Difference between revisions of "Mr Robot ARG"

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The following recaps the ARG events that took place after the season finale.
 
The following recaps the ARG events that took place after the season finale.
  
[[Image:MR_RWActivitySheet.png|thumb|right|Red Wheelbarrow Activity Sheet (Looking Glass Enabled)]]
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[[Image:MR_RWActivitySheet1.png|thumb|right|Red Wheelbarrow Activity Sheet (Looking Glass Enabled)]]
  
 
===Red Wheelbarrow Activity Sheet===
 
===Red Wheelbarrow Activity Sheet===

Revision as of 04:00, 18 December 2017

Mr. Robot ARG
Active since 2017-09-28
Mr-robot.png
An ARG set in the universe of Mr. Robot
Type [[List_of_Investigations#Official|Official]]
Creator NBC Universal
Discovered 2017-09-28

Main Page > List of Investigations > Mr. Robot ARG

SPOILER WARNING: This wiki page may contain spoilers for the show Mr. Robot. The ARG is best played after catching up on the show. You have been warned!

The Mr. Robot ARG is an alternate reality game pertaining to the popular television show Mr. Robot. Throughout the course of the ARG, players interacted with characters and factions from the show, in order to solve puzzles. In particular, some players were recruited into fsociety, a fictional underground network of hackers. One of fsociety's main goals in the show is to disrupt a multinational corporation called E Corp.

San Diego Comic-Con

On the first full day of San Diego Comic-Con (July 20, 2017), attendees were exposed to promotional posters for Ecoin. These posters led players to http://e-coin.com. According to the posters and the website, Ecoin is a new cryptocurrency created by E Corp, a company in the Mr. Robot universe. By creating an account on the Ecoin website, ARG players are able to view promotional offers and enter promotional codes.

The bottom of the Ecoin poster

One of the Ecoin posters at SDCC had the following message:

Use Ecoin to unlock the mysteries of the universe!
Don't wait - EVERY SECOND COUNTS!!
EUNSLEIPGRHOTMEONCMOEDNET

By examining every second letter of the ciphertext, the following message is revealed:

USE PROMO CODE ENLIGHTENMENT

Using the promo code ENLIGHTENMENT on the Ecoin site reveals a hidden message, advising ARG players to apply for a job at Red Wheelbarrow.

More information on the SDCC event can be found in these Reddit posts: 1, 2

Ecoin Launch Event

The invitation email

On September 28, 2017, an invitation email was sent out to players subscribed to the mailing list. The invitation describes an Ecoin launch party, to be held on October 5. However, the email also contained a hidden message. The letters above each large bubble of champagne spelled out the message:

BITLYSEWGI

By navigating to bit.ly/sewgi, players were redirected to the RSVP page for the Ecoin launch party. At the bottom of this page, the following image was found:

Launch-banner.jpg

The image above spells out SILENT SIN in Moon alphabet. After responding to the RSVP page with SILENT SIN, the RSVP page's appearance completely changed, and displayed the following message:

Congratulations, your eyes have been opened and we now call
on you to join our resistance. On October 5th, while Evil
Corp is blinded by its own opulence, we will seize control of
this Ecoin bacchanal and embarrass them on a global stage.
These bourgeois oppressors have fashioned themselves a golden
throne and placed the legs squarely on our backs. Together,
we will rise up and burn that throne to the ground. Stand
with us as we fight for a new tomorrow.

If, and only if, you will be attending the Ecoin Launch Party
in person, leave us your email below and you will be
contacted by one of our operatives with your directive soon.
You must enter the same email used to RSVP to the Ecoin
Launch Party. Do not share this page or this message.
The fsociety email

Players who entered their email addresses received the following email from fsociety, the underground network of hackers:

the war wages on.

the sins of evil corp must be
exposed. fsociety needs you at
the Ecoin Launch Event.

terminal 5 (605 West 55th
Street between 11th and 12th)
6:15pm

ask for benny the bus driver
outside the service entrance.
come alone. wear black pants
and a white-long sleeve dress
shirt.

the revolution won't go down 
without a fight.

we are fsociety.

October 4, 2017

The color by numbers page found on the Red Wheelbarrow site

On the day prior to the Ecoin launch event, several websites which were used earlier in the ARG were updated.

The Red Wheelbarrow site was updated with an entirely new site layout, along with a kids section. The "color by numbers" printout in the kids section contained several hidden messages.

The path traced by the butterfly is actually Morse code:

- .... . -.--   -.. --- -. -   -.- -. --- .--   .-- .   .- .-. .   .... . .-. .   -.-- . -
THEY DONT KNOW WE ARE HERE YET

The numbers in the sun, when converted to letters using a simple substitution cipher, reveal the following message:

19 8 5 19 14 15 20 8 15 14 5 19 20
SHES NOT HONEST

The numbers in the butterfly's wings, when converted to letters using the same cipher, reveal the following message:

19 8 5 19 14 15 20 19 1 14 5
SHES NOT SANE
Full resolution version of the Richard of York image embedded in Paint by Colors pdf

Running the file through exiftool, a thumbnail image was found.

Color by numbers thumbnail.png

Notable is the image in the upper left, which is a low res picture of Richard of York, shown at right. Also known as Richard Plantagenet (RP), he fought in the War of the Roses in England on the side of the White Rose, and died in battle on 30 December 1460. The date of his death and initials match the notation at the bottom of the PDF "30121460RP".

A mnemonic used to remember the colors of the rainbow, "Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain", is also a hint in the puzzle number color key to the hidden image.

Nothing of interest has been found yet in the Spot the Difference PDF.


