Briefing
Greetings, Special Agent.
It’s great to hear that your exercise went well, and congratulations to your team for winning. Now, let’s get back to business. Our old friend Maksim Kotova has escaped the Schneider residence under mysterious circumstances, and our field agents did not see anyone leave.
Nevertheless, we are determined to capture him this time, by any means necessary. A few weeks ago, one of our field agents managed to sneak into the residence and attach a GPS tracker and camera device to Maksim’s jacket.
Unfortunately, it seems that Maksim has taken some countermeasures, as the GPS functionality of our device doesn’t seem to work, most likely due to some jamming device he has on him. Nevertheless, our device automatically connects to any public WiFi network in range and uploads the photos it takes.
It is your assignment to use these photos to locate Maksim Kotova. One you do, we will send in one of our top field agent, Ricardo Alvarez, AKA the Bloodhound. He will make short work of Maksim.
As always, Special Agent, the contract is yours, if your choose to accept.
Materials
Answer Instruction
Use the answer to unlock the flagfile, this will reward you with your badge.
Use the name of the hotel, the city and phone number listed on Google Maps to create the answer that unlocks the flagfile.
Password format: hotel-name-city-phonenumber
Password example: summerset-hotel-london-+442055512345
Flagfile
Be advised, the flagfile is an encrypted ZIP. Make sure your OS supports the ZIP format. Ensure the password contains no hidden characters or formatting, paste in Notepad first if the password doesn’t seem to work.
PS: Don’t forget to claim your Coins and XP, by posting your card in the #card-brag channel in Discord.
Official Write-up
Provided here is the official write-up, it does contain the answer. Use this if you’re stuck, or want to verify if you got the answer correct.
⚠️ SPOILER: Official Write-up
Bloodhound
This contract follows the story of Maksim Kotova, an operative for the shadowy Order of Hades organization, who has escaped from one of their strongholds. However, the Tiberian Order has secretly attached a GPS camera to Maksim’s jacket, which periodically uploads photos to public WiFi networks. The goal is to use these photos to locate where Maksim is staying.
Challenge Objectives
- Analyze the photos taken by the camera on Maksim’s jacket
- Determine the location where Maksim is staying
- Generate the correct password format using the location details
Solution Steps
Step 1: Analyze the Photos
The briefing states that the GPS camera on Maksim’s jacket automatically uploads photos to public WiFi networks whenever it can. The players need to examine these photos to try and determine Maksim’s current location.
Step 2: Identify Maksim’s Location
Based on the details provided in the photos, the players should be able to determine that Maksim is staying at the Latanya Hotel in Ankara, Turkey.
Step 3: Generate the Password
The password format is:
latanya-hotel-ankara-+903124168800This includes the name of the hotel, the city, and the phone number listed for the Latanya Hotel on Google Maps.
Additional Context
The contract provides background on Maksim’s role as an operative for the Order of Hades, a clandestine organization, and the fact that he has been targeted by Ricardo Alvarez, a skilled tracker known as the “Bloodhound” who works for the Tiberian Order.
The prologue and epilogue sections give more details on the conflict between these shadowy organizations and Maksim’s current predicament.
Tips for Players
- Carefully examine the photos provided for any clues about Maksim’s location
- Pay attention to details like hotel names, city names, and phone numbers
- Ensure the password is formatted exactly as specified
- Be prepared for potential additional layers or challenges within the full contract
Creator(s): Frank Diepmaat