocks which are a part of Kryptos in the New Headquarters Building courtyard.

In specific:
1. Under the symbol 'L' of 'L'UCID MEMORY: the document under this place, I believe concerns information relating to Kim Philby.

2. Under the last symbol 'T' of DIGETAL INTERPRETA'T'U... : the document under this place, I believe concerns information relating to the CIA's position on Penkovsky and on the attempt to save him and its aftermath.

3. Under the last symbol, symbol 'E', of T IS YOUR POSITION 'E' : the document under this place, I believe, concerns information relating to George Blake - and there might be something else here as well.

The others are more of a guess - again under the rocks:

4. Under the symbol 'H' of S'H'ADOW EE FORCES EE: this document might contain information as to the aftermath of Penkovsky and an agreement between the KGB and the CIA.

5. Under the symbol 'B' of VIRTUALLY E EEEEEE INVISI'B'LE: another possible location of a document.

6. Under the symbol 'E' of the first 'E' in front of INVISIBLE of VIRTUALLY E EEEEE'E' INVISIBLE: another possible location of a document, possibly from DCI William Webster.

I am willing to accept these documents in any form the CIA's deems, however an emailed PDF document is most convenient for me at my email address: ibnsifre******* . I realize that the CIA fulfills these request as it wishes, however I wish for this information to be made available as quickly as possible. If the CIA wishes, they may send the documents to me as they become available, instead of waiting until the whole set is ready.

If there are any fees for searching for, reviewing, or copying the records, please notify me before processing if the amount exceeds $****. If you wish me to deposit an advance please let me know where and how I can do this. However, I do believe that disclosure of this information is in the public interest and I have no commercial interest regarding this information.

If you deny all or any part of this request, please cite each specific exemption you think justifies your refusal to release the information and notify me of appeal procedures available under the law.


Sincerely,
*******
AKA: Ibn Sifre

Please email to: ibnsifre*******
If you cannot do this then you may use my other email address:******* or my home address: *******

[Ibn Şifre]

Continuing on;

First a note:
I'm going to try and continue on telling anyone here who will listen the story of Penkovsky. I might not be able to post it as fast as I would like - but, I'm ok, and I hope everyone else here is too. I understand - if your reading these posts, that you must think I'm crazy. I'm sorry for it (I'm starting to think that too).


Now I want to see if I can make anyone here on sci.crypt see what Kryptos says!
Make sure you use a single spaced type font so that this is easy to see.

First, take K3 and lay it out in 7 rows by 48 columns. Then take the last 24 columns and reverse them (i.e. column 1 is now column 24), you get:

1 2
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4

L L S L L S D L U Y E R N T H C A I A N H S Y D
T M W E A C A I I P L B E L E N N L S E P R A R
Y E T Y O I E A H N E W I T D E S L O F T E O E
S A O F E E T B L R E E Y G E T A M A T A N E W
A O R E I P W E T S M T T H A A I N D D E S B I
H E L M L K R T I R O L D Y R D D S O A E O G E
W H O D V T R T T S S L N H E M I E F P I R M D

Read down the right most column, column 24: DREW I ED [Drew I (Jim S) and Ed]
Read up on the left most column, column 1: W HAS Y T L [W HAS whY T Lied]
Read going down Columns:

20 ---TDAP
19 ASOADOF
18 ILLMNSE
17 ANSAIDI
16 CNETADM
15 HED----

Or:
T DAP
A, SO A DO FILL MN, SE ANS AID I.
CNE TA D
MH ED

It's so nice to have instructions.

note: "T DAP" -> "T PAD":

T, PAD A, SO A DO FILL iN, SEe ANSwer, AID I.
D AT - ENCode [reversed: encode at D]
Me [and] ED

START:

Now First: Use a EM Wave or EM RAY transform on the last part of K3 (ENDYAHR clue):

L L S L U Y E C A I A D
T M W I I P L N N L S R
Y E T A H N E E S L O E
S A O L L S D B L R E R N T H T A M A N H S Y W
A O R E A C A E T S M B E L E A I N D E P R A I
H E L Y O I E T I R O W I T D D D S O F T E O E
W H O F E E T T T S S E Y G E M I E F T A N E D
E I P W T T H A D E S B
M L K R L D Y R A E O G
D V T R L N H E P I R M

Collapse (rap around) the wave like so:

1 L L S E I P W L U Y E T T H A C A I A D E S B D
2 T M W M L K R I I P L L D Y R N N L S A E O G R
3 Y E T D V T R A H N E L N H E E S L O P I R M E
4 S A O L L S D B L R E R N T H T A M A N H S Y W
5 A O R E A C A E T S M B E L E A I N D E P R A I
6 H E L Y O I E T I R O W I T D D D S O F T E O E
7 W H O F E E T T T S S E Y G E M I E F T A N E D

Lay out the rows like:
R5-R1
R6-R2
R7-R3

Pad:

AOREACAETSMBELEAINDEPRAI LLSEIPWLUYETTHACAIADESBD
HELYOIETIROWITDDDSOFTEOE TMWMLKRIIPLLDYRNNLSAEOGR
WHOFEETTTSSEYGEMIEFTANED YETDVTRAHNELNHEESLOPIRME

Note the end column characters "DREW H, A" - so draw (mask) the letter H on this pad (sideways, denoted by '-' replacing the letters of the H):

The Keys: Copy and paste what is below into the Passphrase box.