The Confictura site was also updated with a new quote in a hidden area, last accessed earlier in the ARG. The hidden quote can be uncovered as follows:

The visitor counter at the bottom can be adjusted manually by clicking on it. Setting the visitor counter to 0736565 causes the visitor counter to be replaced with a text box. Entering blackanddeepdesires into the text box causes the Confictura page to completely change, revealing the hidden message:

If you drink much from a bottle marked “poison” it is almost certain to disagree with you sooner or later.

This message is a quote from Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

(Note: the codes 0736565 and blackanddeepdesires were discovered earlier in the ARG.)

Finally, using the promo code ENLIGHTENMENT on the Ecoin site now reveals a different message than before:

to sin by silence,
when we should protest,
makes cowards out of men.

A quote often misattributed to Abraham Lincoln, but actually by Ella Wheeler Wilcox.

October 5, 2017

A screenshot of the Snapchat video

An hour before the event was scheduled to start, ARG players boarded the fsociety bus to the Ecoin launch party. Swag bags were distributed, some of which contained a physical Snapchat Snapcode. Scanning the Snapcode led to this URL, which plays a video automatically. Different participants received different Snapcodes, which led to different videos.

In addition to the Snapcodes, some players received handwritten notes, like the one below:

Ecoin party jared note.png

As well, some players were tweeted directives by the official Mr. Robot Twitter. These directives were targeted at ARG players who had used the hashtag WeAreFSociety. Some sample tweets are listed below:

Your eyes have been opened. Go to the champagne station and find Charles. Tell him, “I am the 99%.”
Our movement can’t be stopped. Go to the serving station on Floor 2 and ask for the Chef. Tell her “I am a one, not a zero.”
An interview on the 360 degree Facebook livestream

At 7:30 EST, the official live stream on Mr. Robot's Facebook page went live, with 360 video providing full coverage of the event. The 360 footage was interspersed with footage of 2 interviewers, one male and one female, interviewing guests at the event. Both the interviewers and guests were actors, and provided some brief exposition about E Corp and the hacker group fsociety, as well as the fictional "Five-Nine" attacks, which spurred the development of Ecoin as a cryptocurrency.

At 8:00 EST, E Corp's VP of Public Relations took the stage to welcome the attendees to the party. Shortly afterwards, the following image appeared on the livestream:

Ecoin stream bitly link.png

Visiting bit.ly/2yXEd2S led to a form where ARG players could fill out their mail address, along with the code MJIPQNVS (visible in the image above) to receive an FSociety mask. Shortly after, another bit.ly link and code appeared on the screen, leading to an identical site.

The livestream immediately before it ended

At 8:30 EST, a promotional video for Ecoin was played in front of the audience, and Philip Price, the CEO of E Corp, took the stage:

What a pleasure to see such an eager crowd this evening!  When I look out across this room, I see faces full of hope, unbroken by circumstance... yes, we live in dark times, because our civilization, left to its own devices, will find new ways of destroying itself.  Dangerous anarchists [...] have tried and failed, to undo everything we have done - everything you have worked for.  But do not despair!  By joining E Corp tonight, all of you show great strength and courage - and together, with the right leadership, order and stability will be restored.  That is what Ecoin is all about!  This new currency, this new era, is backed by one of the most powerful entities on the planet.  And E Corp is here to offer a strong hand to those in need.  This new currency will unite the world as one as we move into a truly digital age.  I stand before you here tonight to give you this assurance, this oath: E Corp will deliver you from this chaos!  Ecoin will provide a new beginning for a new world.  E Corp is, and always will be, still on your side.  With Ecoin, we can now move forward <whirring noise>

Price's speech was interrupted, and glitching effects began to play on the live stream, reading "HELLO FRIEND" and "CONTROL IS AN ILLUSION". At the same time, the lights in the venue went stark red, and fsociety banners were unfurled from the balconies, as some audience members put on fsociety masks. Finally, the giant capital E suspended in the air was lowered to the ground, before the video feed was cut.

Season 3, Episode 1

Season 3, Episode 1 of Mr. Robot, titled eps3.0_power-saver-mode.h, aired on October 11, 2017. The episode contained several notable ARG clues.

License Plates

The prop menu of the NYPD tools site

Irving, in order to call off an FBI car following him, uses an NYPD plate lookup service. The license plate of the FBI SUV is UVM7482, which he uses to find the VIN number, 1HGCM8Z633A0043F2.

Subreddits

The QR code from the first episode of Season 3

A poster with a QR code on it was discovered in the episode. Scanning this QR code led to https://jobs.runpula.net/, which was ostensibly a resume page for a Dylan C. Roberts. Prominently displayed on his resume was his experience with E Corp, which confirmed that Dylan C. Roberts was, indeed, a fictional character.

Several "Contact Me" links on Dylan's page led to the profile of Reddit user BCC4Life, who was active 2 years ago - presumably, BCC4Life is Dylan's handle online. His activity was confined to the /r/inside_e_corp subreddit, which also only displayed activity from 2 years ago. This was particularly interesting given that, at the time of discovery, the /r/inside_e_corp subreddit had only been a community for 1 month (according to its sidebar). This discrepancy was later fixed, but suggested that the Reddit adminstrators may have been involved with the ARG themselves.

At the time of discovery, several other users had posted on /r/inside_e_corp, including:

Some of the NPC users from /r/inside_e_corp were found to have posted on three other fake subreddits: /r/ZenArtofAutoDetailing, /r/REALMysterySpot, and /r/TheEclecticSlide. These subreddits were similar to /r/inside_e_corp, in that all of their activity had taken place 2 years ago. All of these subreddits were private - only approved users could make submissions.

