wwg@brambo.UUCP (Warren W. Gay) (02/11/89)
There are a number of illegal short wave broadcasts that are apparently
difficult to track down (as to location). These broadcasts consist
entirely of numbers (as far as I have heard at least).
My question to the net (particularly to the sci.crypt experts) is
simply what type of encryption schemes are employed by these "air
pirates"? The one station I've recently heard (its been a while
though), transmitted numbers of a fixed length of about 5 or 6
digits each (in morse code). These numbers obviously mean
something to somebody :-)
I have no cipher expertise but this has me somewhat intrigued. Anybody
care to shed more light on this subject?
73s de VE3WWG (Warren)..............LSI represents Large Scale Investment,
.................transistors are "discrete", but tubes are just plain fun.
................Bramalea Software Systems Inc...!utgpu!telly \ !brambo!wwg
...................!{uunet!mnetor, watmath!utai}!lsuc!ncrcan /parnass@ihuxz.ATT.COM (Bob Parnass, AJ9S) (02/12/89)
In article <439@brambo.UUCP>, wwg@brambo.UUCP (Warren W. Gay) writes: > There are a number of illegal short wave broadcasts that are apparently > difficult to track down (as to location). These broadcasts consist > entirely of numbers (as far as I have heard at least). Numbers stations may be found on several frequencies, with both males and females speaking in many languages. Some are in Morse Code. They remain the subject of debate among SWLs, and attempts by hobbyists to break the coded messages have been unsuccessful. One prevailing theory is that they are "spy" stations, sending orders to operatives in foreign countries. Another theory is that they are asso- ciated with smuggling activities, like ordering, and arranging for drug deliveries. I agree with the "spy" theory. Monitoring Times reported a few years ago how an SWL traced down the source of one numbers station. Using a Kenwood R2000 shortwave receiver in his car, the SWL found the signals eminated from a U.S. Government facility in Warrenton, VA, opera- ted by an arm of the intelligence community. The FCC won't talk much about these signals, but I bet you dollars to donuts that the NSA, USN, CIA, etc. know exactly what their purpose is, and monitor them (and operate some) closely. At the very least, our government knows the geographic locations of these transmitters. Not all numbers stations are in the same "business." A few of the CW stations actually identify with call let- ters. The U.S. FEMA organization (Federal Emergency Management Agency), operates several stations and con- ducts periodic tests of its communications systems, which would be pressed into service in the event of a war. Their crypto transmissions make for good code practice. 3.1130 WGY912____US: FEMA, wkg "Sunbath", also id'd as "Bluegrass", refer red to this freq as "bravo uniform" (odd, this is a USAF SAC freq), xmsns every 15 minutes, usb, 02/10/87 @0305Z [Mt Weather, VA] (B. Parnass) 3.3797 WGY908____US: FEMA, slow speed encrypted cw 10/18/84, 0437Z [Denver, CO] (B. Parnass) WGY912____US: FEMA, slow speed encrypted cw, purported to be a VIP relocation site in times of emergency, 11/25/86 @0208Z [Mt Weather, VA] (B. Parnass) 4.7810 WGY912____US: FEMA, slow speed encrypted cw in 5 character groups, purported to be a VIP relocation site in times of emerg ency, 11/11/85 @0139Z [Mt Weather, VA] (B. Parnass) 5.1680 call?_____unidentified: several minutes of slow, encrypted cw in 5 figure groups, sounds similar to FEMA broadcasts but wi thout station id, 10/30/85 @0230Z [location?] (B. Parnass) 6.8500 call?_____unidentified: 5 figure coded groups in slow cw, msg bega n with "ATU ATU", similar to FEMA xmsns, cw, 03/28/86 [location?] (B. Parnass) 9.1218 WGY912____US: FEMA, slow speed encrypted cw in 5 character groups, purported to be a VIP relocation site in times of emerg ency, 04/06/86 @1502Z [Mt Weather, VA] (B. Parnass) 10.4940 call?_____US: FEMA, net, test transmission ended at 1930z, usb [location?] (others) 10.8707 WGY912____US: FEMA, slow speed encrypted cw in 5 character groups, purported to be a VIP relocation site in times of emerg ency, 12/25/86 @1640Z [Mt Weather, VA] (B. Parnass) 14.8868 WGY912____US: FEMA, slow speed encrypted cw in 5 character groups, purported to be a VIP relocation site in times of emerg ency, 10/21/85 @1735Z [Mt Weather, VA] (B. Parnass) -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bob Parnass AJ9S, AT&T Bell Laboratories - att!ihuxz!parnass - (312)979-5414
usenet@cps3xx.UUCP (Usenet file owner) (02/12/89)
