A collection of my writeups for the 2024 edition of the SANS Holiday Hack Challenge (HHC). HHC is a free series of fun, quality, hands-on cybersecurity challenges.
In Elf Minder, we guide an elf through twelve levels of maze-like puzzles. Silver is straightforward; solve the puzzles normally. For gold, we inspect the game’s code with DevTools and find hidden admin controls. By enabling them, we can clear obstacles and draw a path directly to the finish. Alternatively, we manipulate springs to bounce the elf straight to the end. Both methods secure the gold medal!
In Elf Connect, we help Angel Candysalt solve a word-matching puzzle. After earning the silver medal by finding groups of related words, we dig into the game’s code using DevTools. By analyzing the scoring logic, we bypass the normal gameplay and directly trigger the gold medal with a simple code execution in the browser console!
In the Holiday Hack Orientation, we meet Jingle Ringford, who introduces us to the 2024 SANS Holiday Hack Challenge. Our first task is simple; enter the correct answer in the “First Terminal” to unlock the gold medal and begin the adventure!