Four posts, one on each of the four subreddits, conspicuously mentioned the number 264 (1, 2, 3, 4). In these 4 posts, the following five emoticons were used: :O :d :c :x :E. When rearranged, the letters used in the emoticons spell codex, and when combined with the number 264, this clue hints at the H.264 codex, which is used in video compression. At this time, it is unclear if this puzzle holds any further significance.

Minesweeper Game

One of the episode's main plot points was hacking a minesweeper game for a "Capture the Flag" hacking challenge. After the episode aired, whoismrrobot.com, the hub site for the Mr. Robot ARG, was updated with a minesweeper.py file, which generates a Minesweeper game identical to the one described in the show. (Note: The game will not run properly on Windows, only on Linux systems.) Additionally, the game is vulnerable to a very particular exploit, the same exploit that was used in the show to hack the game and win the challenge.

More information on the Minesweeper game and its exploit can be found here.

Season 3, Episode 2

Season 3, Episode 2 of Mr. Robot, titled eps3.1_undo.gz, aired on October 18, 2017. At one point in the episode, the subreddits discovered in the previous episode were shown. Additionally, Episode 2 contained several notable ARG clues.

EC_NY Portal

The email linking to whoismrrobot.com

Immediately after the episode was aired, an email was sent to ARG players who had signed up for E Coin. This email encouraged players to visit whoismrrobot.com, where a new desktop portal had become available. This portal was titled EC_NY, and was, presumably, the desktop of an E-Corp machine located in New York. The desktop contained several items:

  • A folder titled "HR Form Drafts" containing several drafts of a complaint against an employee, Samar Swailem
  • A folder titled "Documents" containing floor plans, a map of E-Corp storage facilities, and a link to various E-Corp employee forms
  • A "Nameplate Maker" app that allows a user to generate their own E-Corp nameplate
  • The Employee Training video that was shown in the episode

None of these items appear to have any hidden meaning attached to them.

"Plans" Archive

The QR code concealed in the "plans.rar" archive

At one point in the episode, a URL is visible: https://sandbox.vflsruxm.net/plans.rar. Visiting that link yielded the following text:
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This data is encoded in Base64, and can be decoded (eg. with this site). By opening the decoded file as a RAR file, its contents could be extracted. The RAR archive contained an image of a QR code, which, when scanned, led here. This page contains a real-world exploit that was used by the FBI in this episode of Mr. Robot, to view a target's monitor. Because this page is publicly accessible, it is thought to be the conclusion of this particular puzzle trail.

E-Corp Webmail

The first slide of the presentation discovered using the username RETRO and password PORTAL

Another link was shown in the episode at one point: https://webmail.e-corp-usa.com/owa/. Visiting this website yields a login prompt. In the episode, two characters' login credentials were shown:

[email protected] / aboynamedg00
peter.mccleery / tapitback!

Using each of these login credentials yielded the following 2 error messages:

INCORRECT FIELD INPUT.  ERROR #13489-RARECHPOT
INCORRECT FIELD INPUT.  ERROR #123578-PARMLETOR

Both error numbers contain a series of digits followed by a series of letters. By taking the letters in the positions of the digits, two distinct anagrams were discovered:

RARECHPOT
1 34   89
R RE   OT
Anagram: RETRO

PARMLETOR
123 5 78
PAR L TO
Anagram: PORTAL

Logging into the website with the username RETRO and the password PORTAL links to a PDF file containing a presentation that was seen in the show.

E-Corp Badge

The QR code on Elliot's E-Corp Badge

At one point in the episode, a QR code is shown on Elliot's E-Corp employee badge. Scanning the QR code leads to this URL: http://www.e-corp-usa.com/company_directory/elliot_alderson/

No puzzles have been found on this webpage.

E-Corp Shipping

A link was shown in the episode at one point: http://www.e-corp-usa.com/cp/directory/shipping/1088989/. Visiting this website yields a login prompt - the correct login credentials have yet to be determined.


Season 3, Episode 3

Season 3, Episode 3 of Mr. Robot, titled eps3.2_legacy.so, aired on October 25, 2017.

Babycam IP

A frame of the static from the babycam site

At one point in the episode, the following IP address was shown: 192.251.68.238, which links to https://y9bukwer.bxjyb2jvda.net/. This website is ostensibly a webcam monitoring site, which was used in the show to watch an infant. Instead of a video feed, the webpage randomly selects an image of static, which is a GIF file.

In the last frame of the static, a hidden message can be seen:

Mr Robot S3E3 Static Message.png

Cleaned up (the message is written using color index 4, so setting all other colors to white makes it readily apparent):

68 65 72 65

This is hexadecimal for the word here. At this time, the significance of the word is unclear. The static animation changes roughly every 6 hours. There have been four distinct static animations found thus far. Each have hidden messages as well, but on a different frame, and with a different color value:

Link Frame Ciphertext Plaintext Color (hex) Color (ascii)
1 3 77 65 26 23 33 39 3b 72 65 we're 74 44 44 t D D
2 5 61 6c 6c all 44 4c 74 D L t
3 2 6d 61 64 mad 4a 74 44 J t D
4 6 68 65 72 65 here 74 44 71 t D q

Together, these 4 words form the sentence we're all mad here, a reference to Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. The meaning of the different colors is currently unknown.

