This seems to work pretty well:
#!/usr/bin/perl
use warnings;
use strict;
my $msg = join '', map chr, (
79, 59, 12, 2, 79, 35, 8, 28, 20, 2, 3, 68, 8, 9, 68, 45, 0
+, 12, 9, 67, 68, 4, 7, 5, 23,
27, 1, 21, 79, 85, 78, 79, 85, 71, 38, 10, 71, 27, 12, 2, 79, 6
+, 2, 8, 13, 9, 1, 13, 9, 8,
68, 19, 7, 1, 71, 56, 11, 21, 11, 68, 6, 3, 22, 2, 14, 0, 30
+, 79, 1, 31, 6, 23, 19, 10, 0,
73, 79, 44, 2, 79, 19, 6, 28, 68, 16, 6, 16, 15, 79, 35, 8, 11
+, 72, 71, 14, 10, 3, 79, 12, 2,
79, 19, 6, 28, 68, 32, 0, 0, 73, 79, 86, 71, 39, 1, 71, 24, 5
+, 20, 79, 13, 9, 79, 16, 15, 10,
68, 5, 10, 3, 14, 1, 10, 14, 1, 3, 71, 24, 13, 19, 7, 68, 32
+, 0, 0, 73, 79, 87, 71, 39, 1,
71, 12, 22, 2, 14, 16, 2, 11, 68, 2, 25, 1, 21, 22, 16, 15, 6
+, 10, 0, 79, 16, 15, 10, 22, 2,
79, 13, 20, 65, 68, 41, 0, 16, 15, 6, 10, 0, 79, 1, 31, 6, 23
+, 19, 28, 68, 19, 7, 5, 19, 79,
12, 2, 79, 0, 14, 11, 10, 64, 27, 68, 10, 14, 15, 2, 65, 68, 83
+, 79, 40, 14, 9, 1, 71, 6, 16,
20, 10, 8, 1, 79, 19, 6, 28, 68, 14, 1, 68, 15, 6, 9, 75, 79
+, 5, 9, 11, 68, 19, 7, 13, 20,
79, 8, 14, 9, 1, 71, 8, 13, 17, 10, 23, 71, 3, 13, 0, 7, 16
+, 71, 27, 11, 71, 10, 18, 2, 29,
29, 8, 1, 1, 73, 79, 81, 71, 59, 12, 2, 79, 8, 14, 8, 12, 19
+, 79, 23, 15, 6, 10, 2, 28, 68,
19, 7, 22, 8, 26, 3, 15, 79, 16, 15, 10, 68, 3, 14, 22, 12, 1
+, 1, 20, 28, 72, 71, 14, 10, 3,
79, 16, 15, 10, 68, 3, 14, 22, 12, 1, 1, 20, 28, 68, 4, 14, 10
+, 71, 1, 1, 17, 10, 22, 71, 10,
28, 19, 6, 10, 0, 26, 13, 20, 7, 68, 14, 27, 74, 71, 89, 68, 32
+, 0, 0, 71, 28, 1, 9, 27, 68,
45, 0, 12, 9, 79, 16, 15, 10, 68, 37, 14, 20, 19, 6, 23, 19, 79
+, 83, 71, 27, 11, 71, 27, 1, 11,
3, 68, 2, 25, 1, 21, 22, 11, 9, 10, 68, 6, 13, 11, 18, 27, 68
+, 19, 7, 1, 71, 3, 13, 0, 7,
16, 71, 28, 11, 71, 27, 12, 6, 27, 68, 2, 25, 1, 21, 22, 11, 9
+, 10, 68, 10, 6, 3, 15, 27, 68,
5, 10, 8, 14, 10, 18, 2, 79, 6, 2, 12, 5, 18, 28, 1, 71, 0
+, 2, 71, 7, 13, 20, 79, 16, 2,
28, 16, 14, 2, 11, 9, 22, 74, 71, 87, 68, 45, 0, 12, 9, 79, 12
+, 14, 2, 23, 2, 3, 2, 71, 24,
5, 20, 79, 10, 8, 27, 68, 19, 7, 1, 71, 3, 13, 0, 7, 16, 92
+, 79, 12, 2, 79, 19, 6, 28, 68,
8, 1, 8, 30, 79, 5, 71, 24, 13, 19, 1, 1, 20, 28, 68, 19, 0
+, 68, 19, 7, 1, 71, 3, 13, 0,
7, 16, 73, 79, 93, 71, 59, 12, 2, 79, 11, 9, 10, 68, 16, 7, 11
+, 71, 6, 23, 71, 27, 12, 2, 79,
16, 21, 26, 1, 71, 3, 13, 0, 7, 16, 75, 79, 19, 15, 0, 68, 0
+, 6, 18, 2, 28, 68, 11, 6, 3,
15, 27, 68, 19, 0, 68, 2, 25, 1, 21, 22, 11, 9, 10, 72, 71, 24
+, 5, 20, 79, 3, 8, 6, 10, 0,
79, 16, 8, 79, 7, 8, 2, 1, 71, 6, 10, 19, 0, 68, 19, 7, 1
