← Standoff Task at Positive Hack Talks Goa

CTF guide

Standoff Task by Standoff 365 · Dec 10, 10:00–18:00 Goa time

Answers to common questions, connecting to the range, and the event rules from Standoff 365. Set up the VPN before the day, and know what can get you a penalty or cost you access to tasks.

FAQ

How do I register?

Apply for a seat in the Participate form on the Positive Hack Talks Goa page and tick Standoff Task CTF. More about the CTF, including the competition link and how to register on Standoff 365, will follow closer to the event.

Where is the CTF played?

At the Positive Hack Talks venue in Goa, so every player needs a seat at PHT. Seats are limited and go out as invitations by email.

Do I need my own laptop?

Yes, bring your own laptop: you play from it at the venue.

I applied for a seat at PHT. Am I in the CTF?

Only if you ticked Standoff Task CTF in the form. If you did not, write to phtalks@ptsecurity.com from the address you applied with and say that you agree to your details being passed to the Standoff team: we will add the CTF to your application.

When do I get the link to the competition?

Closer to the event, with the other CTF details.

Is it free?

Yes, for everyone. The top 3 share the $1,000 prize pool: $600 for 1st place, $300 for 2nd, $100 for 3rd.

What skills do I need?

Hands-on pentest experience, for example with web applications and Windows AD. The range of tasks is wide, and without the basics it will be hard going.

When do I get the VPN config?

On December 9 at 09:00 Goa time, on the event page on Standoff 365, under Access and resources. How to connect: Connect to the range.

What am I not allowed to do?

Nine rules: the rules of engagement and fair play below. Breaking them may result in a penalty or loss of access to tasks.

I can't connect. What now?

Write to the red team's technical support, @red_team_support_bot on Telegram. It is the only support channel.

Do participants get certificates?

Everyone who solves at least one task gets a confirmation of participation after the competition.

01 / Connection

Connect to the range

Prepare your VPN access before starting the event.

Install an application that connects to an OpenVPN server. For macOS, Tunnelblick is recommended.

Get your VPN configuration

  1. Open the event or online cyber range page on Standoff 365.

  2. Select Access and resources.

  3. Click Get and save the username and password required for VPN access.

  4. Click Download .ovpn configuration for OpenVPN. The configuration file will be saved locally.

Windows / OpenVPN GUI

  1. Open OpenVPN. In the system tray, open the OpenVPN GUI context menu and select Import > Import file.

  2. Select the downloaded configuration file, click Open, then OK.

  3. In the OpenVPN GUI context menu, select <Configuration name> > Connect.

  4. Enter the username and password from Access and resources on Standoff 365, then click OK.

macOS / Tunnelblick

  1. Open Tunnelblick and drag the configuration into the Configurations panel.

  2. In Install Configuration For All Users, choose Only me for your account or All Users for all users of the computer.

  3. Select the added configuration and click Connect.

  4. In Tunnelblick: Login Required, enter your Standoff 365 VPN username and password, then click OK.

Kali Linux / Network Manager

First obtain your VPN username, password and .ovpn file from Access and resources on the event page, as described above.

  1. In the OS toolbar, select Ethernet Network > VPN Connections > Add a VPN connection.

  2. Select Import a saved VPN configuration from the drop-down list and click Create.

  3. Select the configuration file and click Open.

  4. Enter the VPN username and password from Access and resources on Standoff 365, then click Save.

  5. In the OS toolbar, select Ethernet Network > VPN Connections > <Configuration name>.

Kali Linux / command line

  1. Download the configuration. Open its directory and select Open Terminal Here from the context menu.

  2. Copy the configuration to /etc/openvpn. Replace <Nickname> with the name in your downloaded file.

    sudo cp standoff_<Nickname>.ovpn /etc/openvpn/

  3. From the directory containing that file, connect to the VPN:

    sudo openvpn standoff_<Nickname>.ovpn

  4. Enter the VPN username and password from Access and resources on Standoff 365. The OS toolbar displays your assigned IP address and a lock icon.

If you cannot connect, contact technical support through the bot below. @red_team_support_bot

02 / Prohibited actions

Rules of engagement

The following restrictions apply when finding vulnerabilities and triggering critical events.

Violating the rules may result in a penalty or loss of access to tasks.

  1. Attacking the platform

    Do not hack Standoff 365; attack or disable security controls in the Standoff online cyber range; or attack services outside the infrastructure provided by the organizers.

  2. Attacking staff and organizers

    Do not attempt to access staff accounts, conduct phishing attacks against Positive Technologies employees, launch DoS or DDoS attacks against range infrastructure services or applications, or change service passwords in the Standoff online cyber range.

  3. Falsifying information

    Do not submit another participant's report as your own or knowingly include false information in a report.

  4. Modifying the platform or range

    Do not fix vulnerabilities intentionally introduced by the organizers or make changes to Standoff 365 or the Standoff online cyber range.

  5. Generating or sharing flags

    Do not generate flags or pass them to competitors.

  6. Using “king of the hill” tactics

    Do not occupy or block other participants' resources to prevent access, or create conditions that stop others from attacking or defending their resources. Do not interfere with other participants' traffic to prevent attacks or defend infrastructure without directly interacting with vulnerabilities. Do not block other participants' attempts to exploit vulnerabilities.

02 / Prohibited actions

Fair play

Respect other participants and use the designated support channel.

  1. Collaborating with other participants

    Do not share task solutions or arrange joint work with other participants, unless the task mechanics explicitly allow it.

  2. Publishing solutions

    Do not publish task write-ups or publicly explain how to complete tasks without the organizers' consent.

  3. Disrespectful behavior

    Do not be rude to organizers or other participants; use offensive or insulting language, including disguised forms; spam technical support; persistently argue with decisions that have been made; or use obscene or indecent language in any form or setting.

03 / If you need help

Support

To receive technical support, submit a request through the Telegram bot for attackers. Support specialists respond only to requests submitted through this channel.

@red_team_support_bot

Open the support bot

Questions about attack vectors: support specialists answer only questions about whether the vectors are functioning.