In article <439@brambo.UUCP> wwg@brambo.UUCP (Warren W. Gay) writes: >There are a number of illegal short wave broadcasts that are apparently >difficult to track down (as to location). These broadcasts consist >entirely of numbers (as far as I have heard at least). > >My question to the net (particularly to the sci.crypt experts) is >simply what type of encryption schemes are employed by these "air >pirates"? The one station I've recently heard (its been a while In the past year or two _Cryptologia_ magazine had a short review of a book on these radio stations. Apparently the book lists their frequencies and makes some guesses as to what the stations are about. As I recall from the review, however, no one really seems to have a very good idea of what's going on, let alone the specific enciphering algorithms used by these unknown persons. riordanmr@clvax1.cl.msu.edu
mn@atari.UUCP (Mike Nowicki) (02/14/89)
These 'numbers' stations, mostly in Spanish are rumored to be signals sent
to spies in foreign countries. Some of their signals have been traced to the
east coast of N. America and some to Cuba or thereabouts. General opinion is
that they are CIA or NSA operated but no one who really knows is talking!
Others like the N. Korean on 8.030 Mgz or the Russian numbers station on
7.422 are also believed to be operated by some government for communications
with operatives or to make the target country think they are!
Anyone with a broad band ham tranceiver could modify it and send out
similar transmissions. The FCC knows about these spy stations and if you call
to complain about them stepping on your QSO in the ham bands they will come
back and tell you it was an international SW broadcaster tuning up or some
sort of bullshit.
These stations have been operating for many years, some of them hourly for
over 5 years. I did a computer analysis of 3 of these types of stations and
found that strings of 3 or 4 letter or number pop up quite often and might
signify use of a lookup pad code where for example, "1AC" can be looked up
in your handy dandy copy of Popular Spy Code monthly, and find out it means
"get photo of". These codes are impossible to decode because of the one to
one relationship of strings to phrases.
Pop Communiations has articles on these number stations almost monthly.
73!
Michael Nowicki
Atari Corp.
Views are my own, who cares anyway?smb@ulysses.homer.nj.att.com (Steven M. Bellovin) (02/15/89)
In article <1349@atari.UUCP>, mn@atari.UUCP (Mike Nowicki) writes: > I did a computer analysis of 3 of these types of stations and > found that strings of 3 or 4 letter or number pop up quite often and might > signify use of a lookup pad code where for example, "1AC" can be looked up > in your handy dandy copy of Popular Spy Code monthly, and find out it means > "get photo of". These codes are impossible to decode because of the one to > one relationship of strings to phrases. It sounds like you may be describing a code, as opposed to a cipher. Codes, especially superenciphered codes, are much more difficult to crack than ciphers, but it's been done many times in the past. For example, the course of both World Wars was significantly affected by cracked codes (as well as cracked ciphers). During World War I, the British solution of the so-called Zimmerman Telegram was a major factor in the entry of the U.S. into the war; during World War II, the U.S. was reading the Japanese naval code. (This is distinct from PURPLE, the top-level Japanese machine cipher.) As usual, see Kahn for details. Mind you, I don't know that those messages really are code, but if they are cracking them is not impossible, especially under reasonably favorable circumstances (probably texts, etc.)
bgun@trwind.UUCP (Bill Gunshannon) (03/11/89)
In article <2982@nunki.usc.edu>, guncer@sal56.usc.edu (Selim Guncer) writes: > In article <885@jato.Jpl.Nasa.Gov> morris@jade.Jpl.Nasa.Gov (Mike Morris) writes: > >In article <439@brambo.UUCP> wwg@brambo.UUCP (Warren W. Gay) writes: > >>There are a number of illegal short wave broadcasts that are apparently > >>difficult to track down (as to location). These broadcasts consist > >>entirely of numbers (as far as I have heard at least). > >> My only question is What makes it illegal??? Just because you don't understand it doesn't make it illegal. As a communicator in the ARMY (for more years than I care to count) I sent thousands of messages that consisted of code groups. I certainly hope what I was doing wasn't illegal. :-) bill gunshannon KB3YV bgun@trwind.ind.TRW.COM