NotSoWiseBirbal - Miscellaneous Challenge

Challenge Overview

Category: Miscellaneous
Difficulty: Easy
Skills Required: Riddle Solving, Morse Code, Telegram Bot Interaction, Audio Generation

In the grand Mughal court, Emperor Akbar is famed for his wit, but even he admits that Birbal's cleverness is legendary. Yet, lately, Birbal has been stumped by a series of cryptic riddles—each answer hidden not in words, but in something else.

Akbar, ever the prankster, has challenged the kingdom's brightest minds to outsmart Birbal. He's enlisted a mysterious Telegram bot to deliver these puzzles, hoping someone can crack the code and restore Birbal's reputation.

Can you outsmart the royal smartypants and earn imperial bragging rights?

Files Provided

Telegram Bot: @akbars_puzzle_bot

All challenge files can be downloaded from the GitHub Repository

Setup and Installation

To run the bot locally for development or testing:

Python Version Requirement: This bot requires Python 3.10 or lower (not compatible with Python 3.11+)
Install dependencies:
```
pip3 install -r requirements.txt
```
Configure the bot:
- Create a .env file in the project root
- Add your Telegram bot token: TELEGRAM_TOKEN=your_bot_token_here
Run the bot:
```
python3 app.py
```

Hints

Birbal's been tapping his fingers in an unusual rhythm lately. Perhaps he's trying to communicate something that can't be spoken aloud.

Solution

Analysis Approach

Interact with the Telegram bot to get riddles
Solve the riddles to get the answers
Convert the answers to Morse code audio
Send the audio back to the bot to verify
Receive the flag when the correct audio is sent

Step-by-Step Solution

Step 1: Start the Bot

Search for @akbars_puzzle_bot on Telegram
Send /start to begin interaction
The bot will respond with an introduction and instructions

Step 2: Get and Solve a Riddle

Send /puzzleme to receive one of these riddles:

Riddle	Answer
"I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have no body, but I come alive with wind. What am I?"	echo
"The more you take, the more you leave behind. What am I?"	footsteps
"What has keys but no locks, space but no room, and you can enter but not go in?"	keyboard
"I'm tall when I'm young, and I'm short when I'm old. What am I?"	candle
"What has many keys but can't open a single lock?"	piano
"What can travel around the world while staying in a corner?"	stamp

Step 3: Convert Answer to Morse Code

Use Morse Code Translator to convert the answer.

For example:

"keyboard" becomes -.- . -.-- -... --- .- .-. -..

Step 4: Generate and Send Audio

On the Morse Code Translator site:
- Configure audio settings (speed ~15-20 WPM, standard tone ~700 Hz)
- Click "Play" to verify the sound
- Click "Download" to save the audio file
Send the audio file to the bot as an attachment

Step 5: Receive the Flag

Upon correct submission, the bot will decode the Morse code audio and respond with the flag.

mcsc{b1rbal_b34ts_th3_b33ps}

Common Issues and Troubleshooting

If the bot says it's a different puzzle's answer: Double-check that your solution matches the current riddle
If the bot can't decode the audio: Try generating the Morse code again with slower speed or different tone frequency
If the bot doesn't recognize your audio: Make sure you're sending an actual audio file, not just text

Author

Created by psychoSherlock

GitHub Repository: View Challenge on GitHub

mcscCTF: NotSoWiseBirbal