---
title: NSEC24 Embryogenesis  System
author: Jean Privat
date: 2024-05-20
tags: [STEG]
categories: nsec24
description: "Is This A Steganography Challenge?"
script: perl -pe 'if (/^QR:(.*)/) { $_ =  `qrencode -t utf8 -m2 "$1"`; $_ = "```qrcode\n$_```\n"; }' source.txt > ../nsec24-embryogenesis.md
---

## Embryogenesing

QR:GOT URL.GET QRCODE.SCAN WITH PHONE.GET NEXT URL

* <https://github.com/markusfisch/BinaryEye>

QR:2QR.USE APP 2TIMES.2HALF URL.COPYPASTE INTO ONE

![](gen2.png)

QR:4QR.4URL PARTS.COPYPASTE WITH PHONE.IS ANNOYING

* <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_embryonic_development>

QR:7QR.COPYPASTE AGAIN.URL IS 403.EXPECTING 404

## Painting

QR:QR HAVE EMBEDDED IMAGE.MAYBE MISDIRECTING SCAN.

![](gen4-zoom.png)

QR:OPEN GIMP.SQUARE BRUSH.PAINTING OVER.ITS UGLY

![](wilber-big.png)

QR:SCAN BOTCHED QR PLASTIC SURGERY.SAME URL.BAD

![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/61/Attempted_restoration_of_Ecce_Homo.jpg)

## Tooling

QR:MAYBE BAD MANUAL COPYPASTING.NEED BETTER TOOLS

![](wizard.png)

QR:IMAGEMAGICK TO CUT.ZBAR TO SCAN.STILL MANUAL

* <https://zbar.sourceforge.net/>


## Forcing

QR:FAILS AT 11TH LEVEL.ONE BADLY MANGLED QR CODE

![](gen11-zoom.png)

![](steg.jpg)

QR:MORE SURGERY W/GIMP.TOO MANGLED.SUFFERING.BAD

![](gimp.jpg)

QR:MANGLED URL PART IS 3LETTERS.PASS W/BRUTE FORCE

![](brute.jpg)

QR:NXT LEVEL HAS 2MANGLED QR.NO WAY TO BRUTE FORCE

![](gen12-zoom.png)

QR:GIMP TIME AGAIN.CANT MERGE THE 3 MANGLED.BADBAD


# Improving

![](steg.jpg)

QR:MANGLED QR ARE SIMILAR.MAYBE ARE LEGIT.LMGTFM

* <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rectangular_Micro_QR_Code>

QR:RELATIONSHIP ENDED W/ZBAR NOW ZXING BEST FRIEND

![](friend.jpg)

* <https://zxing.org/>


## Programming

QR:DIMENSIONS GET LARGER. STILL MANUAL COMMANDS

![](gen18-zoom.png)

QR:LVL 18.NIGHT PAUSE.BOTCH SCRIPT W/CURL AND JQ

* <https://curl.se>
* <https://jqlang.github.io/jq/>

QR:AUTOMATION GUD.MACHINES MIGHT RULE WORLD 1DAY

![](terminator.jpg)


## Jabbing

![](steg.jpg)

QR:STOPS AT 23TH LEVEL.DAFUK COLOR QR FORMAT

![](gen23-zoom.png)

QR:FLAG 2/5 IN JSON.REPLAY+GREP GIVE MISSING 1/5

* <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag>

QR:COLORS WEIRD.GIMP AGAIN.BADBAD...THINK.ZEN

![](jabbing.jpg)

QR:LMGTFM.GOT JAB CODE W/DECODER.IMPROVE SCRIPT

* <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JAB_Code>

QR:FLAG 3/5.NEXT WEIRD COLOR QR AT 27TH LEVEL

## Coloring

![](steg.jpg)

QR:NO GIMP THIS TIME.LMGTFM FIRST.BUT BADBADBAD

![](gen27-zoom.png)

QR:MAYBE NOT COLOR QR BUT 3 MONOCHROME QR.ME SMART

![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/Color_diagram_Charles_Hayter.jpg)

QR:OPEN GIMP.COLOR FILTER.SPLIT RGB.GOT 3 VALID QR

![](glasses.jpg)

QR:IMPROVING SCRIPT.SOFTWARE ENGINEERING TOTHEMAX

[Final script](sol.sh)

QR:FLAG 4/5.LVL 37TH IS SINGLE IA GENERATED IMAGE


## Ruling

![](gen37.png)

QR:ENVIRONMENTAL PUZZLE. BIG QR.FLAG 5/5. GOOD

## TL;DR

![](kevin.jpg)

If this was too painful to read, you now have a small glimpse of my feeling during the challenge.
Anyway, here is the source of the page.

* [Too Long;Didn't Scan](source.txt)