P1. WiCyS[Welcome]
Points: 30
Level: Simple
Category: Tutorial
Description
These practice challenges are designed to help participants get used to the CTFd platform and it rewarded us with a few points along the way. In a Capture the Flag (CTF) event, we solve various challenges and complete the challenge by using something called a “flag.” A flag can be anything, from numbers to words, or a combination of both. Some cases will prompt you to enter information as-is for a flag, such as an IP address or folder name.
Some challenges may be forgiving in how you input the flag, while others are case-sensitive. For example, if a flag was rejected you had to examine whether there was any spacing issue or if you had to switch punctuations such as from brackets [ ] to braces { }. The point values also varied scaling from:
- Simple: > 100
- Not as Difficult: 100
- Difficult: 300
- More Difficult: 500
Objective/Challenge
Enter the name of this challenge as the flag.
Tools Used
Cognitive tools: CEO of the brain, working memory, selective attention
Methodology + Solution
I learned that the flag is just a fancy cyber lingo that simply means “the answer,” but to make it sound cooler think about it as that moment when you finally find the answer and with excitement and enthusiasm you raise and wave the flag while yelling, “hooray, I got it! I got it!”—that is capturing the flag per se.
This challenge required keenly reading through the instructions and paying attention to detail. I learned what CTF meant, its importance in the challenge, and what the point system entailed. The answer was in the actual challenge instruction, and I was able to capture the flag.
Flag
wicys[Welcome]
MITRE ATT&CK
(Suggested)
- Resource Development (TA0042): It’s important to learn various MITRE ATT&CK frameworks to prepare for different scenarios. For this challenge resource development technique stood out to me. It is a high-level defensive technique that can limit the adversary’s ability to develop further resources. Here, we practiced recognizing how something simple, like naming a challenge, mirrors the early steps an adversary takes when preparing for an attack. Attackers build resources and pay attention to small details, similarly, I had to carefully read and prepare my approach to capture the flag correctly.