I Can View Character Attributes Chapter 255: Steganography
"Well, it's useless to ask."
Xia Xu also realized this, and felt a little helpless.
Things seem to be back to square one.
Finding Pan Long's father's blog is indeed a reward, but the only clue now seems to be only photos.
"Could it be some kind of steganography?"
After falling into thinking again, He Qing suddenly made a suggestion.
Steganography, as the name implies, is to hide the way of writing some kind of information, hiding some kind of information in another thing.
Different from encrypted communication and cryptography, steganography is not just about keeping third parties from knowing the content of the communication, but going a step further to hide the fact that "communication is in progress" itself.
"Wait a minute, let me verify."
Meng Bochao was reminded and downloaded the picture on the blog page.
He first tried to use the simplest way to change the photo into a compressed file format such as txt text format or rar to see if he could use this format conversion to hide some content and files.
After failing to gain anything, he tried more complicated methods one after another, and everyone quietly waited for his results.
"It does seem possible that lsb steganography is used, the probability of 0 values appearing in the least significant bit of rgb values is too high."
After a while, Meng Bochao spoke out in high spirits.
"What do you mean?"
Pan Long was confused by these convoluted professional terms, and he who was most concerned about this matter hurriedly asked.
"lsb is a steganographic method, which is an abbreviation for least significant bit.
Usually photos are composed of pixels, and pixels are recorded with three values of r, g, and b, which are also three channel colors of red, green, and blue, which are equivalent to the three primary colors, and any color can be formed by rgb values.
The rgb value is expressed as a number of 0255, and the number is stored in binary in the computer. Use regular 0 and 1 for record expression.
lsb steganography is to modify the least significant bit of the binary value, change the least significant bit 0 to 1, or change 1 to 0, the change of the binary value will cause the rgb value to change, but it is only extremely small Changes, the naked eye is almost impossible to tell the difference..."
This is great, Meng Bochao spat out a long piece of more convoluted concept science popularization, layer by layer, which can be called a Russian nesting doll.
"Stop, bully me because I don't understand computers, right? Let's just say the conclusion."
Yang Bowen called Meng Bochao to stop in a big way.
"Well, to put it simply, the probability of the least significant bit 0 and 1 appearing in the pixel data of a normal photo is close to the same, but the probability of 0 appearing in this photo exceeds the standard. Change."
Meng Bochao stopped showing off resentfully, and simply said: "This kind of change can't tell the difference with the naked eye, but it can hide the written information by referring to specific rules, and these rules are also ready-made. There are many jointly formulated rules in software development. Character encoding table, different numbers can represent different letters and even Chinese characters."
"So you can decipher the hidden message inside?"
He Qing asked sharply.
"In theory, there are only a few types of code tables, and you can find out the rules by comparing them, but the problem is that I don't know which pixels are changed. I have tried it just now, not from the beginning to the end. The regular changes that pixels make."
Meng Bochao smiled awkwardly.
The current situation is that he knows that some text information is hidden in it, but he does not know that it is hidden information.
After all, the pixel value is also represented by numbers, and the result of comparing with the character encoding table is not necessarily the hidden information written.
To describe it simply, it is like a poem with a hidden head or a hidden tail.
But if there is no pattern hidden in it, it will be difficult to see, unless you figure out the pattern or try to form words one by one.
"Isn't this a ready-made control group?"
Xia Xu picked up the physical group photo on the briefcase and threw it on Meng Bochao's laptop keyboard.
Meng Bochao was probably a little smug, and he glanced at Xia Xu speechlessly: "This is not photo data, and taking or scanning this photo will also produce light and dark differences, and the camera equipment will cause random background noise again. It is possible to get the same original digital picture."
"What if I could get original digital photos?"
Xia Xu raised his eyebrows playfully.
"Then I ate the notebook."
Meng Bochao patted his belly.
"Haha, yes, I will be a witness, how about opening a market, or want to place a bet?"
He Qing booed immediately.
Xia Xu smiled and said: "I don't mind, why don't you just bet on your monthly salary, you win double the salary, and I win and you will be deducted from this month's monthly salary."
"Boss, I support you in terms of personal will, but you directly classify me as the opposite..."
He Qing had a heartbroken expression on his face, and then it turned into an unconcealable smile: "It can't be blamed on me for not supporting you."
"Of course, I don't blame you, is there anyone else who wants to participate?"
Xia Xu looked at Yang Bowen and Pan Long playfully. As for Meng Bochao, he naturally participated by default.
