waradorn-sir/MiniCTFChallenges

# Mini CTF Challenges A collection of 17 CTF (Capture The Flag) challenges built around a chained format — each flag you find becomes the password to unlock the next challenge. ## What is a Chained CTF? Most CTF competitions let you jump between challenges freely. This one doesn't. You have to solve them in order, because the flag from each challenge is the password that opens the next one. The idea is to keep you moving forward through different topics without skipping anything. It starts simple and gradually gets harder as you go. ## Challenges There are 17 challenges in total, covering cryptography, steganography, networking, OSINT, and forensics. Start with `1SanityCheck.zip` — it's the only one that doesn't need a password to open. ## Getting Started Clone the repo and start with the first challenge: git clone https://github.com/waradorn-sir/MiniCTFChallenges.git cd MiniCTFChallenges Open `1SanityCheck.zip` — no password needed. Read the files inside and work from there. **Tools you might need along the way:** - [CyberChef](https://gchq.github.io/CyberChef/) — good for encoding/decoding almost anything - [CrackStation](https://crackstation.net/) — online hash cracker - [Wireshark](https://www.wireshark.org/) — for the network challenge - [Steghide](http://steghide.sourceforge.net/) / [zsteg](https://github.com/zed-0xff/zsteg) — for steganography - Python 3 — useful for scripting solutions - `hashcat` or `john` — for password cracking challenges ## Flag Format IST815{flag_text_here} ## Tips Each challenge folder has hints inside. They're collapsed by default — only open them if you're genuinely stuck. The point is to work through it yourself first. If you hit a wall, step back and think about what category the challenge falls under. Most of the time the answer is simpler than it looks. ## Writeups Writeups are kept inside each challenge folder. They're there as a last resort, not a shortcut. ## Author **Waradorn Siripunt** Cybersecurity Graduate Student | Penn State University [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/waradornsir/) · [Medium](https://medium.com/@copterwaradorn) This project was built for educational purposes. All challenges are original content created for learning and practice.