Home > Riddles > Trunks and padlocks without shared key

Trunks and padlocks without shared key

Master playsLevel 2/5

You don't always need to share a key to send something securely. The key is to transfer the protection from one lock to another without the trunk ever traveling open.

You and another person are far away and can only send each other a trunk by courier. Each one has their own lock and their own key.

Neither can open the other's lock. How can you send the contents of the trunk safely, without sharing keys and without the trunk ever traveling open?

Hints

Show hints
  1. Don't try to open the other person's lock.
  2. Shipping does not have to be done in a single trip.
  3. The protection can change from one lock to another without disappearing at any time.

Solution

Show full solution

Answer: It can be done in three shipments of the trunk. 1. You put the contents in the trunk, close it with your padlock and send it.

  1. The other person can't open it, but adds their own lock and gives the trunk back to you.
  2. You remove your lock and send it again.
  3. The other person receives the trunk closed with its padlock, opens it with his key and accesses the contents. The trunk never travels open. First your lock protects it; then they both protect him; Finally, only the other person's padlock protects him. The idea is not to share a key, but to pass the protection from one lock to the other.

Related riddles

Keep practicing

If you enjoyed this one, try more pure-logic riddles, explore this theme, browse the full archive, or read the riddle-solving guide.

← Previous: The two ropes · Next: The nine-dot puzzle →