STORY DRIVEN OSINT CTF

easy
medium
hard
insane

Dialogues From Atlantis

Briefing

Greetings, Special Agent.

One of our clients, a wealthy art collector from Monaco, is requesting we help her find a recorded dialogue between Critias, Hermocrates, Timaeus and Soscrates.

In her quest to unravel the mysteries regarding the ancient city of Atlantis, our client wishes to gather all evidence possible as to where the location of the lost city truly is. Getting stuck a fair bit into her endeavors, she has reached out to the Tiberian Order to decipher a piece of text.

Our client believes this text to be of vital importance to prove the existence of Atlantis as a city. Whether it will lead directly to the discovery of the city is doubtful. Nonetheless, it’s of great importance to unravel it’s meaning.

I trust your ability to deal with ciphers and ancient dialogues in this matter. You find the text below. In the end, this will lead to another Contract Card if you manage to complete this assignment.

As always, Special Agent, the contract is yours, if you choose to accept.

Materials

Download the text file

Answer Instruction

Use the answer to unlock the flagfile, this will reward you with your badge.


Use the URL as the answer.

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.

Download Flagfile here

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.

Dialogues from Atlantis

The challenge involves analyzing an ancient text containing a dialogue about Atlantis to find hidden URL components that, when combined, form a complete bit.ly link.

Available Materials

  1. Ancient text containing dialogue
  2. Context about Atlantis research
  3. Reference to participants: Critias, Hermocrates, Timaeus, and Socrates
  4. Sacred texts reference

Solution Path

Step 1: Text Analysis

Key aspects to look for:

  1. Hidden URL components
  2. Look for patterns that could indicate URL parts
  3. Pay attention to:
  • Unusual character patterns
  • Text formatting anomalies
  • Hidden or embedded characters

Step 2: URL Component Identification

The hidden parts form a bit.ly URL:

  1. First component: “bit.ly”
  2. Second component: “3Dq6rGW”
  3. These must be combined with proper formatting

Step 3: URL Construction

The components need to be assembled in this format:

https://bit.ly/3Dq6rGW

Key elements:

  • Include “https://”
  • Proper placement of forward slashes
  • Exact case sensitivity
  • No spaces

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

  1. Missing the “https://” prefix
  2. Wrong case in URL components
  3. Extra or missing spaces
  4. Incorrect forward slash placement
  5. Missing URL components
  6. Improper component ordering

Analysis Tips

  1. Methodically scan the text
  2. Look for patterns or anomalies
  3. Pay attention to formatting
  4. Note any unusual characters
  5. Document components as found

Verification Steps

  1. Confirm all URL parts found
  2. Verify correct ordering
  3. Check URL formatting
  4. Validate case sensitivity
  5. Test complete URL structure

Component Assembly Guide

  1. Start with “https://”
  2. Add “bit.ly/”
  3. Add “3Dq6rGW”
  4. Verify no spaces or extra characters
  5. Check case sensitivity

Important Notes

  1. All components must be found in text
  2. Order matters in assembly
  3. Case sensitivity is crucial
  4. Complete URL must be exact
  5. No additional characters allowed

Remember: The key to this challenge is methodical text analysis and careful URL construction. Pay special attention to formatting and case sensitivity when assembling the final URL.

Creator(s): Frank Diepmaat