Cct2019 Tryhackme -

CCT2019 demonstrates common real-world vulnerabilities: insecure file handling, credential leakage, and misconfigured privileges. Successful exploitation follows a systematic approach: reconnaissance, targeted enumeration, exploitation of web flaws for initial access, and careful enumeration for privilege escalation. Applying secure coding practices, strict configuration management, and routine auditing would mitigate the identified risks.

If you want, I can convert this into a step-by-step walkthrough with exact commands and outputs from the TryHackMe room (assume typical findings), or tailor the report to include the exact flags and commands you saw — tell me which you prefer.

TryHackMe CCT2019 Write-up

Introduction

In this write-up, we will walk through the steps taken to complete the CCT2019 challenge on TryHackMe, a popular online platform for learning and practicing cybersecurity skills. The CCT2019 challenge is designed to mimic a real-world Capture The Flag (CTF) competition, where participants have to exploit vulnerabilities in a provided virtual machine (VM) to gain access to sensitive information.

Initial Reconnaissance

Upon launching the CCT2019 VM on TryHackMe, the first step was to perform an initial scan of the machine to gather information about its configuration and potential vulnerabilities. This was achieved using the nmap command:

nmap -sV -p- <IP Address>

The scan revealed that the machine was running Windows 10 and had several open ports, including:

Identifying Potential Vulnerabilities

The next step was to investigate the open ports and identify potential vulnerabilities. Port 80 (HTTP) was explored by accessing http://<IP Address> in a web browser. This revealed a login page for a custom web application.

Further investigation of the web application revealed a potential SQL injection vulnerability. However, before attempting to exploit this vulnerability, it was necessary to gather more information about the machine and its configuration.

Enumerating Users and Groups

Using the enum4linux tool, we enumerated users and groups on the machine:

enum4linux -a <IP Address>

This revealed a list of users, including:

It also revealed that the cct2019 user was a member of the Administrators group.

Exploiting the SQL Injection Vulnerability

The SQL injection vulnerability was exploited using Burp Suite, a web application security testing tool. A malicious SQL query was injected into the login form to extract sensitive information:

' OR 1=1 --

This query returned a list of users and their corresponding passwords. One of the users had a password that could be used for further exploitation.

Gaining Initial Access

Using the extracted credentials, we gained initial access to the machine via RDP:

xfreerdp /u cct2019 /p <password> /v <IP Address>

Once connected, we explored the machine and found a .txt file containing a cryptic message:

"cLzF"

Escalating Privileges

The .txt file hinted at a potential privilege escalation vulnerability. Further investigation revealed that the cct2019 user had the SeImpersonatePrivilege privilege enabled. cct2019 tryhackme

This privilege can be used to impersonate other users, including the SYSTEM user. Using the JuicyPotato tool, we exploited this vulnerability to gain SYSTEM-level access:

.\JuicyPotato.exe -l 1337 -p C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe -a "/c net localgroup administrators cct2019 /add" -c all

Maintaining Access

With SYSTEM-level access, we created a new user account and added it to the Administrators group:

net user cct2019 <password> /add
net localgroup administrators cct2019 /add

This provided a persistent backdoor into the machine.

Conclusion

The CCT2019 challenge on TryHackMe was a comprehensive test of skills in vulnerability identification, exploitation, and privilege escalation. By following a systematic approach and using various tools and techniques, we were able to gain SYSTEM-level access and maintain a persistent backdoor into the machine.

The key takeaways from this challenge are:

By completing the CCT2019 challenge, we demonstrated our skills in conducting a comprehensive penetration test and exploiting vulnerabilities in a Windows 10 machine.

The CCT2019 room on TryHackMe, originally built for the U.S. Navy Cyber Competition Team, offers a challenging, assessment-based environment that emphasizes deep forensic analysis and traffic reconstruction over speed-based hacking. The room tests intermediate to advanced skills, including PCAP analysis, reverse engineering, and cryptographic puzzles, designed to foster a zero-trust, analytical mindset. Learn more about this challenge at LinkedIn. CCT2019 TryHackMe Challenge: Analytical Depth Over Speed

is a high-difficulty, legacy Capture The Flag (CTF) challenge that originated from the US Navy Cyber Competition Team 2019

assessment. It is widely considered one of the platform's more "insane" rooms due to its broad technical scope and realistic, multi-layered problems. Quick Review Summary Difficulty:

. It is not intended for beginners and requires a high level of persistence. Time Commitment: The room has a suggested timeframe of 180 minutes

, though most users find it takes significantly longer to complete without hints. Skills Tested: It is an "all-rounder" challenge covering PCAP Analysis Reverse Engineering , Digital Forensics, and Cryptography. Key Highlights & Technical Depth Reviewers from platforms like highlight several specific aspects of the room's depth: Network Analysis: You are tasked with analyzing large

files to extract hidden data from specific traffic flows (e.g., port 4444) and decrypting them using tools like Steganography & Rabbit Holes:

The room is known for including intentional "rabbit holes"—complex-looking files (like certain images) that ultimately lead nowhere, testing your ability to prioritize leads. Reverse Engineering (RE): One of the most praised tasks involves reversing a .NET application using tools like to find specific slider combinations or hardcoded secrets. Analytical Depth: Unlike many CTFs that reward speed, CCT2019 rewards analytical depth

and attention to detail. It simulates the high-pressure environment of a professional military cyber assessment. Is it worth doing? For Professionals:

Yes. It provides a rare opportunity to tackle challenges sponsored by the US TENTH Fleet

, offering a glimpse into military-grade cyber competition standards. For Learning:

It is an excellent "capstone" for those who have finished the Offensive Pentesting Cyber Defense paths and want to test their limits. .NET Reverse Engineering CCT2019 - TryHackMe

CCT2019 is a high-difficulty, "Insane" rated room on TryHackMe that features legacy challenges originally created for the U.S. Navy Cyber Competition Team (CCT) 2019 Assessment. Unlike standard "grab-the-flag" rooms, this challenge focuses on analytical depth, traffic reconstruction, and reverse engineering. Room Structure & Challenges

The room is divided into four distinct tasks, each focusing on a specific domain of cybersecurity:

Task 1: pcap1 (Network Forensics) – This task requires deep analysis of packet captures. It includes "red herrings" to mislead investigators and emphasizes recovering files in their entirety to progress.

Task 2: re3 (Reverse Engineering) – A complex reverse engineering challenge involving a .NET executable. Users must analyze the binary's logic (often using tools like dnSpy) to find specific combinations of values. The scan revealed that the machine was running

Task 3: for1 (Forensics) – A forensic challenge that often involves digging through disk images or specific artifacts to uncover hidden evidence.

Task 4: crypto1 (Cryptography) – A layered crypto challenge. Some sub-tasks (like crypto1c) may require custom scripting to solve, as standard online tools may not support the specific variants used. Key Skills and Tools Required

To successfully navigate the CCT2019 room, participants generally need proficiency in several advanced areas:

Packet Analysis: Mastery of Wireshark is essential for reconstructing traffic and identifying misleading paths.

Reverse Engineering: Knowledge of assembly or .NET decompilation is necessary for Task 2.

Data Extraction: Tools like binwalk are used to find and extract compressed files or hidden data embedded within other files (e.g., extracting a .pcapng from within another capture).

Scripting: Tasks like the crypto challenges often require Python scripts to automate brute-force attempts or custom decoding. Strategic Tips

Validate Everything: The room is designed with a "Zero Trust" mindset; don't assume an artifact is valid just because it looks correct at first glance.

Avoid Rabbit Holes: Pay close attention to hints. For the pcap challenge, if you find yourself doing steganography or extensive reverse engineering, you have likely strayed into a "rabbit hole".

Sequence Matters: Especially in the network forensics task, failing to recover the initial file completely can prevent you from solving subsequent steps.

If you meant a different feature or need help with a specific step in the room, let me know which task or encoded string you’re stuck on.

a collection of legacy challenges from the US Navy Cyber Competition Team 2019 Assessment . It is rated as

difficulty and covers various categories including Web, Reversing, Pwn, and Forensics.

Below is a breakdown of the primary challenges and methodologies for the room. Challenge: re3 (Reverse Engineering)

This challenge involves a .NET PE executable that requires a 32-character hex blob as the answer. Initial Analysis : Running the command identifies it as a 32-bit .NET assembly to decompile and analyze the source code. Methodology Focus on the module named , which contains the core logic.

Analyze the GUI components; the application features four sliders with values ranging from 0 to 1024.

Locate the verification function that checks if the slider positions match a specific hardcoded or calculated condition to generate the final hex string. General Room Strategy

Given the "insane" rating, many challenges in this room follow a theme of analytical depth over speed Web Exploitation : Common vulnerabilities in these challenges include SQL Injection CVE-2019-9053 ) or exploiting misconfigured services. Privilege Escalation

: Look for binary exploitation opportunities or common misconfigurations like LD_PRELOAD abuse or vulnerable Persistence

: Note that these are legacy challenges from the US Tenth Fleet; solutions often require understanding older software versions and specific environment quirks from that 2019 timeframe.

The "helpful feature" referenced in the CCT2019 TryHackMe challenge is a script found within one of the analysis tasks that automates the decryption of a Rail Fence Cipher.

In the context of the room's forensic and traffic analysis challenges, users typically encounter a Python script or function (often named railNumber or decrypt) designed to decode intercepted messages by calculating the correct rail position for each character in a ciphertext. Key Components of the Feature

railNumber Function: Automatically determines the rail index for a character based on its position, total rails, and a specific offset. Identifying Potential Vulnerabilities The next step was to

Modular Arithmetic: Uses mathematical logic to handle the "zigzag" nature of the Rail Fence Cipher, which is often difficult to decode manually.

Automated Decryption: Iterates through each rail to reconstruct the plaintext from what otherwise looks like randomized ciphertext.

This room is generally categorized as "Insane" difficulty due to its complex PCAP analysis and the requirement for "out of the box" thinking to identify these types of scripts and patterns within network traffic.

For a step-by-step walkthrough of the CCT2019 challenge and how these scripts are applied, you can watch this video: TryHackMe #702 CCT2019 (Insane) Adamski CTF YouTube• Apr 1, 2024 TryHackMe_and_HackTheBox/CCT2019.md at master - GitHub

import os
os.system("chmod 777 /etc/shadow")

xxd /etc/shadow | xxd -r

base64 /etc/shadow | base64 -d

gobuster dir -u http://<MACHINE_IP> -w /usr/share/wordlists/dirb/common.txt