STORY DRIVEN OSINT CTF

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Rogue Agent

Briefing

Greetings, Special Agent.

We have a request on our hands from our friends over at the CIA. In September of 2021, one of their operatives went missing in action. Upon further investigation, it was discovered this operative went rogue and started a smuggling business for the Russians. Mostly dealing in complex electronics, which have become difficult to come by for Russians after sanctions began. The agent we’re looking for is named Valentino Maggi. Born in Brooklyn New York on 18.05.1987. Valentino is one of five sons of the Valentino family, who moved to the United States during World War II. Having grown up a middle class lifestyle, his father a car salesman and mother working as an elementary school teacher.

Valentino was recruited into the CIA during his time as a student at Columbia University. Most of his 10 years in active service were spent as an analyst working out of Langley. Recently though, in August of 2020, Valentino moved to oversees work. Being stationed in Italy as a liaison officer for the Italian foreign intelligence agency “Agenzia Informazioni e Sicurezza Esterna”. Doing stellar work, right up until the point he went missing. Prompting an extensive investigation into his whereabouts. Documents were eventually found on his computer, recovered using forensics tools to recover deleted files. These indicate a heavy involvement with the Russian underground. Acquiring much needed microelectronics for the Russian government.

And that is where your task begins. One of the files recovered from Valentino’s computer, is an image with a text file. We believe this to be the current location of Valentino Maggi. Locate the safehouse, so local authorities can raid the premises.

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

Materials

Download starting materials

Answer Instruction

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

answer hint: country-town-coordinate

answer example: spain-madrid-12.345678-12.345678

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.

Rogue Agent

The challenge involves locating a safehouse used by rogue CIA agent Valentino Maggi, who has been working with Russian operatives. The solution requires analyzing an image file with hidden text and decoding coordinates.

Available Materials

  1. Aerial image of a building
  2. Hidden encoded text
  3. Message: “use this safehouse until you receive new orders, exact location where you always find it”
  4. Background information on Valentino Maggi

Solution Path

Step 1: Initial Analysis

From the image and hidden text:

  1. Examine aerial photograph
  2. Look for hidden encoded text
  3. Note the message about location

Step 2: Decoding Process

The encoded text:

æÊäÄÒÂZäÂÖÒÜÂÆZhh`jnphf

Needs to be decoded to reveal the location format.

Step 3: Location Format

The answer must follow this specific format:

country-town-coordinate

Example format:

spain-madrid-12.345678-12.345678

The actual solution:

serbia-rakinac-44.259654-21.057843

Verification Steps

The location can be verified at:

https://satellites.pro/Serbia_map#44.259654,21.057843,19

Key Formatting Rules

  1. All lowercase
  2. Hyphens between components
  3. Exact decimal places in coordinates
  4. No spaces
  5. Correct town name spelling
  6. Country name in English

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

  1. Wrong case usage
  2. Incorrect coordinate format
  3. Misspelled location names
  4. Wrong number of decimal places
  5. Missing hyphens
  6. Extra spaces

Research Approach

  1. Analyze aerial imagery
  2. Decode hidden text
  3. Verify coordinates on map
  4. Check spelling of location names
  5. Format answer precisely

Additional Context

  • Location is in Serbia
  • Town of Rakinac
  • Precise coordinates: 44.259654, 21.057843
  • Satellite imagery confirms location
  • Format must match exactly

Tips for Solvers

  1. Pay attention to coordinate precision
  2. Verify location spelling
  3. Use proper case (lowercase)
  4. Double-check all hyphens
  5. Verify against example format
  6. Confirm coordinates match satellite view

Remember: The key to this challenge is attention to detail in both the coordinate verification and answer formatting. Each component must be exact for the solution to be accepted.

Creator(s): Frank Diepmaat