proof-of-work-solver/README.md

Proof of Work Script

This repository contains scripts for implementing a Proof of Work (PoW) algorithm using the Argon2 hashing function. It is designed to solve a mining challenge based on given parameters, making it suitable for educational purposes or testing PoW implementations.

Table of Contents

• Features
• Requirements
• Installation
• Usage
  • Bash Script Usage
  • Python Salt Generator Usage
• Examples

Features

• Checks for required utilities (argon2, xxd, bc).
• Accepts a challenge code as input, either via command line or prompt.
• Iteratively generates and hashes candidate passwords until a valid solution is found.
• Displays the solution once it meets the required difficulty.
• Python Salt Generator: A Python script to generate random salt values and PoW challenge codes, with configurable parameters.

Requirements

Ensure the following utilities are installed on your system:

• argon2: A secure hashing algorithm for password hashing.
• xxd: A tool for creating a hex dump from a binary file and vice versa.
• bc: An arbitrary precision calculator language.

Installation

You can install the required utilities on Debian/Ubuntu-based systems using the following command:

sudo apt-get install argon2 xxd bc

If you're using a different Linux distribution, please consult your package manager's documentation.

## Usage

## Bash Script Usage

1. Clone the repository to your local machine:

```bash
git clone https://github.com/TiredFromTelehack/proof-of-work-solver.git
cd proof-of-work-solver


2. Make the script executable:

```bash
chmod +x proof_of_work.sh


3. Run the script with a challenge code:

```bash
./proof_of_work.sh "262144:1:SALTe7e590c2f902:1500"



## Python Salt Generator Usage

1. Make sure you have Python installed (Python 3 is recommended).


2. Run the generator script to create a random Proof of Work challenge code:

```bash
python3 pow_generator.py



## Examples

## Bash Script Example

Run the Bash script with a specific challenge code:

```bash
./proof_of_work.sh "262144:1:SALTe7e590c2f902:1500"

Output Example:

Estimated iterations: 1500
Time Cost: 1
Elapsed Time: 5 seconds.
SOLUTION FOUND
Your unblock code is: UNBLOCK-X7J2L9D5
This is the code you enter into the site to pass the challenge.

## Python Salt Generator Example

Run the Python salt generator to create a random challenge code:

```bash
python3 pow_generator.py

Output Example:

Generated Proof of Work Code: 123456:1:SALTe7e590c2f902:1450

The generated code includes:

Memory Cost: Randomized up to 262,144 bytes.

Time Cost: Always set to 1.

Salt: Randomized, prefixed with "SALTE".

Difficulty: Randomized between 1000 and 1500.