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NahamCon 2025 CTF: Scripts, Struggles, and Small Wins

· 2 min read
Ben Mickens
Ben Mickens
Cybersecurity Educator, Human Risk Strategist

This weekend, I competed in my second Capture the Flag event with the Hack Smarter team at NahamCon 2025, and we placed 92nd out of 1,721 teams!

The Butterfly Effect of Learning​

My 7th-grade science teacher once shared a metaphor that stuck with me:

If someone is struggling to answer a question and you answer it for them, that's like helping a butterfly break out of a cocoon. You may think you're helping, but you're actually doing them a disservice. It's the struggle that makes them stronger.

That perfectly describes what I love about working with the Hack Smarter team. Even after someone captures a flag, they give just enough hints to let others figure it out on their own. It's an awesome learning experience.

CTF Wins (Big and Small)​

This time around, I managed to solve three challenges, and I was tickled pink because each one involved techniques that were brand new to me.

Blind NoSQL Injection (Python FTW)​

One of the web challenges required a blind NoSQL injection. I started off brute-forcing the flag character-by-character, but I took a break, stepped back, and used a Python script to automate the process.

WebSockets + JavaScript = 2 Million Boxes​

Another web challenge used a WebSocket connection and required me to check two million boxes to retrieve a flag. I used a JavaScript script to communicate directly with the server over the socket and automate the process. No manual clicking necessary.

Groovy Scripting in Jenkins​

For a DevOps challenge, I explored the Jenkins Script Console and used a Groovy script to extract the flag. Groovy was a new language for me, but its similarity to Java made it fun to explore under pressure.

Key Takeaway: Code Is Power​

Scripting is a godsend in CTF competitions! This weekend encouraged me to sharpen my coding skills, and I learned a ton by diving into the Python, JavaScript, and Grovy docs.

Thanks again to the Hack Smarter team for the collaboration, support, and the space to struggle, learn, and grow. I can't wait for the next one!