The Daily 5/9

ARG players with access to an Amazon Echo device or Reverb (for Android and iPhone), were able to play a minigame called "The Daily 5/9", which could be enabled as a Skill at https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076K7QL3V. The objective of the game is to get a file for James, the main character, from Phillip Price. Once enabled, the guide to completing the skill is as follows (the guide will begin after you say "Alexa, play The Daily 5/9" and listen to the news segment from Frank Cody):

1. Yes
2. 1
3. Hello Friend
4. Office
5. Bus
6. Ignore
7. Steal a Badge
8. Steal Co-Worker's Badge
9. Threaten Her
10. Reconnect
11. Decrypt the File
12. Find Another Way
13. get in Vehicle
14. Yes
15. Purple
16. Yes
17. No
18. Seagull
19. Go to the Town Car
20. Yes

Note that options 4-18 are only recommendations. Any choices you make between that range all lead to the arcade. Also note that option 19 is not specifically said in the dialogue. Instead, it's implied as "something unplanned" by Jason. After following the steps though 19, you will get a message from Whiterose:

[Whiterose]: I am both impressed and surprised. Usually, I am neither. Your bold choice has earned you 80 seconds of my time.

[Jason]: I... don't understand.

[Whiterose]: Oh, no. You do not speak. I have no time for that. What I do is look for potential that will help mine. At the beginning of this, you were like a flipped coin, tossed into the air, how you landed was yet to be known. What fascinates me is the quantum state suggests you were both. Heads and tails. Yes and no. A 1 and a 0. But this lasted only until you were observed. Until you were tested with the choices you made. Only then, your nature became known. And gave me a better understanding of your usefulness. I look forward to meeting you in person. 

[Jason]: What? 

[Whiterose]: I'm not talking to you, James. You are insignificant. I'm talking to the little bee, buzzing in your ear. I have an appointment to keep. And James, drop this silly charade. This test is over.

After the game is finished, the player is told that they are now a "full member of the Dark Army", and that they are "now being monitored and will be notified of future missions".

Season 3, Episode 4

Season 3, Episode 4 of Mr. Robot, titled eps3.3_metadata.par2, aired on November 1, 2017.

Dark Army Mask

6526 x 8192 Dark Army Mask

In the scene where Eliot is hacking E Corp Shipping via a Struts vulnerability (not the same used against Equifax, but similar), the IP address 192.251.68.224 is visible. The IP address redirects to https://y8agrfx3.bxjyb2jvda.net/. This site appears to be a Chinese file browser, with folders called Video, Image, Document, Download, etc. In the Recent and Image folders, there are two images. The desktop Ubuntu Kylin background image appears to be a stock image, but the Dark Army mask (on right), though appearing low resolution, is actually a very high resolution 6526 x 8192 pixel image.

Zooming in to the center grey 'pixel' just below the black mouth, and adjusting the color curves to separate the low contrast data reveals the following message:

S03E04 Dark Army Mask Message Enhanced.png

This is a misattributed quote to the Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland. Nothing else of note has been found on this website.

Also shown on the same screen as the IP address above is a link to https://www.ecoin.services/manager/. This appears to be a static page, with no relevance to the ARG.


EC_NY Portal Update

Password Memo

After the airing of Episode 4, the EC_NY Documents folder was updated with two new images. One is a document from E Corp Information Security Dep't with a reminder of E Corp's company policy concerning password strength:

  • A minimum of 8 characters
  • Uppercase letters
  • Lowercase letters
  • Numbers
  • Special characters

There is an conspicuously underlined and bolded word, overlook, at the end of the document, which is notable for being eight characters long.


Screening Poster

The other new image is a flyer for a screening of the cult film classic Hackers movie, with a quote from the movie about the most commonly used passwords being 'love', 'sex', 'secret', and 'god' (left blank in the poster). There were a number of references in Episode 4 to the characters Elliot and Tyrell becoming gods.

The significance of these two documents is not yet understood, but appear to be hints for guessing ARG passwords.


Season 3, Episode 5

Season 3, Episode 5 of Mr. Robot, titled eps3.4_runtime-error.r00, aired on November 8, 2017

E Corp Website Changes

The layout of the E Corp website completely changed to look as website seen in episode with news about the U.N. Vote on Congo Annexation. Changes to the company directory were also made, adding features to search by name and zip code. Frank Bowman, Angela Moss, and Samar Swailem were all added to the directory. Marketing and Legal sections show [SYSTEM ERROR] Please try your search again later. if you try to access them.

Password Reset

The E Corp password reset link (https://www.e-corp-usa.com/password/reset/) was shown on screen, but nothing has been found to work on it.

192.251.68.232

This IP address (192.251.68.232) was shown on screen, and when you connect to it, it leads to the website https://ycg67gca.bxjyb2jvda.net/ssh/terminal/. On this site there is an empty folder, root/home/samsepi01, and a folder containing UPS logs:

/root/usr/local/logstash-ups:

09/25/15: 06:05:10 192.251.68.229: Pinging (via IMCP) device
09/25/15: 06:05:12 192.251.68.229: Device connection passed
09/25/15: 06:05:13 192.251.68.229: Testing FTP Log-in
09/25/15: 06:05:19 192.251.68.229: FTP Log-in passed
09/25/15: 06:05:28 192.251.68.229: Saving data file
09/25/15: 06:05:35 192.251.68.229: OS Prior to firmware transfer: Network Management Card OS v6.4.1
09/25/15: 06:05:41 192.251.68.229: Saving event & configuration files
09/25/15: 06:05:49 192.251.68.229: Validating firmware file (1/1)
09/25/15: 06:06:32 192.251.68.229: Signature check failed, update aborted
09/25/15: 06:07:20 192.251.68.229: Encountered 1 failure during upgrade

Kibana Monitoring

Note given to Angela

The website https://ycg67gca.bxjyb2jvda.net/app/kibana/#/dashboard/Priority-Host_Monitoring is shown on screen and automatically logs in as admin with the password tXUzKSoPS5. There has been nothing found on this website so far.

