CİCADA 3301: INTERNET'S MOST DİFFİCULT AND MYSTERİOUS PUZZLE

On January 4, 2012, an unknown user on 4chan, using the pseudonym 3301, shared the photo below in the site's random posts section. Challenging other users to find a hidden message within this photo, they sparked the birth of what would become known as the internet's most challenging puzzle, "Cicada 3301."

Minutes after the photo was shared, a user discovered that by opening the file with a text editor, they could find a series of text that was readable. This revelation led to the emergence of "Cicada 3301," a mystery that captured the imagination of internet users worldwide.

The first in a series of messages released by Cicada 3301, igniting a global race among cryptographers to solve the puzzles before time runs out. "We are looking for highly intelligent individuals. To find them, we have devised a test. There is a hidden message within this image. If you can decipher the message, you will have embarked on the path to finding us. We look forward to meeting the few who will be able to solve this riddle. Good luck."

The text contained a cipher that required a deep understanding of cryptography to decrypt. The puzzle circulated on the internet for about a month, but nobody knew exactly what was going on. Shortly after, rumors began circulating that there was a hidden community or intelligence agency behind it all. Eventually, Joel Eriksson emerged as one of the individuals who managed to solve this cipher.

Once the code was deciphered, it revealed a link leading to the duck photo you see above. When another cipher within this photo was decoded, it directed to a link containing details about a book. From the hidden code in this book, a phone number was extracted. Calling this number would lead you to a message.

"Congratulations, you've done a great job. There are three prime numbers associated with the original final.jpg image, and 3301 is one of them. You'll need to find the other two. To proceed to the next step, multiply these three numbers together and add .com at the end. Best of luck, farewell."

Joel Eriksson, after creating the account, reached a URL instructing him to return at a specific time. Later, it was revealed that the two numbers mentioned in the registration were the dimensions of the original image. This website also featured a countdown and an image of a cicada. When the countdown reached zero, the page refreshed itself with a series of coordinates. These coordinates were the GPS coordinates of telephone poles in countries around the world, including Spain, Russia, America, France, Japan, and Poland.

Of course, it was impossible to travel the entire world and search for the codes. Therefore, those working on the Cicada puzzles had to collaborate. It seemed that the GPS coordinates were providing QR codes leading to two other images containing hidden text.

However, an unexpected development occurred. It turned out that Cicada 3301 wasn't very keen on collaboration. The website left a message saying, "We want the best, not the followers," and then shut down. After a month of silence, a new image announced that the puzzle had come to an end. Yet, the question of what all this was for remained unanswered.

A Year Later, the Second Puzzle Would Emerge

Exactly one year and one day after the first puzzle, a second puzzle was released, causing great excitement. The second puzzle was quite similar to the first. An image revealed a message, the message pointed to a book, the book led to a link, and the puzzle began to unravel step by step. As with the first puzzle, the second puzzle eventually led to the revelation of some coordinates, prompting participants to hit the streets in search of posters. This time, there were eight posters in four different countries. Once again, a group of solvers was taken to a secret final stage of the puzzle. However, the second puzzle did not end with a message from Cicada. Cicada vanished without a trace.

Cicada 3301 Released a Third Puzzle Cicada 3301 released a third puzzle, sparking excitement and curiosity once again. As with the previous puzzles, this one also began with an image containing a hidden message. Solvers quickly got to work, deciphering clues that led them through a series of complex challenges involving cryptography, steganography, and internet lore. The third puzzle followed a similar pattern to the first two, leading participants through a trail of websites, books, and coordinates. Despite the familiar format, the third puzzle introduced new elements and even more intricate challenges, keeping participants engaged and intrigued. As they progressed, solvers found themselves piecing together fragments of information that required collaboration and global effort. Just like before, a select few who managed to solve the final stages were contacted by Cicada 3301. However, as with the previous puzzles, the ultimate purpose and the identity of those behind Cicada 3301 remained a mystery. The third puzzle ended without revealing much about the group's intentions, leaving participants and observers alike wondering what the true goal of Cicada 3301 might be.

However, the book was actually filled with codes. For example, one page instructed users to search for a website on the deep web, but this website has still not been found. Out of the 74 pages, 58 remain unsolved. This was Cicada 3301's final puzzle. In 2016, Cicada 3301 released another message stating that the only way to make progress was to translate the book.

Cicada 3301: Who or What Was It?

We don’t know, and very few people in the world do. But what happened to those who were selected? Why haven't we heard anything from this chosen few? Actually, we have—it's just impossible to distinguish a real finalist from an impersonator. In a 2015 interview with Rolling Stone, two winners of the first puzzle shared their experiences of what happened after the final stage.