ShutdownKeys

From Despoiler

In ErrorCodes, there has appeared an extra string which contains a special type of password and 9-digit number. Error code 097 tells us that they are 12 in all and are to be used to turn off the whole system. To be activated, they need to entered simultaneously from 12 different machines in 12 different locations (with unique IPs).

The names and e-mail addresses do not need to be distinct, and the timeout before a key entry expires is between 10 and 15 minutes. The IP addresses do not have to be in different netblocks, but do have to be non-identical (e.g. 131.215.176.110 and 131.215.176.111 will work, but two entries from the same IP will result in the second entry not adding to the count of active keys but still getting an e-mail informing about the number of active keys).

Contents 1 Usage 2 Known ShutdownKeys 3 Observations 4 Activated!

Usage

Using this word and code as a KeyCode will earn you an email that says:

Chain Factor Shutdown Procedure

Listening for active shutdown keys... 1 key currently active

Update: When the shutdown code "seals 765986582" was entered, the email stated:

Chain Factor Shutdown Procedure

Listening for active shutdown keys... 0 key currently active

As per stated above, it seems they must all be entered at the same time by different people.

Known ShutdownKeys

12 known keys found so far:

• SHUTDOWN KEY: pbxip 875141034
  • generated at ERROR 027 / LEVEL 1 / CODE CDP
• SHUTDOWN KEY: qcyjq 584493046
  • generated at ERROR 036 / LEVEL 3 / CODE CTP
• SHUTDOWN KEY: rdzkr 110860289
  • generated at ERROR 042 / LEVEL 5 / CODE CDT
• SHUTDOWN KEY: seals 765986582
  • generated at ERROR 044 / LEVEL 5 / CODE CTP
• SHUTDOWN KEY: tfbmt 815680333
  • generated at ERROR 048 / LEVEL 1 / CODE CCP
• SHUTDOWN KEY: ugcnu 177739672
  • generated at ERROR 054 / LEVEL 1 / CODE TTP
• SHUTDOWN KEY: vhdov 415997122
  • generated at ERROR 088 / LEVEL 4 / CODE TTC
• SHUTDOWN KEY: wiepw 868445325
  • generated at ERROR 105 / LEVEL 5 / CODE PPT
• SHUTDOWN KEY: xjfqx 561878332
  • generated at ERROR 118 / LEVEL 4 / CODE CCC
• SHUTDOWN KEY: ykgry 298059681
  • generated at ERROR 119 / LEVEL 4 / CODE DDD
• SHUTDOWN KEY: zlhsz 696699248
  • generated at ERROR 120 / LEVEL 4 / CODE TTT
• SHUTDOWN KEY: AMITA 777777777
  • generated at ERROR 125 / LEVEL 5 / CODE PPP

Observations

The keywords are all ROT-encoding of one another.

The ROT ordering appears to correspond with the numerical ordering of the error number.

Hypothesizing that the 12 shutdown keys run from pbxip to amita (how did we miss that before??):

pbxip	875141034	ERROR 027 / LEVEL 1 / CODE CDP	tinye3, Mapmaker
qcyjq	584493046	ERROR 036 / LEVEL 3 / CODE CTP	mercuria
rdzkr	110860289	ERROR 042 / LEVEL 5 / CODE CDT	areia, lizthegrey
seals	765986582	ERROR 044 / LEVEL 5 / CODE CTP	nilradical
tfbmt	815680333	ERROR 048 / LEVEL 1 / CODE CCP	zudini, talkinaway
ugcnu	177739672	ERROR 054 / LEVEL 1 / CODE TTP	antimatter
vhdov	415997122	ERROR 088 / LEVEL 4 / CODE TTC	lovek
wiepw	868445325	ERROR 105 / LEVEL 5 / CODE PPT	rowan
xjfqx	561878332	ERROR 118 / LEVEL 4 / CODE CCC	dy450
ykgry	298059681	ERROR 119 / LEVEL 4 / CODE DDD	themepark
zlhsz	696699248	ERROR 120 / LEVEL 4 / CODE TTT	dougg
AMITA	777777777	ERROR 125 / LEVEL 5 / CODE PPP	randomeis

Activated!

Congratulations, you solved The Twelve Zombies, the final lock for Chain
Factor.

You have triggered the final Chain Factor sequence. Thanks to your
efforts a specific string of instructions will soon be executed by
automated trading software around the globe.

These programs, whose brittle algorithms now guide the turbulent path of
the world's wealth through the circuit maze of decadence, oppression,
and alienation that we erroneously call the global economy, are linked
together by patterns of call and response, move and countermove,
predator and prey. The machines listen and react to each other in a
language of their own, sometimes flocking together, sometimes
scattering, but always circling each other in complex orbits of hide and
seek among the options and futures of a universe of money become pure
information.

But this machine language is a crude parody of the cooperation and
competition of a true economy. These machines are not true players, they
are only rules. Their complex dance is just a game, and like any game it
can be broken.

And who broke it? Who carefully extracted the millions of digits needed
to map out the resonant frequency of this mechanical language, the
sequence that would trigger a recursive spiral, that would destroy the
entire corrupt system and allow us to begin again?

You did.

All day, every day. Millions upon millions of linked micro-decisions.
Drop, click. Drop, click. My beautiful army of tireless calculators,
seeking nothing but a momentary escape from the prisonhouse of work,
responsibility, and reality. I gave you the hardest problem I could
imagine, the gravest responsibility, and the harshest reality, and you
devoured it like a forest fire. Good game.

/s