First steps in CTF
You learn capture-the-flag thinking on your own lab targets and solve Linux, network, web and password puzzles step by step.
Level 101 · 15 lessons · 0 practice labs
Lessons
Rules and first flags
- What CTF is, the rules and the ethical limits
- The flag format and submitting it
- The flag in a hidden directory
- The flag inside a file with the wrong extension
- Short task: extract a flag nested inside an archive
Network and web
- The banner on an open port
- The comment in the page source
- The path revealed by robots.txt
- The hint hidden in a response header
- Short task: read a cookie value without changing it and find the flag
Encodings and passwords
- Decoding base64 and hex
- A note hidden with a Caesar cipher
- Identifying a hash type
- Finding a weak password with a small wordlist
- Capstone: a four-flag beginner machine
About this course
You learn capture-the-flag thinking on your own lab targets and solve Linux, network, web and password puzzles step by step.
What you will learn
- Rules and first flags
- Network and web
- Encodings and passwords
Prerequisites
No prior knowledge is needed; the course starts from zero.
Lab environment
Lessons run in your own Kali Linux terminal in the browser, connected to a private lab network. Nothing to install.
Frequently asked questions
- Is this course right for my level?
- The course is at beginner level; every term is explained where it first appears.
- Is there anything to install?
- No. Every lesson runs in your own lab environment that opens in the browser.
- How do lessons work?
- Each lesson has 8 to 10 steps and a short quiz. Early steps show the command to type, later steps give less help; if two attempts fail, the solution opens.
- Can I try it for free?
- Yes. The first three lessons of every course are free.