Springworks-puzzle.md

echo "=oQM2kzM4MjN0kDN3QzLlNnLztmcvd3ZulmcwN3LvoDc0RHa" | rev | base64 --decode -i

http://springworks.se/474946383961

And a PUT request to that resource responds with the next step of the challenge.

echo "=oQM2kzM4MjN0kDN3QzLlNnLztmcvd3ZulmcwN3LvoDc0RHa" | rev | base64 --decode -i | xargs -n 1 curl -i -X PUT -d "" -s -L

Welcome to part 474946383961 of the challenge!

Remember those old school Graphics on the web? We do! Take a look at the ASCII
signature below. It contains more than meets the eye. Pretty cryptic, right?

We're looking for a famous person with deep ties to modern day computing. The
only clue we can offer is that this persons story involves an apple.

Once you've figured out who this famous person is send us a mail at
info@springworks.se. Include the mystery persons name in the subject line.
Please also describe how you arrived at your solution. And remember to show
your work!

Good luck.


47494638396178001e00f00000ff00ffff00ff21f904000000000021fe2353696e6365207768656e
2069732070696e6b2061207368616465206f6620677261793f002c0000000078001e000002e48c8f
a9cbed0fa39cb4da8bb3deb  _  cfb0f86e24896e689a6eacab6ee0bc7f24  _  c8fc00d24b881
e77c9febfd803b5df140f4  (_)  3d924ae270a8740011c26a3220c432a3  | |  d02813f2edfa
ac374  ___  _ __   _ __  _  _ __    __ _ __      __ ___   _ __ | | __ ___   9165
9d6f  / __|| '_ \ | '__|| || '_ \  / _` |\ \ /\ / // _ \ | '__|| |/ // __|  ed06
36f9  \__ \| |_) || |   | || | | || (_| | \ V  V /| (_) || |   |   < \__ \  34b3
daee  |___/| .__/ |_|   |_||_| |_| \__, |  \_/\_/  \___/ |_|   |_|\_\|___/  7d2a
0dd6       | |                      __/ |                                   86c4
feef1b29f  |_|  9b964627a8c08776b  |___/   87447a8d6679848a7f5c7b84028b8885839b5
070719e95       877a666c526893899         27a7b9c9b0f877c9aa2aba63396a4a4b9a1949
f17a2acb8b67dba687e9160c79ab6bc6d91bf84b0ae5991ce6d97c954566e72cd6589d0d56847d1c
1a2d360b6e5efd1dea44ae5df30e1f2f3f4f5f6f7f8f9fafbfcfdfefff0f30a08702003bPinkPink

474946383961 is hex for ASCII GIF89a, which is a hint to the next step.

Running the same thing again, but now we'll also extract all hexadecimal characters from the beautiful ASCII art

echo "=oQM2kzM4MjN0kDN3QzLlNnLztmcvd3ZulmcwN3LvoDc0RHa" | rev | base64 --decode -i | xargs -n 1 curl -i -X PUT -d "" -s -L | tail -n 13 | sed 's/[^a-f0-9]//g' | tr -d '\n'

This results in:

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

And if you open that in your favorite hex editor it gets a little bit more readable.

GIF89ax...ð..ÿ.ÿÿ.ÿ!ù......!þ#Since when is pink a shade of gray?.,....x.....äŒ.©Ëí.£œ´Ú‹³Þ¼û.†âH–扦êʶî.ÇòL.À.$¸.ç|Ÿëý€;]ñ@ô=’Jâp¨t..Âj2 Ä2£Ð(.òíú¬7I.YÖþÐco“K=®çÒ ÝhlOîñ²Ÿ›–F'¨À‡v¸tG¨Ög˜H§õǸ@(¸ˆX9µ...éXw¦fÅ&‰8™'§¹É°øwɪ*ºc9jJKš.Iñz*Ë‹gÛ¦‡é..y«kÆÙ.øK.å™.æÙ|•Efç,ÖX..V„}..-6.n^ý.êD®]ó../?O_o..Ÿ¯¿Ïßïÿ.0 ‡..;

Aha, something of this is not supposed to be there.

#Since when is pink a shade of gray?

The same file but without the comment

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

This image is suddenly a valid GIF image, sadly just plain #FF00FF for now.

If you replace the first occurrence of FF00FF in the hexdump with another color (such as 000000) the message "ANGULAR TIN" has suddenly appeared in the GIF.

It turns out that "ANGULAR TIN" is an anagram of "ALAN TURING", which is why Alan Turing is the final answer.