What Are Forum Challenges?
Forum challenges are CTF-like games that take place across this website. If you haven’t played a CTF (capture the flag) before - Its a game, usually involving real computer hacking, cryptography, and forensic skills. The objective here is to find a flag, submit it, earn points.
Okay, so whats the point of points?
Getting enough points will earn you unique badges, titles, and group memberships on the forum. Maybe even more in the future.
So what’s a flag?
A flag is just a term for a piece of information, something that can’t be guessed, and provides proof that you completed the CTF.
How do I find a flag?
Look for it, ya goof. Some of the them will be hidden on the website. Some of them can only be obtained by completing tasks like cracking a password. There might even be an accompanying forum post that will offer you hints.
How will I know when I found a flag?
All the flags are a string of text, in a specific format unless stated otherwise - A bunch of random characters, surround by {curly brackets} and starting with “PWN”. Here’s an example:
PWN{w3lc0m3_2_PwNk177y}
Got it?
Okay, so how do I submit a flag?
Just send a direct message to @challenge_bot, like so:
Copy it over and send it.
If you answered correctly you should get a notification of your reward (Let me or another mod know if you don’t). Go ahead and try it with the example flag we showed you.
Easy, right? But beware… Its gonna get a LOT tougher from here on out.