- OREACAETSMBELE--------- --------UYETTHACAIADESB -
- ELYOIETIROWITDDDSOFT--- ---MLKRIIPLLDYRNNLSAEOG -
- HOFEETTTSSEYGE--------- ---------NELNHEESLOPIRM -

The negative space of the H mask forms the A pad (Two A's laying on their sides pointing at each other): now transpose K4 (or fill in the area of the pad with K4 ciphertext) like:

The K4 Ciphertext: Copy and paste what is below into the "Your message" box.

ATJKLUDIAWINFB--------- --------OBKRUOXOGHULBSO
NYPVTTMZFPKWGDKZXTJC--- ---LIFBBWFLRVQQPRNGKSSO
DIGKUHUAUEKCAR--------- ---------TWTQSJQSSEKZZW

Set Kryptos Vigenere cipher to decrypt and you should get:

YPONBHZEROABUW--------- --------DSIWLLLVSZHAWKW
BERLINHDEXPBCKJIMZTO--- ---ZXFANBCKDFMNDBYANURM
VDRIDDLPIOIAQJ--------- ---------EFGRMOCKISWDXO

Rearrange the Plaintext as so (just an order swap) and you get a somewhat readable message:

DSIWLLLVSZHAWKW YPONBHZEROABUW
ZXFANBCKDFMNDBYANURM BERLINHDEXPBCKJIMZTO
EFGRMOCKISWDXO VDRIDDLPIOIAQJ

Guess a couple of misspellings and:

D, SIS LLL VS O-H AWK WYE ON BH ZERO ABUZZ X
FAN B CQD FIND BY ANORM BERLIN HD EXP BCK JIM S
T REF, GS MARK IS WD X
ODD RIDDLE IO IS Q J

Misspelling Letters : SO EZ Q IO'S RSA R DES

D, SIS (MI6) LLL Verses OH AWKward WYE ON BH ZERO ABUZZ X
FAN [of] B CQD, FIND BY [a] AbNORMal BERLIN HeaD, EXPect BaCK JIM S
T REFerence, [on] GS [Geological Survey] MARKer IS WorD X
ODD RIDDLE IO IS ? Jim

A Riddle within a riddle! (just like Jim said it would be)

That's the letter A, the first (but I call it HX)

Notes on the next letter H - it's the negative space that was cut out,
Understand the letter H, and see the logic of it.

[Ibn Şifre]

Since it's been about a month, and no word from Jim, I'll assume my last solution was wrong. And I'll assume that the main part about it that was wrong is MK Ultra. Some of you, including the Group Owner, said that my decipherment didn't support this view - I thought it did, although very vaguely. Well, seeing as there was no word from Jim, I decided to look at it again and read up on spy history, and I think I've found a better solution (explanation) which I've posted in my personal folder, version 5.3.

After studying some spy history, and looking at Kryptos with this in mind, I now think that the reason why Penkovsky was lied about was due to a man, Anatole Golitsyn, who was a KGB defector to the CIA. He looked at Penkovsky's files and thought that he was a triple (not a double agent) working for the Soviets. There was deep paranoia and conspriacy mindset at the time (for good reasons - the Cambridge V and George Blake) within Western intelligence which unfortunately led to many loyal and innocent people being suspected of being Soviet spies. Golitsyn called it wrong and his suspicions, with James J. Angleton who believed him, stoked and encouraged this paranoia.

MK Ultra was my guess, and I would like apologize to the CIA and to Jim Sanborn for any offense taken. None was intended. I understand that MK Ultra, for the agency, must be like a wound that will never quite heal. I am sorry.

Sincerely,
Ibn Sifre

[Richard Heathfield]

Ibn Şifre wrote:

>
> Since it's been about a month, and no word from Jim, I'll assume my
> last solution was wrong. And I'll assume that the main part about it
> that was wrong is MK Ultra. Some of you, including the Group Owner,
> said that my decipherment didn't support this view

A minor nit - this group doesn't have an owner. It is a Usenet newsgroup,
not a Web forum or a Google group or anything like that.

<snip>

--
Richard Heathfield
Email: rjh at cpax dot org dot uk
"Usenet is a strange place" - dmr 29 July 1999
Sig line 4 vacant - apply within