STORY DRIVEN OSINT CTF

easy
medium
hard
insane

The Killer Clown

Briefing

Greetings, Special Agent.

We have a very urgent case on our hands. The San Francisco Police Department is working on a true horror case this October. There is an actual killer clown roaming the streets of the greater San Francisco area.

The killer is dressed as a clown and strikes at night, mostly targeting women and younger men. The victims are drugged and bound tightly with a long rope, stretching all the way around the body. After this, the killer attaches an oxygen tank to the victim and puts them inside a coffin sized box.

The victim is then buried alive and a picture is taken of the location, which is then sent to the police. With the amount of oxygen in the tank, victims usually last about 24 hours. Though with the panic setting in, some die withing 6 hours. A few others suffered a heart attack from the panic.

About 30 minutes ago, the San Francisco Police Department received a new picture from the clown. This time we have reason to believe the victim is Melany Parker, a 23 year old woman from Northwest Berkeley. She was reported missing by her boyfriend, after she didn’t return from her evening jog.

Given the circumstances, we have no time to waste. Your assignment is simple, find the location of the picture below. Before the next victim dies, tied up in a box underground, slowly suffocating while tightly wrapped in ropes.

As always, Special Agent, the contract is yours, if you 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 park + name of the path,

Sample: local-park-name-dirty-mud-path

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.

The Killer Clown

A serial killer dressed as a clown is burying victims alive in the San Francisco area, leaving only location photos as clues. We must identify the exact location in a park to save the latest victim, Melany Parker.

Available Materials

  1. Photo of park location
  2. Context about San Francisco area
  3. Information about Berkeley connection
  4. Format requirements for answer

Solution Path

Location Research

  1. Focus on Berkeley area parks
  2. Look for intersecting paths/trails
  3. Identify Ohlone Greenway
  4. Locate Cedar Rose Park
  5. Verify path intersection points

Answer Format

Must follow this format:

park-name-path-name

Correct answer:

cedar-rose-park-ohlone-greenway

Format Requirements

  1. All lowercase
  2. Hyphens between words
  3. No spaces
  4. Complete park name
  5. Complete path name
  6. Correct spelling

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

  1. Wrong case usage
  2. Missing hyphens
  3. Incorrect park name spelling
  4. Partial path names
  5. Extra spaces
  6. Wrong word order

Research Tools

  1. Google Maps
  2. Berkeley parks directory
  3. Trail maps
  4. Local area guides
  5. Street View verification

Verification Steps

  1. Confirm park name
  2. Verify path/greenway name
  3. Check formatting
  4. Validate hyphenation
  5. Confirm case sensitivity

Remember: Time is critical in this challenge, as it simulates a real rescue situation. Focus on Berkeley area parks and major trails/greenways first.

Creator(s): Frank Diepmaat