192.251.68.233

The IP address 192.251.68.233 was shown in the episode, which leads to this website. The password z1on0101 was found, along with the PED code 022350 in the episode. After inputting both values, you get the message Key confirmation: B-TUDGTDL-0112180501042508051805. Putting 0112180501042508051805 in a letter numbers decoder, you get ALREADYHERE.

WIMR Updates

After the episode aired, the Origin node on WIMR updated with a folder named protest with photos of the protest signs in the episode.

Email 3 + Overlayed

Emails

On November 9th, people on the WIMR mailing list were sent 1 of 3 photos that when overlayed had the word DISTRACTION. Entering distraction on the Origin node on WIMR showed a hidden folder with images thought to be related to Alice in Wonderland.

Red Wheelbarrow Update

Underneath the news section on Red Wheelbarrow there was a string of text that appeared:

+++
ATDT 0118 999 881 999 119 725
A voice  *can* just go somewhere, uninvited, and just kinda hang out- next time we will play fair, even if she doesn't.  She can't stop us, and neither can you.  And if you can't beat them...

Javaphile has nothing on us...

Shout outs to Eagle Union, THe GreEns, 888169 and Honker Union- EBGGuvegrra, ernyyl? Cynl gvzrf bire fbba...

+++ No carrier.

The text EBGGuvegrra, ernyyl? Cynl gvzrf bire fbba... was ROT13 for ROTThirteen, really? Play times over soon....

Season 3, Episode 6

Season 3, Episode 6 of Mr. Robot, titled eps3.5_kill-process.inc, aired on November 15, 2017

UPS Patch

The URL https://ycg67gca.bxjyb2jvda.net/files/ups_640_patch.zip was shown on screen as Elliot attempted to prevent Stage 2 in the recovery building. Decoding that text using Base64 is:

d0B83jry8pzNwRX9H3F8h3Y5J0IB6Y2u7tYzATP8Rg2PPd7Xl5ZZIe0wQ1V8NH8i
u2QTlCnwSObcIGLd9T3Hpt88fhLntcqP1Rk4SHG0UJsJMBGkIwXLKxWoRO0bovo7
tRop2d3k6veISkWsN9lA0ZMb1aTSxTpRmBZDFsjCnuHA8Pgkl8DOWN5OVER5DPdo
N0tgNN9dUb8SXmJFfqIU4G0H98IiesHYXhvj0ikegHLqK1iu1ZEqcF9PTbbOF9TY
eVFdObJUNh8WQlVUGBQiP7EIWi+NQU5VOm7WDjUpws21y70Cwg3aAIWMNl0UJXg9
i4I2K26xB4oGK0XhNpQa691iE9Jsp0J3eXE6n6CffbjGRhDEk7noeWWGFMUeij0t
VU6uL0GkzPRV09BlYHeVT1pkhJvXSLraKeBELHD4+rzp7KfkdoEhDuXSJWK5JF!k
pU0PMYTIAHOSRWCFSTAUUUTESTSTMNAA!BGnzbKYmyOac1BAX9lTKcQQ9ZHS2OG8
hzIiLtpMslA0Z1bvPSa12mTX9oXzjRsXH7qUv472xsaOfHJ5ix7VEOVDbnjTa7hy
VxlyiOwUhpUnJtoopDIaAqwa7z3fmGypAW5oW5SESYhGmpSsbxAy9tyJmyJ5Lwyn
dBGox1AunmEFeSLzjROjjZjiyvepRIb+hCOW4GvbpeWKygJ0r5EyyzEufQLKzDKK
Gmw2h4zbQBjTGP89OOqKe4KS6cKXQ2BfLY6M0xZvUgCXcN0kKndr7SxQMp7eMsn7
GmLUUjsrTjM8dTgryqK2Wm2YYgdF8KKJvxg7sRTCIb6zrykOocM7NN1IMio1TAsR
hZnuX9uAfV0wFVR2jF7xtJQP53oLp40kssmHulHD3EX3GSMdqDnQeKCIirSGjWLw
XCU3dVvnO9stg96amtT4dBD8S9OCvGitRSnPju8QWWBwR3tnytdYEFECNWh2Qsio
rT6v!8MotPTjxTyNvntzgjUj9saTs!QTih7k6GR9xqLMlZ1s0yk9w4HEy8N2ZGB2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!lqtzVwSGsQPiahrGl49izodZPkZVkTp11crCIZoixTnJ!wh
tVRHZ6rgvc9Uh4WHvKFqDq+Hymv2c56IU7NhO8vSswbz26iI8NtzVUBkZ7bMpDS2
2kK86T5z1hZtI2rwSGryLZmhAbLoqeJeJDRAILO2D4iUeqoZ719gLBJqn5A72dS4
HEq!SnPRZPTiSReFCgmVVGM32dPkBL9y1HbUCgn6bbj9ar9NHcsHyJJR8zD7oPLl
SAK2NYl7EJsXvfQupDRNUBysfHK9YNnb1ePPvk8SWsSGW39ZWe6D0VSKmpqmcI87
v0CDc9N3OGkKuZzgT22SURPIfnmu5my2Sn4hKYt1fWMi1iFI2c1VmNXdQirTorSz
gtOWeKcIX45kguMsrWE

In that text, the keywords 8DOWN5OVER, RAIL, and FOUR were found. Going down 8 and over 5 in the text gave this line YTIAHOSRWCFSTAUUUTESTSTMNAA. Using a rail cipher with 4 rails returned YOUMUSTRUNTWICEASFASTASTHAT, a reference to the Red Queen's race.

Website Updates

The IP address 192.251.68.229 was updated with new dates, and the command upsfwupdate -status

192.251.68.242 was also updated, allowing people to simulate the hack in the episode.

