hackthebox-writeups

Writeups for HacktheBox machines (boot2root) and challenges written in Spanish or English.

https://www.hackthebox.eu/

Important notes about password protection

Machines writeups until 2020 March are protected with the corresponding root flag. But since this date, HTB flags are dynamic and different for every user, so is not possible for us to maintain this kind of system. So from now we will accept only password protected challenges, endgames, fortresses and retired machines (that machine write-ups don't need password). For endgames or fortresses, the password should be all the flags concatenated.

Since June 2023, to verify flag challenges first contact us ([email protected]).

Disclaimer

It is totally forbidden to unprotect (remove the password) and distribute the pdf files of active machines, if we detect any misuse will be reported immediately to the HTB admins.
Anyway, all the authors of the writeups of active machines in this repository are not responsible for the misuse that can be given to the corresponding documents. Please think that this is done to share techniques not for spoilers.

Submissions

If you want to incorporate your own writeup, notes, scripts or other material to solve the boot2root machines and challenges you can do it through a 'pull request' or by sending us an email to: hackplayers_at_Ymail.com.

In this way, you will be added to our top contributors list (see below) and you will also receive an invitation link to an exclusive Telegram group where several hints (not spoilers) are discussed for the HacktheBox machines.

Please consider protecting the text of your writeup (e.g. not allowing to be copied) so that it can not be easily shared on platforms such as Pastebin. Of course, if someone leaks a writeup of an active machine it is not the responsibility of the author. If we detect someone who does it, they will immediately report to the HTB Staff so they can take the appropriate measures.

Note: the minimum requirement to enter the "special" Telegram group is also to have a hacker level or higher (no script kiddies).

Star contributors (+5 writeups)

