Prologue
Hey there, This blog is not gonna be about the technical nitty-gritty and would be more on my experience and the challenges I faced. Buckle up for a tale of triumph, tribulation, and teamwork – all with a dash of Naruto sprinkled in (dattebayo!). This is the story of my 13-week HTB seasonal conquest!
Yess, Naruto Fan here !!
The Mission: Reach for the Holo!
HTB uses a ranking system based on the percentage of flags captured during the season. Bronze represents the starting point, followed by Silver, Gold, Ruby, Platinum, and the ultimate goal – Holo. Like any aspiring ninja, I set my sights high – the coveted Holo rank. But the path to greatness is rarely smooth. While I managed to snag 23 out of 26 flags and get placed in the top 6% of players worldwide, those pesky 3 missing flags held me back from Holo, landing me at Platinum. Talk about a close call!
The Enemy: Demystifying Active Directory
My greatest foe this season? Active Directory of Windows machines. As I navigated the complex world of Active Directory on Windows machines, I encountered both triumphs and roadblocks. While I successfully captured 9 flags, 3 others remained elusive, exposing areas where my AD knowledge could be further refined.
This experience has reinforced the importance of embracing challenges as opportunities for growth. Just as a skilled ninja is ever-seeking to expand their expertise, I too must approach this task with a mindset of continuous learning and improvement.
The fact that I claimed 9 flags is a testament to my progress, but the remaining 3 serve as a humbling reminder that mastery is a lifelong pursuit. I will dive deeper into the intricacies of Active Directory, exploring new techniques and strategies, and leaving no stone unturned in my quest for complete mastery.
The Toughest Challenge: The Dreadful MIST
One machine that truly tested my limits this season was MIST, the insane box. Despite dedicating a significant amount of time and effort, I wasn’t able to crack it and achieve user access. While sleep deprivation might not be the best teammate (trust me!), the experience with MIST pushed me to refine my approach and explore alternative techniques for tackling such complex machines. The journey of learning and pushing boundaries is what makes HTB so rewarding, even when the final flag remains elusive.
Balancing the Grind with Life’s Other Battles
Speaking of challenges, this HTB season wasn’t a solo trip! Life decided to throw everything at me at once. On top of conquering HTB boxes, I was also deep in the trenches developing two other projects ( talk about multitasking! ). Getting the oppurtunity to attend the prestigious GCC 2024 which happened in Thailand (you can read more about it here: https://rav3nf0.github.io/posts/gcc24/ ), college classes with looming exams, various personal commitments, and the pressure of these projects pushed my time management skills to their absolute limit. Every spare moment became a battlefield – late nights were spent either cracking HTB challenges, cramming for exams, catching up on assignments, or making progress on my development projects.
The Power of Teamwork: Believe It, Dattebayo!
But fear not, for I wasn’t alone in this epic quest! I had a fantastic team of 4 comrades by my side. Our greatest moments? Those late-night Discord calls (or even better, in-person lab sessions) where we’d work together, clutch flags at the last minute, and celebrate victories like we just passed the Chunin Exams! A special shoutout to Keerthi, my teammate-in-crime who was always there to lend a hand (or a critical eye) – no matter the time of day, conquering challenges and sharing the thrill of victory.
Rasengan This Box! Conquering Skyfall
Speaking of victories, my proudest achievement this season was absolutely pwning the insane Linux machine, Skyfall. While I typically dedicate extensive time to conquering insane machines, this time I challenged myself to crack it in one continuous stretch. After 18 hours of intense focus, the thrill of finally gaining access and solving Skyfall was truly unmatched. Getting root was much more easier than getting user. This one felt like a true testament to my growing skills.
Looking Ahead: The Next Challenge Awaits
While reaching Holo this season might have felt like a whisker away, the journey itself has been an incredible learning experience. My newfound understanding of Active Directory, particularly in areas like Kerberos Authentication, Domain Enumeration, different AD-CS attacks, abusing tokens etc. will be invaluable for the next HTB Machines I intend to solve. The thirst for knowledge only grows stronger!
In the meantime, keep an eye out for potential write-ups on some of the most fascinating boxes I tackled this season. If time allows, I’ll be diving deeper into these challenges and the thought processes behind conquering them, once the boxes are retired.
