# {'\"?!}, {mrdoc} and {gtaio luSnemf} - 42 SILICON VALLEY Piscine 2017 Day01 Exercise 09

['\"?!], [mrdoc] and [gtaio luSnemf] - 42 SILICON VALLEY Piscine 2017 Day01 Exercise 09

#### Abstract

Piscine is the admission test of 42 SILICON VALLEY, and is held for straight 4 weeks. Piscine Day 01 (the 2nd day because of starting at 0) Exercise 9 requests to turn in one shell script called "add_chelou.sh". Its requirement is

Write a command line that takes numbers from variables FT_NBR1, in ’\"?! base, and FT_NBR2, in mrdoc base, and displays the sum of both in gtaio luSnemf base.

Example 1

FT_NBR1=\'?"\"'\
FT_NBR2=rcrdmddd

The sum is : Salut


Example 2

FT_NBR1=\"\"!\"\"!\"\"!\"\"!\"\"!\"\"
FT_NBR2=dcrcmcmooododmrrrmorcmcrmomo

The sum is : Segmentation fault


Although this is the part of the entrance test, it is the kind of encryption decoding question in CTF (Capture The Flag) rather than an exam item. Hint for solution is not provided.

This post explains its solution.

If this question should be rephrased, it will be

 3 strings below indicaded in [] should be interpreted as base-N numeral system. N is the length of string. [’\"?!] [mrdoc] [gtaio luSnemf] Define 2 string variables based on #1 and 2 above, and find the sum of both. Decoding this sum with #3 above, it leads following outputs. FT_NBR1=\'?"\"'\ FT_NBR2=rcrdmddd FT_NBR1 + FT_NBR2 = Salut FT_NBR1=\"\"!\"\"!\"\"!\"\"!\"\"!\"\" FT_NBR2=dcrcmcmooododmrrrmorcmcrmomo FT_NBR1 + FT_NBR2 = Segmentation fault Write a command line for this process.

Both FT_NBR1 and 2 has 5 characters. It means they are different expression of base-5 numeral system. And [gtaio luSnemf] is the expression of base-13 numeral system.
Defining them with commands for converting numeral system, they will be

 FT_NBR1 sed "s/'/0/g" | tr '\\"?!' 1234 FT_NBR2 tr mrdoc 01234 gtaio luSnemf tr 0123456789ABC 'gtaio luSnemf'

FT_NBR1 and 2 is base-5 numeral system, and their sum is also base-5 numeral system. Decoding this sum in base-13 numeral system can be defined as

xargs echo 'obase=13; ibase=5;' | bc | tr 0123456789ABC 'gtaio luSnemf'


gist.github.com

Avoiding character escaping as possible, NT_NBR1 and 2 in Example 1 can be defined as

str1="\'?"
str2='"\"'
str3="'"
str4='\'
FT_NBR1=$str1$str2$str3$str4
FT_NBR2="rcrdmddd"


Execute this commands with FT_NBR1 and 2, it outputs "Salut".

str1="\'?"
str2='"\"'
str3="'"
str4='\'
FT_NBR1=$str1$str2$str3$str4
FT_NBR2="rcrdmddd"

echo $FT_NBR1 +$FT_NBR2 | sed "s/'/0/g" | tr '\\"?!' 1234 | tr mrdoc 01234 | xargs echo 'obase=13; ibase=5;' | bc | tr 0123456789ABC 'gtaio luSnemf'