CICADA 3301

INTRODUCTION

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With the recent revival of Anonymous during the George Floyd protests, many contemplate whether we should trust the words and evidence of such a large and mysterious group. Cicada 3301 begs no difference to this. What started out as a seemingly fake group wanting attention turned into a global hunt as people scrambled to solve puzzles. More questions came up rather than answers, but the few who did reach the end of the hunt have very interesting accounts for us to hear.

OCCURRENCE

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Chaos ensued on January 4th, 2012. On 4chan, Cicada 3301 posted the following image for users to see:

This image would begin one of the world’s most elaborate scavenger hunts. Using a text editor, individuals discovered that the image boasted a cryptic link, which led them to an image once the link was deciphered with a code. From this image, users utilized the program OutGuess to discover more information. The puzzle from here led to a multitude of very difficult puzzles, including deciphering a book code, audio, and prime numbers. Once users were able to decipher those clues, they were led to a website which only had a timer and an image of a cicada. Once timer reached zero, the website updated with a list of coordinates across the globe in five countries. At this time, people debated on whether or not they believed this organization is legit or not. Many felt compelled after this clue that Cicada 3301 is a massive global organization. They argue that only a large-scale society would be able to host such a large, worldwide hunt.

At the coordinates, papers were found with images of a cicada and QR codes. The QR codes linked to an image, which contained a riddle for an interesting book called Agrippa (A Book of the Dead). What’s interesting about this clue is that the original author of this book programmed it in such a way that, after a single use, the book would encrypt itself and may never be accessed again. Similarly, a copy of the book was treated with chemicals so that after exposure to light, the book’s words and images would fade away. After these clues were solved, a website was found. However, this website only allowed individuals who first solved the puzzles. Followers afterwards did not have access to the website. These finalists were told to not share any details regarding the final puzzles. A message later posted by Cicada 3301 stated that they found highly intelligent individuals they were looking for and ended the hunt. This was not the end however.

A second puzzle was released the following year. The clues followed the same general path, but new ones emerged. Songs were discovered as clues and had to be deciphered with specific audio programs. A Twitter account made by Cicada 3301 posted a strange coded alphabet, which would later prove to be extremely vital despite not having any significance at the time. Just as the last puzzle, global coordinates were posted, and the hunt ended stating that another group of individuals advanced to the final stages of the puzzle. The trail went cold once again, until the third and final unsolved puzzle was released.

The twitter account posted a new clue, which led to another path of clues just as the previous two. What makes this puzzle different and unsolved is the addition of a mysterious book titled “Liber Primus,” or First Book. The cryptic alphabet posted in the second puzzle proved vital as the book is written exclusively with the alphabet. Only a portion of the book has been translated so far, and the meaning of the pages is very cryptic. The book is riddled with philosophical ideologies that many describe as writings of a madman or cults. The pages each lead to new clues, such as music or unidentified websites on the Deep Web. Cicada 3301 posted new clues and messages, but no new puzzles after this third one. Many believe it is because this puzzle remains unsolved.

THEORIES

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Many different theories swirl around regarding these puzzles. At first, some believed this to be a marketing stunt by a company, but no company has monetized Cicada 3301. The CIA, FBI, NSA, and even cults and religion groups are believed to use these puzzles to recruit individuals. It is a fact that some government agencies do this. The United States Navy, for example, released cryptographic challenges in 2014 for recruitment. There is, however, no evidence to support this for Cicada 3301.

Many alleged finalists leaked information from Cicada 3301, so if that information is true, then we have more insight into the group. They describe themselves as a group who believe that privacy is an unalienable right. They further state that the purpose of this puzzle was to recruit individuals who share similar values. The solver of the 2012 puzzle, Marcus Wanner, also stated that they asked questions about their views on information freedom and privacy. If their answers were satisfactory, they were moved to a private forum where they worked on projects, but Marcus did not finish, and the forum was removed. A man named Nox Populi, who solved the second puzzle, received an invitation to join Cicada 3301, but he did not receive access to a forum. He was merely told to wait, but communication quickly ceased.

There are skeptics about Cicada 3301 who state that this may be a hoax. Many point to the coordinates as suspicious. While it does seem like an international group posted this puzzle, skeptics believe that one individual could have traveled to each of those locations to put the papers up. They point out that all of the papers were within an hour of large international airports, but this theory ends here. Puzzle three remains unsolved, and the true mission and identity of Cicada 3301 may forever be shrouded in secrecy.

SOURCES --------------

Cicada 3301 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cicada_3301)

Puzzling the Internet: The Mystery of Cicada 3301 (https://turbofuture.com/internet/Puzzling-the-Internet-The-Mystery-of-Cicada-3301)

Agrippa (A Book of the Dead) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agrippa_(A_Book_of_the_Dead))

Cicada 3301: I tried the hardest puzzle on the internet and failed spectaturaly (https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jan/10/cicada-3301-i-tried-the-hardest-puzzle-on-the-internet-and-failed-spectacularly)

Cicada 3301: The Mysterious Puzzle Of The Internet (https://www.eyerys.com/articles/timeline/cicada-3301-test#event-a-href-articles-timeline-herrenberg-germany-replicated-itself-vr-keep-its-tourism-aliveherrenberg-in-germany-replicated-itself-in-vr-to-keep-its-tourism-alive-a)

Cicada 3301: An Internet Mystery (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2O7blSSzpI)