# Cracking simple XOR cipher with simulated annealing

DevFeed: [Cracking simple XOR cipher with simulated annealing](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/cracking-simple-xor-cipher-with-simulated-annealing-20547.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://yurichev.com/blog/SA_XOR/>)

Published: 2019-07-20T22:00:00Z

Content type: tutorial

Language: en

Sources: [Dennis Yurichev](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/dennis-yurichev.md>)

Topics: [Code](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/code.md>), [x86](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/x86.md>), [Python](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/python.md>)

Tags: [code](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/code.md>), [python](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/python.md>), [x86](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/x86.md>)

## AI overview

A tutorial explains how simulated annealing can crack a simple XOR cipher by searching for an English plaintext and recovering a 17-byte key. It compares this approach with an earlier Z3-based attempt, notes that the method can be adapted to other languages or frequent x86 instructions, and states that it does not apply to more advanced ciphers.

## Source excerpt

Cracking simple XOR cipher with simulated annealing