Steps:

unzip ups_fw_patch.zip
gpg --verify hashes.asc
sha256sum --check hashes.asc
scp apc* [email protected]:/upsfw
ssh [email protected]
Red Wheelbarrow Commercial

The WIMR Origin node updated with a new terminal icon, along with new files if you cd .. -> open tmp

Red Wheelbarrow Audio

After the episode aired, the Red Wheelbarrow website updated with a new commercial. The commercial was also aired live along the episode. Reversed in the audio was the message Do your homework in the dark, and in the video, segments of a spectrograph appear, that when assembled seems to say level 33C plastic forks or level 33 seed plastic forks.

Season 3, Episode 7

Season 3, Episode 7 of Mr. Robot, titled eps3.6fredrick&tanya.chk, aired on November 22, 2017.

WIMR fsoc Node

After the episode aired, the node fsoc became available on WIMR. It was discovered that if you went to the directory /tools there was a file called data.json:

Persian Hacker Manifesto
data.json:

{
  "fragments": {
    "0": "0fhizn7z0w",
    "1": "m91ft6waa8",
    "2": "xf49c7k6j1",
    "3": "5kkqf92qm5",
    "4": "s2vvij1g3k",
    "5": "7op6ypyn7k",
    "6": "4jpg7moa0g",
    "7": "h18i60bahg",
    "8": "rigw2zlzcz",
    "9": "3tkcl5awgy"
  }
}

Using that as a guide for the files in /tools/data a base64 image was assembled. When translated from Persian, it was a quote from the Hacker Manifesto.

Season 3, Episode 8

Season 3, Episode 8 of Mr. Robot, titled eps3.7_dont-delete-me.ko, aired on November 29, 2017.

Trenton Email

As shown in the episode, the email [email protected] when emailed auto replied the same text as in the episode:

Card shown on the Red Wheelbarrow website
I may have found a way to undo the hack. I've been investigating Romero. He installed hardware keyloggers on all
the machines at the arcade some time before five/nine. The NYPD imaged all of his data after he was murdered. I
was able to get this chain of custody document from the NYPD when they prepared to transfer the evidence to
the FBI. They couldn't get into the encrypted keylogger containers. If Romero somehow got a hold of the keys, or
even the seed data and source code for the encryption tools, the answer might be in those keylogger captures,
but the FBI probably has those files now.

WIMR Update

After the episode aired, WIMR updated with an article on the Origin node

Cheshire Cat found in writer's room promo

Red Wheelbarrow Update

After the episode aired, the Red Wheelbarrow website updated with a card on the home page. This is thought to have links to the previously found message in the Red Wheelbarrow commercial.

E Coin Promo

On December 5th, members of E Coin were able to redeem a writer's room promo for episode 9. Inside the video was audio that revealed Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland in the spectrograph of the audio.

Season 3, Episode 9

Season 3, Episode 9 of Mr. Robot, titled eps3.8_stage3.torrent, aired on December 6, 2017.

Image extracted from zip file

192.251.68.228

The IP address 192.251.68.228 was found in the episode that has a file in base 64, that when decoded outputs a zip file. Running the command dd if=decoded.zip | gunzip -f > fU8extI11NDuLxcSV80A.bmp outputted an image of a rose.

192.251.68.236

The IP address 192.251.68.236 was found on the website that was used by Elliot to sign into the Dark Army's botnet. The username and password were found from the keylogger used by Elliot, garyhost/hunter2. Using that gives an error message that translates to "Password Update Please enter the update password". Using LSB extraction on the image found on 192.251.68.228 resulted in the string "p":"qBqOR5VJJzgJERxpXZ4l2JXSQOthufVnAynQMROT" being found.


Using the username garyhost and the password qBqOR5VJJzgJERxpXZ4l2JXSQOthufVnAynQMROT allowed players to log in to the Dark Army's botnet. Using the locations listed, the following locations were found:

50.9413° N, 6.9583°   E   Cologne Cathedral
37.8267° N, 122.4230° W   Alcatraz Island
27.1750° N, 78.0422°  E   Taj Mahal
31.2397° N, 121.4998° E   Oriental Pearl TV Tower
37.9715° N, 23.7267°  E   Parthenon
35.6586° N, 139.7454° E   Tokyo Tower
55.7539° N, 37.6208°  E   Red Square
39.9489° N, 75.1500°  W   Independence Hall
34.3568° S, 18.4740°  E   Cape of Good Hope

Taking the first letter of each location spelled CATOPTRIC, relating to a mirror, a reflector, or reflection.

Season 3, Episode 10

Season 3, Episode 10 of Mr. Robot, titled eps3.9_shutdown-r, aired on December 13, 2017.

Congo Shipping

In the episode, Elliot is seen typing the Dropbox link https://www.dropbox.com/s/0cp05oezsolrn4d/ which includes the likely location of White Roses's project.

{  
   "DD":{  
      "lat":-10.617537,
      "lng":22.339499
   },
   "DMS":{  
      "lat":"10º37'3.14\" S",
      "lng":"22º20'22.2\" E"
   },
   "geohash":"kqpgs75hk5",
   "UTM":"34L 646530.0545339 8825993.18511926"
}

