description = "A writeup for challenge 1 of the beginners quests of the Google CTF."
@ -12,19 +12,31 @@ tags = [
"hacking",
"writeup",
"web",
"rev",
]
categories = [
"ctf",
"writeups",
"hacking",
"rev",
]
+++
## Story line
### Novosibirsk - Chemical plant
"You must wonder why we have summoned you, AGENT? It has come to our attention that something terrible is about to take place. There is still time to prevent the disaster, and we could not think of anyone more suited for this task than you. We believe that if you can’t solve this quest, neither can anybody else. You have to travel to Novosibirsk, and investigate a suspicious chemical plant. This mission must be executed in secrecy. It’s classified, and it regards the safety of the whole world, therefore we can’t tell you anything more just yet. Go now, you have the fate of the world in your hands."
#### Challenge: CCTV (rev)
You arrive at your destination. The weather isn't great, so you figure there's no reason to stay outside and you make your way to one of the buildings. No one bothered you so far, so you decide to play it bold - you make yourself a cup of coffee in the social area like you totally belong here and proceed to find an empty room with a desk and a chair. You pull out our laptop, hook it up to the ethernet socket in the wall, and quickly find an internal CCTV panel - that's a way better way to look around unnoticed. Only problem is... it wants a password.
### After solving
You have now investigated the chemical plant. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary, even though the workers acted somewhat passive, but that’s not a good enough to track. It seems like you have a new voice mail from the boss: "Hello there, AGENT! It seems like the corporation that owns the plant was informed by an anonymous source that you would arrive, and therefore they were prepared for your visit, but your colleague AGENT X has a lead in Moscow, we’ve already booked you a flight. FIRST CLASS of course. In fact if you look out of the window, you should be able to see a black car arriving now, and it will carry you to the airport. Good luck!"
description = "A writeup for challenge 2 of the beginners quests of the Google CTF."
@ -12,27 +12,39 @@ tags = [
"hacking",
"writeup",
"hardware",
"misc",
]
categories = [
"ctf",
"writeups",
"hacking",
"misc",
]
+++
## Story line
### Moscow - Apartment
It’s a cold day, and the snow is falling horizontally. It pierces your sight. You better use those extra pairs of socks that you were strangely given by the driver. Someone is waving on the other side of the street. You walk over to her. "Hi AGENT, I’m AGENT X, we’ve found the apartment of a person that we suspect got something to do with the mission. Come along!."
#### Challenge: Logic Lock (misc)
It turned out suspect's appartment has an electronic lock. After analyzing the PCB and looking up the chips you come to the conclusion that it's just a set of logic gates!
### After solving
Well, it’s a rather gloomy and messy apartment, a faint shade is cast from the almost covered master window upon the worn wall. It smells very burnt, and there's a cracked bottle in the sink that suggests some kind of experiment. Someone must have left in a hurry. Thinking about it, do you want to: Look at the beautiful view of the Kremlin from the window or search the apartment thoroughly
### Look at the beautiful view of Kreml, from the window
#### Look at the beautiful view of Kreml, from the window ([3]({{<ref"3.md">}}))
Wow look at the Kremlin. Ah, the Moscow Kremlin is really something else! But hey wait... look at the street, someone just started to run when he saw you in the window. Could it be the person that we’re looking for? You exit the building and see that they are jumping on a motorcycle and they take off! You spot a parked car, hotwire it and quickly take up the chase.
### Search it thoroughly
#### Search it thoroughly ([4]({{<ref"4.md">}}))
AGENT X seems to have missed that a plank on the floorboard has become very loose. You have a look and you see some kind of device under it. If you’re lucky, some information on it might come in handy. You have to travel back to the base if you wish to find out more.
description = "A writeup for challenge 3 of the beginners quests of the Google CTF."
@ -13,19 +13,31 @@ tags = [
"writeup",
"web",
"coding",
"misc",
]
categories = [
"ctf",
"writeups",
"hacking",
"misc",
]
+++
## Story line
### Moscow - Streets
The person drives into a narrow back alley and despite the danger you try to continue on and give chase. It is impossible to see who they are, clothed all in black and a helmet covering the face. You need to intercept them somehow.
