encoding and code cracking programs

[shadowwolf]

I'm interested in learning about code cracking and encoding programs. How exactly do they work?; how do you make one?; what is the difference between a basic encoding or cracking program and a more complex one? If someone could post some code snippets in a few different languages that would be great. Thanks.

[Deque]

I am not sure what you are talking about, because encoding and cracking are completely different things, yet you throw them in there as if they belong together.
Help me out. What kind of programs do you mean, what is their purpose? Do you have an example?

And to be clear: This is what I understand by an encoding program: https://www.base64decode.org/
Cracking program is ambiguous. It could be a debugger, because that's what people use to crack games etc, it could be a hash cracker, or an analysis program that helps cracking encrypted messages.

[shadowwolf]

I am not sure what you are talking about, because encoding and cracking are completely different things, yet you throw them in there as if they belong together.
Help me out. What kind of programs do you mean, what is their purpose? Do you have an example?

And to be clear: This is what I understand by an encoding program: https://www.base64decode.org/
Cracking program is ambiguous. It could be a debugger, because that's what people use to crack games etc, it could be a hash cracker, or an analysis program that helps cracking encrypted messages.

Yes somewhat like that but a custom one where you can change the value of each letter to whatever you want(string of numbers, a different letter, a symbol etc.). Is there any real difference between a basic one and a more complex one.
I meant an analysis program that helps crack encrypted messages.

[Deque]

The second is called cryptanalysis. I have old topics with code samples for this here:

https://evilzone.org/java/%28java-source%29-cryptanalysis-frequency-and-coincidence-counting/msg46979/#msg46979
https://evilzone.org/java/%28java%29-cryptanalysis-coincidence-counting/msg49603/#msg49603
https://evilzone.org/java/%28java%29-cryptanalysis-friedman-test/msg48180/#msg48180

An encoding program is easier to start with.
Try to get to know more about the basics, though. The minimum requirement is to know the terminology, so you can talk about the topic and ask questions so that others know what you mean. What is the difference between encoding and encryption? What different purposes have they? If you want to create an encoding program (not encryption), you might start with simple hex to binary conversion. Then move on to Base64. How does Base64 work and why is it used? What other encodings are there? What is Unicode?

If you go into encryption and cryptanalysis, read about the classic ciphers (Caesar and Vigenere for a start). What makes them vulnerable and how can they be broken? What is the difference of mono- and polyalphabetic substitution?

And (because it is so often mixed up with encryption): What is a cryptographic hash and what is its purpose? How does it differ from encryption?

Btw, I found this: http://www.umich.edu/~umich/fm-34-40-2/#pdf
Looks like a very good resource for this topic.