Emails

Emailing [email protected], shown in the episode, lead to the autoreply of

-----BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY----- 
MIIJKAIBAAKCAgEA05b6qDVeCiapeVJ96ekFs+MTYgOuNkyVHqE9WaE4zcW/+uoN Hg4fzB8TYK1NJAdj+S+4+4g/1N6zmYg6zr57cBp2GdMI/lXNuDdtw2jZbd54YODA rRyR8kReNdPuDbbk76fxrB7iASaCSEraOOQdtRkRTLNPlxOzw5WZ+UBJ2JvSNAKT Vsp2GaeUqYEwn7aQ4p0RrMNAnFPPw8G1Z0YKxGnoV0+ntA/y3MD88h1+uCurPf4P +bsxOxn/RzHBHiPZHJJcpKID5/op6F6KdqBP6BrDiDu05ZKnamdnmBFBuCEzrb3E 29lt944DtwCC8wl0YM4INgEhOk0mDFwYYWkBXrQC2jH7tQyaMM9RPbE0KzVtn5iT Sk/Zp0IRWwmwbUuCeLI5/DNUj72MCXZ3cHNVWcm3nT+j8WFP73c/dY4Rwd9ZlgFl Vd8NNFRfHAjqyMSNuFJGBYHK5ZkP1ntRsjJKod1aLK6nOBe68T2nGXODWHIpoDti uxAXteCX9Cb0QniVf9mronbW8C1p+IyXF/E3hbB83sBL4O7cLl0sKHgUou37XBKL 8xUrzZmQnzoDg9QbQQCqNMoyZY+Blthrb2p9bpYOFbtz+iXHsRrZkKkCNkyiQrNF dJseqXxR2R7NY6MEY5rcQpSrQaYO6B6asm4PZXre5+dQxyosmVQEw2V/bq8CAwEA AQKCAgEArbI7guqMkHi8l0QI6YTJkarPtp6e3SRxJfvniTS4lPPJbgnFSu79W2wH VE3wDaujfmSWzqZDAFTxyw/ydtYYLycJ3JlJwMBfaOLX0Jq6I1+GIsFear4RcXh+ fmHEAq4psjOESW/wyFD8kqwgCKP7Xzd85CIvLC6YW+7rv5nvBUqlfNzAZ3c9DEJt 39iWOgZ9Wgrm/5Qp7is/W8whRu5Q2Hy4pzRUz5RoIqCrBXcBF9+BbBqssq3g9Eub LK7DgiKbkMD2HJCD9GOBE6jIsilYb4nJCoU5M1z44niQql1APg/DhNVMTc5oX9jN Y+WfmjQgvXdldi/nPx0mJu9TdGPnIoEsJMW19lPgElRfq6E0qtFw1+ppqwb0TTaZ LZk+N3LUOqgaNbTpEkSKSI6BCm9WTTjGmeFkqz4viwTzOnUfPJqVwQA8FsaqhPJb XrFHud3e+YkhcB9OVsHV7vlq/3KPrFSkgYTpAjjLnGfxId++A8mLC5Cf2cobzwC5 Jla/HQ8Rs7nFVZ4P2TohfF6Vm5KCF5GdrZ8nJGkOAXJTkIiLEu5W8pjIuFBD+6OZ 4H9iAWsUw1M0Lls5Bvukef1zjnYpxiTMy9xzbZ5HTRi+5DoaCalJB+3YRD5sTK6f JNIBXTBhs3UOKQzYRC2sDeXMInymJQECAwfrPrakY4VI3fxDEkECggEBAOWUpWsb 3pOfmFHAvdc9lvRw+YC6cqnvpsMg+pddJGSY32IXtCzWHaTTLaXKHqWDHE8Wfkkm fyQUzkTYKRlfcsmncGg3VlM9nZP0c8Xw7O2DVkHxNdnp+gy/JeKJ8mgXHXQbl0or eVcCHBlsY4qxPkb5faR0hRkc9fqqiTVqMjVCJHmz3PiCUFCtKiwMboXZld/EbXmb M0z+48GSWleD50PwRxkvbiJteVzb+0PWEfLPng/fmMMf7h82VmZHYiA9OdKF9pr7 NK3jspPCXokzw13XTC/M9OH527jWDAQY6fIOPbU1wOfwAdmqGsDZEO5zHD+vy5Zt ypcv3mgT4CnEmFMCggEBAOvwVCKaRTNS9R/LzsKM9lx96ucTZsbYW2yFsXrCDmNf scT55xx239EYuZbYhWIDImr3NzYlEiULlA+7nqQBcRufg9ySbGeG5uW4f8Y8/mqL vL0aVZwVzeSlbEUPzkRS9z0Ld+wHEvx/U6i2wxOSBNC1YhFWY3IF75zM1kEv+qZO NGC5YfhsV/HGjvURwEJNyVmfSKx/GSHfOJABLmq9mPDDPsXXUWajBDjy5gBxlK/k rE4iRSlpUyN/HDJtsVmqsmQyu/6iN2T8asovAISxKFgI99nrc3jO3zjwnLc+qX63 7a2btF2VhSDJeOMOmc4juGP/Fsl9qLQqtGd8PCvZ1LUCggEACci4+ASbCr2Nd0Z4 kLi+OzKpX3QSuO1OtRgttc+xYlwlgP+znQmO/9xEIMGpZrJcvX4e6a0rU/VTCRoR PlSUBsYNA1QAaNHCanDLkk7/OewT/AF0oxHWpz5qNepdG1SI287lNrL9m9iqK+cz otCE7+9oDF8u4PAcB4/HAzDAbQahmVIyA6FCHP4UQwZQm4G3Ym7zn3Ae0pQ2TqSX Fw23CG0wCoG79tmlh3CUl8KCx09T1CdaUk6FDm15Zyh5pRgW48LzzI0SJKsEjEmH T9+V3uTzCUJ52TuVwp3Uq0QIjFlRBe0BiKDw4z7dnwRhNVhQhuJOEd4h+SmAF/1o 2z7WowKCAQAdPlV/UHXBTcf6H+3JqWUjw6uo5nu3q7txMQT1fTYBVSwYiQz/NzC4 nwLp0n59znumnGuod2HPW6cHaC7ajx8w2E2kujVbg5n84ShdLtQt6pIDMk9oID+7 1lEcIkBjsZDZbSF5DMtqpnF9GOIG+/NC1yiHk5iR2nB/k9f+jm7XzBur3W5qNyuT WRQBBik5TqDlTdvZHYvE6gD9wFe7fTKGrPyL0wtQ2GW+lUSyy2Eth/9fU9oUruxS GwAos/XmckTYLH2mqv6IssydsMO0rqycdMgbp5ZRY/rA+PnDsK2bejqoaQMrEkxE 6xPjuLyRk1XYdxag9MVDR4PCy+A9Yyt9AoIBAEwEQ9BnpAhzrkHRFNCBg529ouzZ b6jow+PYQVn3WeJta0wE9U2oqA/mqUc+9n5JET/KQvL8MgaBe2q/nBPl4UpeYSED gJV5eqcObMqInN61d8JDJQtL/+UDfioTyUjhe+//pWvAdGWAcORKLaTg5YLh8iVR Znz3PxfE5zGQtAfhmwNXeYM6bQkfHLrOT2fcCZokmh8Pki0typ/8DOcdj4Ag8Unx 4ChX952jX9nk1ZwFZ89Rh4RivqXRoqp5aPs/xBtRDBCL49NF2QFgXArj5LvO8b6B m/YPKCGUyJQoTt0jHdNwmTP0mBdIYT7sJIVdHk/zBWHp1q9gxKE4Z4VghWw=
-----END RSA PRIVATE KEY-----
Password memo on EC_NY