#### Challenge: High Speed Chase (misc)
You chase them through city streets until you reach the high way. The traffic is pretty rough for a car and you see them gaining ground - should have hotwired a motorbike as well! Too late for that. You look around your car to spot anything useful, and you notice this is actually one of the new self driving cars. You turn on the autopilot, pull out your laptop, connect it to the system, and enter the not-so-hidden developer's mode. It's time to re-program the autopilot to be a bit more useful in a chase! To make it easier, you replace the in-car LiDAR feed with a feed from an overhead sattelite - you also display it on the the entertainment system. Now all that's left to do, is to write a better controlCar function!
### After solving
You’re closing in on the motorcycle, but before you have time to act, the person turns to a small path, which is impossible to follow by car. You will never see them again, but wait... They dropped something, a small bag! You look inside of it, and you see what looks to be like an ancient amulet. You return to AGENT X and she tells you that the amulet can be a lead, and that you should return to the base to begin some research.
description = "A writeup for challenge 4 of the beginners quests of the Google CTF."
@ -12,19 +12,31 @@ tags = [
"hacking",
"writeup",
"web",
"hardware",
"hw",
]
categories = [
"ctf",
"writeups",
"hacking",
"hw",
]
+++
## Story line
### Secret Location - Base
"Welcome back AGENT. It seems like you've got a marvelous lead that perhaps gives a clue about where you should head to next. Visit the lab, and talk to that Dr. Klostermann, or is it Cloysterman?, he will know how to decrypt the device.. you would think". ... Dr Klostermann: "Welcome to the technical department AGENT, I’m Dr. Klostermann, and this is my assistant, Konstantin. Let’s not waste any time, is that the device that you’re holding in your hand? Konstantin, start the basic procedure."
#### Challenge: Electronics Research Lab (hw)
Welcome back AGENT. It seems like you got a lead that perhaps gives a clue about where the next journey on your quest goes. Visit the lab, and talk to Dr. Klostermann, he will know how to decrypt the device.
### After solving
You’re taking a stroll in the lab, when Dr. Klostermann is calling your name: "Agent, we’ve discovered the origin of the device. This time you won’t be able to reach your destination by air, but by the new Trans-Sibiriean Railway, as opposed to the old one, which runs along side it at the same time, it is a bit odd. And it goes to Shenzhen. I am sorry agent, but the further you go into this task, the more precautions you will have to take, and remember, the enemy can be anyone. It could be a conductor, the engineer, it could even be our own people that will meet you at the spot you need to be at. Be selective with who you trust. I think you got the point, go now, I got much to do. Agent, much depends on you!."
description = "A writeup for challenge 5 of the beginners quests of the Google CTF."
@ -11,27 +11,39 @@ tags = [
"ctf",
"hacking",
"writeup",
"misc",
]
categories = [
"ctf",
"writeups",
"hacking",
"misc",
]
+++
## Story line
### Istanbul - Bazaar
It’s a hot day, and your skin is cracking and dry. It’s difficult to make your way through the crowded bazaar. A high pitch voice pierces through the soundscape from a salesman that’s trying to sell colorful fabrics and then from another corner comes delicious smells. You spot a hand waving - it’s your contact that you’ve been waiting to meet. "Take a seat, my friend, I’m Gökhan, have you been to Istanbul before? No, really? I’m sure that you will have a great time, I’ve ordered tea for the two of us. Show me the amulet, will you?. Wow, this is really something from my younger days, this is as mysterious as it is beautiful and belongs to “The cloaked brotherhood”. They are very dangerous, and eventhough your quest is urgent, I would advise you to not continue looking for the owner of this. Go home, and forget about it." In the blink of an eye, four tough guys show up, and you start to run together with Gökhan through the crowded marketplace and then up on a rooftop. The tough guys are closing in, but the two of you climb down from the rooftop, run around a corner and are able to hide in two crates.
#### Challenge: Twisted robot (misc)
We found this old robo caller. It basically generates random phone numbers to spam. We found the last list of numbers in generated and also some weird file... Maybe it's got to do with these new beta features they were testing?
### After solving
Gökhan is pointing at a parked vehicle. He tells you that you will have to try and reach it and that if you stay where you are, that you will get captured sooner or later. The guards know the neighborhood like their own backpocket. At first you doubt the plan, it seems like a very risky option. Gökhan then finally tells you he's not going to stay there, and his last offer is for you to go with him.
