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Zumair Shamsi and his friends, despite being newcomers to the world of cybersecurity, participated in a Capture The Flag (CTF) competition organized by PROCOM & ACM Cyber Security. Initially overwhelmed by the complexity of the challenges, they managed to secure the 22nd position out of 50 teams. Their journey from not knowing what CTF stood for to solving real cybersecurity challenges in just three hours is a testament to the power of perseverance and learning by doing.
You Should Know:
1. OSINT (Open Source Intelligence):
- Command: `theharvester -d example.com -l 500 -b google`
– This command uses theHarvester tool to gather emails, subdomains, and other information from Google. - Command: `recon-ng -w example_workspace`
– This command initializes a workspace in Recon-ng for OSINT gathering.
2. Cryptography:
- Command: `openssl enc -aes-256-cbc -salt -in plaintext.txt -out encrypted.txt`
– This command encrypts a file using AES-256-CBC encryption. - Command: `openssl enc -d -aes-256-cbc -in encrypted.txt -out decrypted.txt`
– This command decrypts a file encrypted with AES-256-CBC.
3. CTF Tools:
- Command: `binwalk -e file.bin`
– This command extracts embedded files and code from a binary file. - Command: `strings file.bin`
– This command extracts human-readable strings from a binary file.
4. Network Analysis:
- Command: `tcpdump -i eth0 -w capture.pcap`
– This command captures network traffic on the eth0 interface and saves it to a file. - Command: `wireshark capture.pcap`
– This command opens the captured network traffic in Wireshark for analysis.
5. Linux System Commands:
- Command: `ps aux | grep process_name`
– This command lists all running processes and filters by a specific process name. - Command: `netstat -tuln`
– This command lists all listening ports on the system.
What Undercode Say:
Participating in a CTF competition, even as a beginner, can be an incredibly enriching experience. The key is to dive in, embrace the challenges, and learn from the process. The commands and tools mentioned above are just the tip of the iceberg in the vast world of cybersecurity. Whether you’re decrypting files, analyzing network traffic, or gathering OSINT, each step brings you closer to mastering the art of cybersecurity. Keep exploring, keep learning, and most importantly, keep practicing. The journey from noob to expert is paved with persistence and curiosity.
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References:
Reported By: Zumair Shamsi – Hackers Feeds
Extra Hub: Undercode MoN
Basic Verification: Pass ✅



