OtterCTF 2018 – Network Challenges – Birdman’s Data Write-up

OtterCTF dates from December 2018 and includes reverse engineering, steganography, network traffic, and more traditional forensics challenges. I have written-up the memory forensics section in a previous post. The whole CTF is available to play online as of March 2020.

This series of write-ups will cover the three challenges I was able to complete out of the four available in the network analysis section of the CTF, starting with a write-up of the Birdman’s Data challenge.

We start by downloading the PCAP containing the challenge data, and calculating some hashes.

MD5: 67157597613fc288fe8dbce910707a2f
SHA1: ae7d7060bab931c6241e18aacbeb03a61a744c10

When examining a PCAP I like to start by checking the Conversations and Protocol Hierarchy to get an idea of what kind of traffic we are dealing with.

We can see some HTTP traffic in the Protocol Hierarchy so let’s look into that.

This looks like plaintext HTTP traffic to an online text encryption service. We can follow the HTTP stream to get some more details of what is being sent and received, including the parameters used by the encryption service.

As we examine the HTTP stream further we find two parameters named key

{"key":"XfCtxvD1yFZbxQ/+ULhAcA=="}
{"key":"sEhrZxQpnNnINixu3KQ1Tg=="}

And a third parameter named ciphertext.

{"cipherText":"qKOtD3sK0WMMbAkIKach40aXJpNSz+N4dxcQC5I84ZOe7RqsK2ScQPQ4FO0NLvpU0M9uIJoZE1Z/8pY3qP5SyCebGjiEggb/LN0ODbud9YEjP69m44O4FqXHrJnhktoIV352sWOu0dj3hVl9KQd/nduPtSwec+Legwpy1ri7XEpOi8tbf89+hegQbJCt+5kxFPVdx++ymka3Lf/2rj2m9QV7EVz6AiIg6lsSUv23gpaGbWF57g+hUqLC+zhHVrWt3OzuYE9Tf0mxklrWWOAGUPQBNhCy93Q1iu8yB7x6j2ijh/k9gnibdjiLKjww/p88LF3Xv4GaoBH1Qzocpe21NWFp+RI1UNzB7duJ5L6V8rxsuIuFn27u4N9YhuM8QPBaiLd0fCB6bk6fmXivNLxRoqrgIOIXG7Oa4W+G1TOwt4IOO6VcgSIlgL5jJkFm4baXNAZ4ppylgQzRUBac49EGubFU4Bp7tXmu/w4H3YzkJPbFhm5q0gitLtZx91zpeTra8b3zrV0C/r0tbToFsNYHvUDjlT/yrWW3G20Q5Hy1eKmbubDB2h9BuIcmFW7ZjPK5hu65n8xTND7jgn/AoqpO7c94JdttKSeo7pbfjP4/1BpIUr7F8+HGy/yIWY1ZXRbNqP4dOEyhjkylvQOhun34FhSjFHaLQMK1//jeoEP9x1q66wze+oLeB53OjJdM5LhusIEN7wnwm2KDAPV7s9XimA4D8m9PImnKAT2ag1/7VqqpbKCU3JvVGQnmfuF4gUpYC7Q02O1BheqCI6OGxkcWif3Yd6Pe0KzXrhobWbTityQMVRGIBrcdHpikUNz6Y580Bdwjsnt+1P9/qCa9f9LzXjGdT4aBGS+9OWwUUnaRuoT9N6lG2apXbeqb9