### Stay
#### Stay ([7]({{<ref"7.md">}}))
Gökhan exits the crate, and makes a quick sprint for the car. The tough guys spot him, and they approach. As he enters the car he tries to start it, and the car makes an ominous sound, as the bad guys are closing in. He looks back through the rear window, and sees that the bad guys are about to jump on the back of the car, and they are pulling out guns. He tries to start the car furiously one more time and... IT WORKS! Gökhan disappears off in the distance. You overhear the tough guys when they are talking about a person, “Mesut”, that got classified information. You quickly send a message to the boss to look up the person. After a short wait you receive a response that he is currently on his private yacht in Croatia. Looks like it is time for some travel again.
### Come with Gökhan
#### Come with Gökhan ([8](#))
As you and Gökhan are leaving the crates to enter a car, you spot the tough guys coming after you, and they are pulling out weapons. Gökhan starts the car and the two of you take off. After a decent distance outside of the city, he gives you an invitation to a private conference that will take place in Buenos Aires.
description = "A writeup for challenge 6 of the beginners quests of the Google CTF."
@ -11,27 +11,39 @@ tags = [
"ctf",
"hacking",
"writeup",
"misc",
]
categories = [
"ctf",
"writeups",
"hacking",
"misc",
]
+++
## Story line
### Shenzhen - Office
You’re exiting a crowded subway nearby the office that you are about to visit. You are showing the guards your ID and answering a couple of routine questions. They are not impressed, but the gate opens up and you can enter the area despite their doubt. You are not allowed to stroll freely on the company grounds, but are shown around by a woman that stares at you with a crooked smile. At last you're able to talk to the manager, a short man with a white robe and shades: "Greetings, AGENT, You must be thirsty after your long journey? No? You don’t mind if I’ll have something for myself, do you? Good! We have heard about the device that you possess, can I have a look at it. Hmm, it seems that it is encrypted. Help me break this quickly so that we can continue with the analysis."
#### Challenge: To the moon (misc)
This one is a doozie. We found this weird file on a memory stick with a post-it note on it. It looks like someone was working on a very obscure encryption system. Maybe we can decode it?
### After solving
"Great job! Let’s look into the device itself then. Well, I can’t say that I recognise this piece of hardware-" Before the manager completes the sentence, you spot a reflection of a dagger in his shades. You turn around and see a mysterious assassin that is almost piercing you with the dagger, but you manage to move away at the last moment and disarm the assassin with one strike. The mysterious assassin takes off. Do you?
### Run after
#### Run after ([8](#))
The manager shouts after you to come back, but you don’t listen. You are uncompromisingly determined to hunt down the assassin. The assassin turns over trash bins and chairs through the corridor, and you manage to dodge them. The assassin climbs up using a ladder, you follow. You come to a rooftop, and the assassin has nowhere to flee. You shout: "Reveal yourself, tell me who you’re working for, and I will do you no harm."The assassin comes out from behind a ventilation exhaust. They hand you a note with coordinates to a spot in the mediterranean. When you look again, the assassin is gone.
### Climb out through the window, and try to ambush the assassin
#### Climb out through the window, and try to ambush the assassin ([9](#))
After having climbed through the window, you wait for a while on the ground. The guards from earlier approach you, and tell you that the mysterious assassin disappeared in the other direction, you will never see the assassin again… The manager screams on you to come back, and says that he thinks that he can help you a bit. He tells you that he has managed to trace some components of the device to a specific shipment from South Africa. He tells you that there is a secret lair in Johannesburg that might help you to find out more information about the organisation that the assassin works for.
description = "A writeup for challenge 7 of the beginners quests of the Google CTF."
@ -11,18 +11,26 @@ tags = [
"ctf",
"hacking",
"writeup",
"crypto",
]
categories = [
"ctf",
"writeups",
"hacking",
"crypto",
]
+++
## Story line
### Buenos Aires - Conference
You are showing the invitation so that you can enter the conference. There are hundreds of important looking people at the conference. You take a glass of champagne from a tray, and try to look important yourself. After being busy with trying to look important for a few minutes, you approach the person that you are here to get classified information from. He introduces himself as Dr. Nowak Wasilewski. Nowak asks who you are, and if you can prove your knowledge through a test that he has designed by himself.
#### Challenge: ReadySetAction (crypto)
Apparently this script was used to encrypt super secret messages. Maybe there is something interesting in it?
### After solving
Nowak is very impressed by your skills. You and him sit down by a table, and you order lots of drinks for him. As the conversation goes on, Nowak begins to loosen up a bit and is talking about all kinds of things. Eventually he accidently reveals the location of an office complex in NYC that seems to have very much to do with the whole operation.
