aeondave/misc-ctf

Misc CTF

Goal: solve miscellaneous multi-domain challenge solving tasks with professional offensive methodology, preserved imported technique coverage, and reproducible evidence.

When this skill applies

• jails, encodings, esolangs, games, VMs, RF/SDR, DNS oddities, Linux privilege escalation puzzles, unicode tricks, QR/audio artifacts, or multi-stage puzzles
• problems where no single category dominates at first triage

Operating model

1. Classify the dominant artifact, primitive, or objective.
2. Load the closest offensive-techniques methodology before selecting tools.
3. Load debrandized imported references only for deep technique details.
4. Choose the smallest tool chain that can produce a validation signal.
5. Record the exact proof path and stop once the objective is reproducible.

Technique integration

Primary methodology to load:

• crypto-technique
• reversing-technique
• forensic-technique
• post-exploit-technique
• wireless-technique
• network-technique

Use these as decision engines. This skill adds challenge-oriented triage, time-boxing, and preserved specialized patterns from the imported corpus.

Tool routing

Prefer these tool families when the corresponding signal appears:

• cyberchef
• netcat
• wireshark
• aircrack-ng
• kismet
• coding/python-patterns
• coding/systematic-debugging

Tool syntax belongs in the tool skills. This skill decides when a tool family fits and what output should validate progress.

Writeup-derived patterns

• Public writeup patterns favor artifact-first triage, shortest reproducible path, and explicit validation signal before pivoting.
• Record failed hypotheses with evidence so an agent does not repeat expensive dead paths.
• Prefer category-specific tools after surface classification instead of running every scanner or brute-forcer by habit.
• End with a replayable proof: recovered secret, local verification, exploit output, decoded artifact, or correlated evidence chain.

Category-specific quick pivots

• Classify the primitive, not the category label: parser, sandbox, encoding, RF, protocol, game logic, or host privilege boundary.
• Use shortest deterministic transform chain first; avoid speculative brute force until representation is known.
• For jail and VM tasks, map constraints then build minimal escape or emulator.

Quality gates

• No claim without a validation signal: recovered secret, replayed exploit, decoded artifact, reproduced model behavior, or corroborated evidence.
• Do not brute force before representation, constraints, and success oracle are known.
• Keep a pivot ledger: hypothesis, evidence, result, next shortest path.
• Keep challenge/platform/competition names out of notes and generated reports.

Resources

• references/bashjails.md — preserved, debrandized imported technique material.
• references/ctfd-navigation.md — preserved, debrandized imported technique material.
• references/dns.md — preserved, debrandized imported technique material.
• references/encodings-advanced.md — preserved, debrandized imported technique material.
• references/encodings.md — preserved, debrandized imported technique material.
• references/games-and-vms-2.md — preserved, debrandized imported technique material.
• references/games-and-vms-3.md — preserved, debrandized imported technique material.
• references/games-and-vms-4.md — preserved, debrandized imported technique material.
• references/games-and-vms.md — preserved, debrandized imported technique material.
• references/linux-privesc.md — preserved, debrandized imported technique material.
• references/pyjails.md — preserved, debrandized imported technique material.
• references/rf-sdr.md — preserved, debrandized imported technique material.