zJziwz6RjwYYXYAQ6c+9P1mzPjm9gnPZYigu7/0RwEq3UHnIjGkOsU5YhzciSiQQxBoda+7noLlfQd0IaL1jrtjQksGy3vALQNA3MLECe9juJ429aB+ndsSjYZ74ckNtITdVhJSwS3p2bWuOia0TSg1leDJPiDWD6DhhafpTWwxyo1Vp3pCv2HgMjgmnRIxPwcHPkTYkxNmk5G6UWhkSKbCtvvPsWZ2s//0PsbdhnN3vCDLrbIoYoIy40aCH98eWjuF1rGKbX6TdcFrjzhGUiKPW6vk+bF/ZSSkTsDBi1lIj7gdxbEzFsGUdO/mHyC3Rwo5yFqFFo+z4e78OhFVezRx/CPzyKzRlLubHzwpz2cvdLfdmndta9AwgwKD2czcjkGtJRBtZUeegN5R70yER7KSa1BbnX5mFgy4CiyLcT1hVSdjD+Cb3K+qtqh51kY8YHcq2koRrR6XHVOYoECXf2ElmOZ067I2vuFgaKqgp08cMA+4HgHIAsWJEOy8Xk7C7inIfWxzBpPdeC+erwvJgcqCm58TwNyjC0KprD5HeVK7ADcI6VFfB8PTtf/RDBGOVwa0SCgmX0pw1GbWsRgHD5QDXgee6PpD/+ug7/vArQBGaYsYiqkbI+ACROR2tRBH0iJq8ptbhW6eER8XqN7fAT87Mzw0Sx4VcWhAMlZZbycvxRUz+OiEjedNE5nBPGzQYorIyychpErdG/1fqjSkM7jwPQxqRNQwiGxE9M6aWDjLuvJ8nDMV0ShOkBlNQ0dQOH6ih7E4cnbm7bIVqXLkcyvwLEllMHHkVrLDeleDpu1c7+uL8DljSsHiygRnMexOR3pwXmnaZ+lMLoJkwrXc0+j9R4i37lVO8GtO0PqbXd0xnzTVpRu/8HFHIfobIaHpbTDcO+YrWmj6KqS4/87DOvxoc/PuoqrYlECoFGEJFms+AysRZ6hJ2TiyjAwEUAJNeqaSckilTm/mqfPgzM2XwFfBaZMXu46Ah9grhWem1gVR+OnixoFoQmvDfRcjavjtHvwNvESiVdxbgeU2oImV+reHoUYWKSbLh4jqjlqpXrH7dU2pSRuQ05/VM5W/ns4+gQeI+6K1KLGKKdieTnFESfgENPXLKTn3B3pEssYobGLnhjjAYUF57R5pIdShnRGTnsUeguP0QuCShQkWKUrtADazFaI351Lxkns/mF1dOz2Ao91nGiSekw6yWO/5dQqvUAiHQx7Uj168UpmI8wYCVorC/bL5B8OOWC1rJd79uM+Znu3NGY2fOSejFaGdK24ULEtU1M5dJeMacFR238OX1/59PQZfk7ZvwJcPTcfKtoER9YybY5/3kYUTS2w7CcrWmstixLeKtRopeHR35mfRgi4r+CpUJPCdUqthWYXYkmD4lni2rAFpex2ffotNT4VVus3KpDQocYFQpnWDJ8pnMKpHQyfqjgr4oGXGJeCl3iLTAlrTzLsYsykLxhuHmSNe9+9MrmiMizdrJHVPjTWLXKBB9o4giC220dodVLgiot0POixbKSaiiNlNRGtgsjJii2C1Pe0W1aEOUn0thCh30KQstnfxG4J+L51jTBI6yNeaaIdsaMBF5gRqP6afljhvT+koPG8sinnQNKR/T12UaJzdtsWrUFIV1+5b+M+CioH5lfWXx/CiCi+uCwUsgKMS3PbISidmdjYEqAC+Iqo87zfcmZsramZuhxs7JuiwF0Xr6L1/EoxnhfQovP/ny2QMC5ibVltpBZf0BJmZ9KT/MlZdWGkpBLQHxyia5VrvUeZEyvwVhuV1df436fE57Bp00X76pTjqZUmdEV/2VfU2/rWiosval7ZwT/+0XOdjEx/9T+x5QFS6i+4gMpINL1XsnDuBBOuoGJC1ElBY2wFtyKXvq+lCnlfQT4lTDLdQlXSEYM8AnT5Sb/9N2CExNkuRWRXgJGkFe66darkElMuQVAWfwkvtu5qQjIwm5GKGyGNb08VucDORtGn2ehrkmKSR/RYxDEYW3RzT8A+UvkaGxyL0AA8zqgNz6mLOR021qgH7NvtoYXKIYiVKvzNM38TtzfQU4lVZ6tDFKpRC1d+bTzAgyfETNn5YJD3U+KjutSU3FmLr0fgpIkNN3NaM8MGUcIK+xRve8yCXeH9zyTqTbMACodNly9Tc3iquUppiAZgDVKBNL18OR1H4YjAeAI23nkTts4QA+x5EwFdFrKVHf/kklNikVnkfA20y/ngxkdkcFBwT7Z4n7Cm+1QTUjDG4Cf2j78IM4CpvR5WqoOQ3y0jrhs8hPhKGqtSqZP2NRJQCSsb2Vx5peLKpf0wv8FNiVnJTj1HQWBj9ozLIekc9cPbThlqbI5Cr7LiOG/4RbjjwD7hW1gtoW1/mqN4iEgL0z3qOkD2Q22IKxxwNUZOIu7gm7lmtbi21QWexLRJKCCCV8dSBFVSyQrrx8i6HbONFLhHCD/3BV4PWjlUBOwre7CsPA0OzlxIZ76h0Bik1bZvk6wXaAvMBubAQDq4vObxRidEsXG2cQximadPiKSEAMLLe/ICYAnh7SaYyn3PFKIslama90lcCBm9i17QNkVRnMMqjze8Wt/v0p3hX28BQxSZgGEBxd3+oD3b4+Z1kYjneVyhRLb/xeTl731nR3xXX96aZMG4uS13nNmaPT5aO/yKeqIoPEYBg6UYsSneFX6g+H4WMs/7tLY98F6Z1ZOZIpU8XMHj8GuEXS3mv62CW4kMc+SnGo6Ase1ZDpGyY77UcfRwtv0jSV2ot2bLCHEp5q5VKjTFlweSyZCS1CoISzQx1wdliDgAI/R1gBi+VsgCbVstK72ulwr30NTO64O8vYvip71eKEPocDUtXXv5K0l/+AdT/x8Q46M0CjOy9XwTqEq49TqknLAnZCD0GHDtzaBB39XXVT6WqO0Xb+VBRwGi0OMwSKcoek4pPxXFr58cXbvW5ZRbGOCsL+zPN8sc2m4896YCNKOJMV99ladLJ3tVvup6KY0QBwym6NyAh/CznnMxqOAsVJrk3sFP8GB8k2bLc8jqvsSSJan6pb/QdlGfuXGvToIfcJbOgHEU5OEmpPr8LfVBjrm4zocJIAvYE90gE3Q5kxeq5fVy1TbdOYs923HUdGEVq7fGyLuqG9/2YyKV0nHOYPG56TGuyUzUbVtwNVpzxhcIWwsekItUX7HaF6c8a8XeZwYEH7Ds4kGqfGsOP++uYFbjT2tXBIfdFg6sSNbP7VDQOxt9L0nzAjcxzayGatCt1+20ESyxKKDd4P9jXvKeKVHx45+EL7hJjyKkgnSaWqUA92fodVFXZ89NiOKd7ydxgxVUYtgU8Mo9qz2X8hrFCl4YSVfihUy3yIJJwjJLqadmihK41+qwS2m8/2vze3Lzt4VknTGcW/yq9GMMWTNLMbu0D4X2YQeil6rlNrfhC4uBGoBhtFvUGe4MxFpWPBIeQacqzVOQi42Q0C0fmiwbMrXb2+4jWCS2TW2N7GeyqgInyp4sqiRjj49Bz7tEnY9h6hkEkXACHTZLCwq0jrOn9usR3W15ebmB7RFJA136X/5K7jxad1ReXAJMcHzg8VaVxfI9LEMDf/EERtFpCd4eBQsGddB3BCrJAKrn4c+DvOcumVQJrxMqL1FRNZVlmEE8v/lp94gd1aaFltM6vA9+eNowT/u0i8ehSe9Zy05saT8eOlGeVXvcPx5w35SQ+62e/xnZXP58esdrz4y30bFEZ7qa5BsiQppa6R9Ix2QKSzViS1EyRBWr/ttLi1e12+1jQ51+ZJu2/F5sNF6Y0ZTfg0KWf+LrIE9Hsi1qs2wbevKEvUsE9a59Ay/jWGJEYHzDZivhmSDOwX9Fj6/5+yZNmyT984NiapCozRuW+RaW+9x1bbm8s98QjGL7Y1AT1Op6ZyQDVxo09eX88rlSLHvI="}

Assuming that the first key parameter is the Key, and the second is the IV, we can use the online service to decrypt the ciphertext.

It worked! Out pops the plaintext message. But we’re not done yet, we still need to extract the flag.

The layout of the text is a little bit odd; looking at the first characters of the first four lines seems to spell CTF{… With a bit of command-line work we can clean this up.

cat plaintext.txt | cut -c 1 | tr -d '\n'

There we go! Now we can submit our flag and claim the points.

CTF{EmiNeM_FOR_LifE_gEez}

Next up in my OtterCTF series, Look At Me.

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