Emailing [email protected], shown in the episode, has the autoreply of

We have received your request and the following ticket has been created:
5yc9elk3xu

WIMR Update

On WIMR A new node, DA_remote became available, along with a new document in EC_NY node regarding passwords. The password for DA_Remote was CATOPTRIC previously found on 192.251.68.236.

Post Season

The following recaps the ARG events that took place after the season finale.

File:MR RWActivitySheet1.png
Red Wheelbarrow Activity Sheet (Looking Glass Enabled)

Red Wheelbarrow Activity Sheet

Overlay of 3 Activity Sheets

After the season finale aired the Red Wheelbarrow website updated again, with a new file in the Kid Wheelbarrow section. The file would change based on the user agent and if an extension named Looking Glass, a custom extension created for the Mr. Robot Season 3 ARG, was enabled. One file would be shown if Firefox was not being used, another would be shown if Firefox was used without the Looking Glass extension enabled, and another by using Firefox with the Looking Glass extension enabled. If you were to align posters of the three activity sheets, you would get this binary:




0000.0001:1111
0000.0100:0100
0000.0101:0110.0001.0101
0000.0110:1000
0000.1001:1100.0010
0000.1100:1110.1101.1001
0000.1110:0011
0000.1111:1010
0001.0010:0000.0111
0001.0100:1011

Converting the left column to decimal from binary, gives numbers, that have to be converted to letters using A1Z26 and the right column just to decimal gives you this translation:

1	(A) :	15	
4	(D) :	4
5	(E) :	6, 1, 5
6	(F) :	8
9	(I) :	12, 2
12	(L) :	14, 13, 9
14	(N) :	3
15	(O) :	10	
18	(R) :	0, 7
20	(T) :	11

If you use the numbers in the right column as the position of the letters, you get this:

R  E  I  N  D  E  I  R  F  L  O   T   I   L   L   A
0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15

The string REINDEER FLOTILLA, is a reference to Tron. The rest of the image either has no meaning, or has yet to be solved.

Red Wheelbarrow Clock

On the DA_remote on WIMR, in the Documents folder epilogue.docx a hint for what to do is given.

Red Wheelbarrow clock
Jonathan consulting his trusty Semaphore manual (for doesn’t every sailor carry one?), realizing the whirling flags are spelling out a single word, over and over, like a drumbeat calling to him across the waves: “DESTINY”.

The only command that has been found to work in the terminal is destiny, leading to a clock on the Red Wheelbarrow website. Using the quote from the document as instructions, the word destiny can be converted into semaphore flags, a way of distance communication that uses flags in positions.

MR DestinySemaphore.png

Converting the position of the flags to the hands of a clock, you get the following 7 times:

12:30
6:05
9:20
10:00
7:50
7:20
10:15
Red Wheelbarrow Network Map

After inputting those times, the site will change and give you a message. After it is done, it will redirect you to the home page that now shows that you are signed in as admin of the Red Wheelbarrow site.

Red Wheelbarrow Network Map

After being signed in as admin on the Red Wheelbarrow website, you will be able to click on the Network Map in the top left corner, redirecting you to this page. Going to that page requests a password, and inputting REINDEERFLOTILLA, previously found from the Red Wheelbarrow activity sheet, it will show the Red Wheelbarrow network map. Using the map, you can connect to the firewall by going to https://www.red-wheelbarrow.com/vincent/.

Vincent

At the firewall (Vincent) site, the license has many references to the move The Black Hole. The main references are MarcusT, Marcus Tullius Cicero, and a Cicero quote being used in The Black Hole, "V.I.N.CENT: To quote Cicero: rashness is the characteristic of youth, prudence that of mellowed age, and discretion the better part of valor." Turning that quote into only lowercase letters, you get rashnessisthecharacteristicofyouthprudencethatofmellowedageanddiscretionthebetterpartofvalor. Using that as the password, and Cicero as the username you get access to the 4 other sites referenced on the Network Map.

ProbiscusMonkey/theWolf

No logins have been found for the IDS yet.

Octo Proxy/theRunningMan

No logins have been found for the proxy yet.

Honeypot/bradPitt

No logins have been found for the honeypot yet.

DHCP/preacher

No logins have been found for the DHCP/router yet.