Zero Hidden Knights - SMP CTF 2024 - Selection Round

Posted on by pmsiam0

Hi everyone, hope you're doing well! Today, I'm publishing the write-up for an unsolved challenge that can help sharpen your skills and apply them in real-world scenarios. Without further delay, let's dive into the write-up.

Step 1:

After downloading the file, we find the following contents: four image files, one text file, and a zip file, which contains the flag. Unfortunately, the zip file is password-protected, so we need to figure out the password to unzip it. Imgur

Step 2:

Upon examining the other files, we find a text file named pass, which contains the following text. At first glance, it appears to be simple text, but it isn't the password. However, the title and description provide a clue:

TITLE: Zero Hidden Knights
we uncovered an encoded document filled with cryptic symbols masquerading as spaces

Imgur

Step 3:

From this clue, we deduce that the file might use zero-width space encoding. After some research, we find a steganography tool capable of decoding zero-width space text. Using this tool, we decode the file and obtain a Google Drive link. Imgur

Step 4:

The link leads to a CSV file containing longitude and latitude coordinates, which likely represent locations on a map. Imgur

Step 5:

The CSV file contains over 200 locations. Manually searching each one is impractical. Instead, we use Google My Maps, a feature that allows us to create custom maps. Simply click on Create a New Map to get started. Imgur

Step 6:

Next, we import the CSV file into the map, which displays all the locations visually.

Imgur

Step 7:

From the challenge description, we know we need to find specific locations in a sequence. The sequence is as follows:

  • Pakistani Kashmir
  • Great Wall of China
  • Middle East
  • Dhaka, Bangladesh (capital city) Imgur

Step 8:

The final piece of the password is derived from Dhaka, which is N_P. Imgur

Step 9:

Once we organize the password, we successfully unzip the file. Inside, we find another file that contains the flag. Imgur

I hope you learned something valuable from this write-up! Stay connected with KShackZone and KnightSquad's official pages to stay updated on new CTF competitions and challenge solutions.

Happy Hacking....