Zardus - Network

@defcon Quals process:Days 0-2: hackDay 3: party, sleep, (new:) reassure the kids I won't be gone next weekendDay 4: close hundreds of...

@defcon Quals process:

Days 0-2: hack
Day 3: party, sleep, (new:) reassure the kids I won't be gone next weekend
Day 4: close hundreds of tabs, terminals, IDA instances of chals. Terminate the angr script that never did finish before the CTF ended.
Finally, inner peace.

Oh! And I almost forgot: thank you to @nautilusinstitute for an awesome quals! Go get some well-deserved rest 🙂

Oh! And I almost forgot: thank you to @nautilusinstitute for an awesome quals! Go get some well-deserved rest 🙂

There are a lot of awesome CTF teams out there. But there's only one @shellphish. Luckily, they were willing to take me on as a complete...

There are a lot of awesome CTF teams out there. But there's only one @shellphish. Luckily, they were willing to take me on as a complete noob 17 years ago, take me back as a washed-up CTF organizer 4 years ago, and keep me on as an aloof professor today. Onwards, to @defcon!

I'm thankful for everyone on @shellphish, but want to give a special shout out to our new captain, @zolutal! This was zolutal's...

I'm thankful for everyone on @shellphish, but want to give a special shout out to our new captain, @zolutal! This was zolutal's first quals leading us, and it went great! And, as always, @zanardi, who founded the team decades ago and still gives it his all every quals!

I spent most of the CTF on the series of three "petshop" challenges. We worked on the second one all of Saturday, and I fell...

I spent most of the CTF on the series of three "petshop" challenges. We worked on the second one all of Saturday, and I fell asleep with the realization that we would not solve it and that I'd fail the team. Mid-morning, we made the breakthrough and cleared the whole series!

Happy to report that this either doesn't appear to be the case, or that my teammates are skilled enough to mask my decline! I...

Happy to report that this either doesn't appear to be the case, or that my teammates are skilled enough to mask my decline! I contributed to five challenge solves over the weekend and even made it home to sleep on Friday night!

Of course, food wasn't the main concern. Between inexorably advancing age, a dearth of time for keeping my CTF skills sharp recently,...

Of course, food wasn't the main concern. Between inexorably advancing age, a dearth of time for keeping my CTF skills sharp recently, and the ever-increasing difficulty of challenges, I worried that I'd open my laptop and, to my horror, discover that I'd lost "it".

Luckily, disaster was averted: new meals were scheduled before quals started, and the team had access to real, varied, relatively fresh food...

Luckily, disaster was averted: new meals were scheduled before quals started, and the team had access to real, varied, relatively fresh food throughout the weekend without breaking their stride. Can't recommend that enough. Gamechanger!

But, Friday morning, due to a comedy of errors, all the meals were cancelled! In a drama that played out in Slack notifications hours before...

But, Friday morning, due to a comedy of errors, all the meals were cancelled! In a drama that played out in Slack notifications hours before quals started, domino after domino dropped, and the prospect of a weekend subsisting on nothing but chocolate covered almonds loomed large.

Wanting to avoid a) starving hackers and b) hackers wasting time looking for food when they could be hacking, I worked with our amazing...

Wanting to avoid a) starving hackers and b) hackers wasting time looking for food when they could be hacking, I worked with our amazing staff to arrange for regularly scheduled meal deliveries from local restaurants! We'd just worry about hacking, and food would magically appear.

@shellphish hackers from around the country hacked from our lab at @scai_asu, stressing our air conditioning amid Phoenix's first heat...

@shellphish hackers from around the country hacked from our lab at @scai_asu, stressing our air conditioning amid Phoenix's first heat wave of the year! Of course, having been a CTF team captain myself, I had the thought: "what will these people eat?"

Today, I participated in @defcon Quals #CTF with @shellphish! After missing last year's quals due to family traditions...

Today, I participated in @defcon Quals #CTF with @shellphish! After missing last year's quals due to family traditions (https://defcon.social/@Zardus/112378834023606154), it was great to be back! We got 5th place and (unless our calculations are off) are heading to finals!

And AZ CTF comes to a close! Congrats to the winners! And, of course, everyone can now tackle the chals on #pwncollege at:...

And AZ CTF comes to a close! Congrats to the winners! And, of course, everyone can now tackle the chals on #pwncollege at: https://pwn.college/az-ctf-2025~6fbdc1d4/

This CTF is an exciting collaboration between Arizona State University's American Cybersecurity Institute, the University of Arizona,...

This CTF is an exciting collaboration between Arizona State University's American Cybersecurity Institute, the University of Arizona, Northern Arizona University, Grand Canyon University, and community colleges around the state! We have a lot more planned, so stay tuned!

If you're interested in trying your hand at this from outside of AZ, the challenges will all be available on pwn.college in 5 hours when...

If you're interested in trying your hand at this from outside of AZ, the challenges will all be available on pwn.college in 5 hours when the CTF ends! Completing them will grant you the coveted 🔱 emoji award on pwn.college!

The CTF includes the first blockchain challenges on pwn.college, built by @0xhashiman and an awesome array of other chals by @mahal0z,...

The CTF includes the first blockchain challenges on pwn.college, built by @0xhashiman and an awesome array of other chals by @mahal0z, @cl4sm, @x3ero0, @TheWyrmSuperior, and me! We tried to keep the chals approachable and interestingly challenging for undergrads!

The first edition of the Arizona CTF (this one open just to undergrads in the state's various colleges) is running right now! Just over...

The first edition of the Arizona CTF (this one open just to undergrads in the state's various colleges) is running right now! Just over 100 undergrads pwning at the moment across AZ, 13 challenges solved, 10 challenges and 5 hours to go. First prize is $1337. Hype!

ASU is a "top 11" cybersecurity school and rising fast! We've got amazing faculty (and also myself), great research, and...

ASU is a "top 11" cybersecurity school and rising fast! We've got amazing faculty (and also myself), great research, and absolutely TOP-NOTCH education (which yields incredible students!). And you know what'll make ASU even more awesome year? YOU!

Hello aspiring cybersecurity professors! ASU is hiring faculty in all security disciplines and all levels, and the first deadline is...

Hello aspiring cybersecurity professors! ASU is hiring faculty in all security disciplines and all levels, and the first deadline is TONIGHT! Apply at https://apply.interfolio.com/157461 and don't worry --- you can still apply tomorrow if tonight is impossible :-)

And, finally, we have huge plans to recognize and encourage the community. I'll leave this for later announcements, but there are some...

And, finally, we have huge plans to recognize and encourage the community. I'll leave this for later announcements, but there are some exciting things coming down the pipeline!

Hope to see everyone at @DEFCONAcademy (beta) next @defcon!