How to Identify Base64 Encoded JSON and Other Data Formats
By
jandeboevrie
Crackles when you bite it. Shows the baker did the work.
Summary
The article describes a personal experience where the author discovered that a seemingly indecipherable string in a file was actually base64 encoded JSON, thanks to a colleague's insight. The colleague demonstrated how to identify such encoded content without tools, highlighting a useful skill for developers.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledThe problem is that this file is generated by taking a password, deriving a key from it, and encrypting the content with that key.
It turns out that everyone can spot base64 encoded json.
I couldn't believe he was base64 decoding on the fly without tools, so I asked him how he did it.
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