SNYK Fetch The Flag 2025 CTF
My Journey Through the SNYK Fetch the Flag 2025 CTF: A Deep Dive into Security Challenges
I recently participated in the SNYK Fetch the Flag 2025 CTF, and it was an amazing experience! As someone passionate about cybersecurity, this CTF was a great opportunity to sharpen my skills in penetration testing, vulnerability scanning, and exploit development. I ended up placing 454 out of 1210 teams and 5898 players, only able to solve 9 of 30 challenges provided due to skill limitations, time constraints, and fatigue from narrowing in too deeply on some frustrating ones haha, but each of those challenges taught me something and challenged me (see here for participation credit):
What is the SNYK Fetch the Flag 2025 CTF?
The SNYK Fetch the Flag 2025 CTF was a security competition focused on real-world security challenges. Participants were tasked with identifying vulnerabilities, exploiting them, and learning how to secure applications against common flaws. Hosted by SNYK, the competition also provided a great opportunity to explore the integration of security practices throughout the software development lifecycle.
Key Takeaways from the CTF Challenges
Participating in the Snyk Fetch the Flag 2025 Capture the Flag (CTF) competition offered valuable insights into various cybersecurity domains. The event featured 30 hands-on challenges, encompassing areas such as web security, binary exploitation, and cryptography, catering to both beginners and experts.
Key Lessons Learned:
Web Application Security: Challenges highlighted the importance of securing web applications against common vulnerabilities, emphasizing the need for robust security measures in web development.
Binary Exploitation: Tasks focused on understanding and exploiting binary vulnerabilities, providing insights into low-level security mechanisms and the significance of secure coding practices.
Cryptography: Some challenges involved deciphering encoded messages, reinforcing the importance of strong encryption methods and secure data transmission protocols.
Security Tool Proficiency: Utilizing tools such as Burp Suite and Wireshark was crucial for identifying and exploiting vulnerabilities, underscoring the necessity of being adept with various security testing tools.
Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving: Approaching each challenge required analytical thinking and creativity, reinforcing the value of a methodical and persistent problem-solving mindset in cybersecurity.
Collaborating with an Exceptional Community
One of the highlights of the Snyk Fetch the Flag 2025 CTF was the opportunity to engage with a vibrant and supportive community on Discord. This platform facilitated real-time discussions, collaborative problem-solving, and knowledge sharing, enriching the overall experience. The collective enthusiasm and expertise of community members not only made tackling challenges more enjoyable but also fostered a sense of camaraderie among participants. Being part of such an exceptional community significantly enhanced my learning journey during the CTF.
Sharing My Work on GitHub
As part of the learning process, I’ve decided to share my solutions to the CTF challenges on GitHub Here. I’ve uploaded my solutions, along with explanations of the tools and techniques I used. Whether you’re looking to get into CTF challenges or simply want to explore exploit development and vulnerability research, you can follow along with my work.
Feel free to check out the GitHub repository for detailed walkthroughs of each challenge I tackled.
A Special Thanks to John Hammond
A big thank you to John Hammond for co-hosting the event. His contribution to the CTF made it even more valuable, and his efforts in designing the challenges really helped me grow as a security researcher. I’m looking forward to more of his future work in the cybersecurity community.
Participating in the SNYK Fetch the Flag 2025 CTF was an incredible learning experience, and I highly recommend getting involved in events like this if you’re looking to improve your cybersecurity skills. Be sure to check out my GitHub repository for solutions and insights, and feel free to reach out with any questions or contributions.
Happy learning!