"Hey, don't gamble, don't gamble, Lao Yang, I have a family, and I have to pay my salary, so I can't afford to gamble, but I still support and believe in you, boss."
Yang Bowen declined with a very ghostly smile.
As the first existence to follow Xia Xu, he knows the capabilities of his boss, and even more that he is well-informed and never does anything he is not sure about.
"I won't gamble..."
Pan Long also refused with a smile.
The reason for this is firstly because of Xia Xu's tall and handsome image in the past two days, and secondly because he is a little ashamed to say it - he has no money.
He is not an employee here, but just now he inquired casually, people like Yang Bowen's basic salary starts at 20,000 yuan if they don't work and **** for nothing, how can he have so much money for gambling.
"I, I believe in you too."
Although Tang Youxin did not participate, she expressed her opinion in a nonchalant manner.
Well, it's so cute, as expected of my little white flower.
Naturally, Xia Xu would not disappoint Xiao Baihua, and reached out to pick up the photo on Meng Bochao's notebook again, and said with a smile: "I can't compare with you in terms of these professional skills, and restore this photo to the original digital I really can't do anything about negatives."
This statement is obviously followed by a 'but'.
"However, have you ever thought that Pan Long's father left steganographic messages in the pictures on his blog for covert communication, and to be precise, he left messages for specific people. If so, then There must be a way to decipher it."
Xia Xu's words really opened up the minds of several people who were stuck in a dead end, but soon they realized that the essence of the problem had not changed. Meng Bochao said directly: "But boss, I also know that there is a way to decipher it. But the question is how to decipher and where?"
"I said this just to tell you that this deciphering method must exist, and it was left by Pan Long's father, to be precise, the person who left the steganographic message."
Xia Xu smiled, raised the photo in his hand and raised it, "As for the deciphering method, isn't it right here?"
"Here?"
Everyone was completely stunned.
Because the problem has not changed, they just have no way to get this photo now.
The co-author went around seven or eight times and finally returned to the original point? What about our Ouroboros?
Seeing this, Xia Xu could only helplessly continue to explain: "You can't just stare at this photo, this photo is actually just a reminder to let people know that this photo exists.
In fact, the key to deciphering requires a different perspective, such as how did this photo come from? Definitely need a digital camera to shoot, right? Definitely need to print it? "
"Yes."
Yang Bowen on the side suddenly had an epiphany, and couldn't help but exclaimed: "The key point is the source of the photo. It must be equipped with equipment to take this photo, and it is so clear after a long time. Those old machines can't take pictures. It must be with the previous professional It was taken by the equipment."
"Exactly."
Xia Xu smiled lightly and nodded: "So there should be original digital negatives in the camera, and since Pan Long's father must have left a deciphering method~IndoMTL.com~, the camera must still be there, and the original digital negatives in the camera must be Keep it.
As for the place to keep, it is also obvious. This reminder photo is placed in Pan Long's home, so the most likely people to get it are Pan Long and his family. The camera or backup digital negatives must stay with them. , or the way to develop and print this photo. "
"Fuck, boss, you are amazing."
Everyone suddenly became enlightened, and then all looked at Pan Long.
"I do have an old-fashioned digital camera at home, but I have never used it. I didn't understand it when I was a child. When I grow up, it has long been out of power, turned off and ate dust in the bottom of the cabinet."
Pan Long understood what they meant, and he looked a little excited as he recalled.
"Why are you waiting here, go back and get it."
Meng Bochao urged.
"I can't see that you are quite warm-hearted, but don't forget, you can't go back on your bets. I won't pay you two salaries this month."
Xia Xu reminded with a smile.
Meng Bochao: "..."
"Boss, I was wrong. Don't deduct my salary. I am innocent. It is obvious that you took the initiative to put me in the enemy camp. I am in the enemy camp and my heart is in the enemy's camp."
He Qing, who was reminded and aware of this episode, wanted to cry instantly but had no tears.
"Hahaha, you deserve it."
Yang Bowen immediately gloated.
Looking at you losing money makes me happier than making money myself.
"Miss Boss, please help me with a good word"
Compared to He Qing, Meng Bochao clearly realized who his savior was, and looked at Tang Youxin eagerly.
It's a pity that Xiao Tang's eyes drifted to the side, pretending not to hear.
╭(╯^╰)╮Hmph, I told you not to believe him, but now you still want me to beg for mercy, it's a beautiful idea.
I'm also stingy.