HTB CA 2023 Retrospect (⊙_⊙)？
I have had time to share my writeups as well as experiment with challenges which I may have been close to completing. Thanks to the help of the HTB afterparty being available and the writeups which people have shared, it is possible to map out the areas which I need to improve upon. At least, in a more concentrated way, that is.
There is much that I still need to learn, but I enjoy learning, so this post serves more as a reminder of my goals.
Beneficial Skills:
The challenges ranged from very easy to insane and I managed to complete the very easy and easy tasks. Apart from lacking in knowledge or experience in certain topics, I’ve considered the following skills necessary as I completed the challenges.
Automation
This was most evident where gross repetition was required. I managed to use the cURL I knew or expand upon my existing knowledge with some research, but for other challenges which required some form of automation, I needed more time to produce the desired output. Time isn’t always a luxury afforded during a live CTF or an attack during a real world setting, so I plan to remedy this by improving my Python knowledge to assist my tasks.
Tools
It is somewhat related to automation, but more generally to my methodology as well. I would like to improve both my knowledge and working experience of various tools. Unlike automation, this isn’t something which requires intense study, as working with the tools regularly will foster understanding. I believe this will be able to be achievable in the short term.
Platforms
The use of platforms during the CTF, Docker is one example, reminded me that having a working awareness of such services is important and I would like to integrate the use of them along with my studies.
Looking Ahead:
I plan to improve upon these skills listed above as the year progresses. It will be challenging and there may be a lot of fails before success, though I won’t be disheartened by any of it.
This was a slightly more personal post, which I don’t plan to have much of on this site, but I think it is helpful to have some form of accountability to guide during this journey.