+, 71, 24, 11, 21, 3, 0, 73, 79,
85, 87, 79, 38, 18, 27, 68, 6, 3, 16, 15, 0, 17, 0, 7, 68, 19
+, 7, 1, 71, 24, 11, 21, 3, 0,
71, 24, 5, 20, 79, 9, 6, 11, 1, 71, 27, 12, 21, 0, 17, 0, 7
+, 68, 15, 6, 9, 75, 79, 16, 15,
10, 68, 16, 0, 22, 11, 11, 68, 3, 6, 0, 9, 72, 16, 71, 29, 1
+, 4, 0, 3, 9, 6, 30, 2, 79,
12, 14, 2, 68, 16, 7, 1, 9, 79, 12, 2, 79, 7, 6, 2, 1, 73
+, 79, 85, 86, 79, 33, 17, 10, 10,
71, 6, 10, 71, 7, 13, 20, 79, 11, 16, 1, 68, 11, 14, 10, 3, 79
+, 5, 9, 11, 68, 6, 2, 11, 9,
8, 68, 15, 6, 23, 71, 0, 19, 9, 79, 20, 2, 0, 20, 11, 10, 72
+, 71, 7, 1, 71, 24, 5, 20, 79,
10, 8, 27, 68, 6, 12, 7, 2, 31, 16, 2, 11, 74, 71, 94, 86, 71
+, 45, 17, 19, 79, 16, 8, 79, 5,
11, 3, 68, 16, 7, 11, 71, 13, 1, 11, 6, 1, 17, 10, 0, 71, 7
+, 13, 10, 79, 5, 9, 11, 68, 6,
12, 7, 2, 31, 16, 2, 11, 68, 15, 6, 9, 75, 79, 12, 2, 79, 3
+, 6, 25, 1, 71, 27, 12, 2, 79,
22, 14, 8, 12, 19, 79, 16, 8, 79, 6, 2, 12, 11, 10, 10, 68, 4
+, 7, 13, 11, 11, 22, 2, 1, 68,
8, 9, 68, 32, 0, 0, 73, 79, 85, 84, 79, 48, 15, 10, 29, 71, 14
+, 22, 2, 79, 22, 2, 13, 11, 21,
1, 69, 71, 59, 12, 14, 28, 68, 14, 28, 68, 9, 0, 16, 71, 14, 68
+, 23, 7, 29, 20, 6, 7, 6, 3,
68, 5, 6, 22, 19, 7, 68, 21, 10, 23, 18, 3, 16, 14, 1, 3, 71
+, 9, 22, 8, 2, 68, 15, 26, 9,
6, 1, 68, 23, 14, 23, 20, 6, 11, 9, 79, 11, 21, 79, 20, 11, 14
+, 10, 75, 79, 16, 15, 6, 23, 71,
29, 1, 5, 6, 22, 19, 7, 68, 4, 0, 9, 2, 28, 68, 1, 29, 11
+, 10, 79, 35, 8, 11, 74, 86, 91,
68, 52, 0, 68, 19, 7, 1, 71, 56, 11, 21, 11, 68, 5, 10, 7, 6
+, 2, 1, 71, 7, 17, 10, 14, 10,
71, 14, 10, 3, 79, 8, 14, 25, 1, 3, 79, 12, 2, 29, 1, 71, 0
+, 10, 71, 10, 5, 21, 27, 12, 71,
14, 9, 8, 1, 3, 71, 26, 23, 73, 79, 44, 2, 79, 19, 6, 28, 68
+, 1, 26, 8, 11, 79, 11, 1, 79,
17, 9, 9, 5, 14, 3, 13, 9, 8, 68, 11, 0, 18, 2, 79, 5, 9
+, 11, 68, 1, 14, 13, 19, 7, 2,
18, 3, 10, 2, 28, 23, 73, 79, 37, 9, 11, 68, 16, 10, 68, 15, 14
+, 18, 2, 79, 23, 2, 10, 10, 71,
7, 13, 20, 79, 3, 11, 0, 22, 30, 67, 68, 19, 7, 1, 71, 8, 8
+, 8, 29, 29, 71, 0, 2, 71, 27,
12, 2, 79, 11, 9, 3, 29, 71, 60, 11, 9, 79, 11, 1, 79, 16, 15
+, 10, 68, 33, 14, 16, 15, 10, 22, 73
);
for my $key ( 'aaa' .. 'zzz' ) {
my $plain = $msg ^ substr $key x length $msg, 0, length $msg;
my @words = split ' ', $plain;
# some heuristics to weed out bad plain text
next if @words > length( $msg ) / 3 or @words < length( $msg ) / 8
+;
next if $plain =~ /[^[:print:]]/;
next if grep( /\b\W+\b/, @words ) > @words / 10;
print "Key: $key\n$plain\n\n";
}
__END__