No	ctry	nick	avatar	team	machines	challenges	total writeups
1		Fiti		L1k0rD3B3ll0t4	Bashed, Arctic, Tenten, Celestial, Mirai, Nibbles, Sunday, Valentine, Dev0ops, Aragog, Canape, Mischief, Jerry, Olympus, Bounty, Access, Carrier, Curling, Dab, Ypuffy, Waldo, Secnotes, Irked, Frolic, Chaos, Fortune, Friendzone, Lightweight, Querier, Help Conceal, CTF, Netmon, Sizzle, Arkham, OneTwoSeven, LaCasaDePapel, Helpline, Ghoul, Bastion, Swagshop, Ellingson, Writeup, Chainsaw, Haystack, Jarvis, Player, Smasher2, Unattended, Kryptos	Impossible password, Widescreen, Unified, Milkshake, It's raining blood, Hackerman, Forest, Cartographer, 0ld is g0ld, HDC, Beatles, Brainy's Cipher, Classic Yet Complicated, Da Vinci, Deceitful Batman, Digital Cube, Keys, Lernaean, Pusheen Loves Graphs, Sick Teacher, Weak RSA, Fuzzy, I Know Mag1k, Grammar	74
2		SirBroccoli		Watch4Hack	SwagShop, Jarvis, OneTwoSeven, Haystack, Heist, Bitlab, Wall, Bankrobber, Postman, Mango, AI, Control, Obscurity, Registry, Resolute, Sniper, JSON, OpenAdmin, Monteverde, Nest, Sauna, Book	Emdee five for life, Craft, FreeLancer, Bombs landed, Eat the cake, Headache, Find the secret flag, Debugme, Impossible password, DSYM, Snake, Find the easy pass, Obscure, Crooked crockford, ExploitedStream, Ropme, Old Bridge, Little Tommy, Ropmev2, Baby RE, headache2, Breach, Easy Phish, Infiltration, We Have a Leak, Cryptohorrific, Da Vinci, Digital Cube, Forest, Pusheen Loves Graphs, Senseless Behaviour, Templed, M0rsarchive, Interdimensional Internet, ezpz, Under Construction,	58
3		apehex		Solitaire Wolf		Query, Exatlon, quick maffs, signup, Protein Cookies, Broken Decryptor, Baby Encryption, Composition, Flippin Bank, Lost Modulus, Lost Modulus Again, Luna Crypt, mysterybox, Nuclear Sale, Optimus Prime, baby quick maffs, Baby Time Capsule, BBGun06, Embryonic Plant, Quantum-Safe, RLotto, Rookie Mistake, RsaCtfTool, RSAisEasy, The Last Dance, TwoForOne, xorxorxor, Diagnostic, emo, MarketDump, oBfsC4t10n, oBfsC4t10n2, Obscure, Perseverance, PersistenceIsFutile, Red Failure, USB Ripper, Window's Infinity Edge	38
4		noraj		Rawsec	Academy, Admirer, Blackfield, Blunder, Book, Buff, Cache, Cascade, Control, Doctor, Dyplesher, Fatty, ForwardSlash, Jewel, Laboratory, Magic, Mango, Monteverde, Nest, Obscurity, Omni, Oouch, OpenAdmin, Passage, Remote, Resolute, ServMon, SneakyMailer, Tabby, Traceback, Traverxec, Worker		32
5		crysal		SKPH4X	Bastion, Writeup, SwagShop	Find the easy pass, snake, Da Vinci, Beatles, BitsNBytes, Forest, hackerman, Hidden in Colors, Milkshake, Monstrosity, Raining Blood, Retro, Widescreen, Digital Cube, Pusheen Loves Graphs, 0ld is g0ld, Eternal loop, Blackhole, misDIRection, fs0ciety, Longbottoms Locker, Inferno, Grammar, I know Mag1k, M0rsarchive, Money Flowz, cat	30
6		volken		SinHack	Poison, Jerry, Curling, Help, Irked, Popcorn	0ld is g0ld, Blackhole, fs0ciety, Art, Inferno, misDIRection, Eternal Loop, Longbottom's Locker, Hackerman, Raining Blood, Unified, Brainy's cipher, Da Vinci, Deceiful Batman, Forest, HDC, Marshal in the Middle, Weak RSA, Keys, Retro	26
7		FlatMarsSociet		Solitaire wolf	Bastion, Networked, Writeup, Traverxec, Sauna, OpenAdmin, Nest	Easy Phish, Infiltration, 0ld is g0ld, Art, Blackhole, Croocked Crockford, Eternal_Loop, Inferno, Longbottom's Locker, M0sarchive, fs0ciety, misDIRection, Emdee five for life, Fuzzy, Cartographer, iknowmag1k, Lernaean, Freelancer	25
8		kaosam		CameLUG	Obscurity, Postman, Openadmin, Sauna, Resolute, Book, Forest, Registry, Nest, Control, Sniper, Traceback, Traverxec, Mango, Servmon, Cascade, Magic, Remote, Blunder, Buff, Doctor, APT, Laboratory		23
9		icebreakcrypt		Solitaire wolf		Massacre, Brainy's Cipher, Widescreen, Blackhole, Pusheen Loves Graphs, Milkshake, Raining blood, The Future Bender, Decode me, Baby RE, Illumination, Walzer, Window's Infinity Edge	19
10		drx51		solitaire wolf	Celestial, Dev0ops, Nibbles, Shocker, Valentine, Bashed, Chatterbox, Jerry, Canape, Sense, Silo, Active, Waldo, Mischief, Stratosphere, Poison, Olympus, Tartarsauce		18
11		d0n601		mystiko	Luke, SwagShop, Writeup, Jarvis, Haystack, Craft, Traverxec, Traceback, Ophiuchi, Armageddon	snake , Emdee five for life, Fuzzy, Easy Phish, Illumination	15
12		wilsonnkwan		CyberFrenzy	Ethereal, Arkham (coauthor mmb), OneTwoSeven, Bastion, SwagShop, Lacasadepapel, Ellingson, Luke, Kryptos, Smasher2, Ghoul, Unattended, Craft		13
13		1v4n		solitaire wolf	Olympus, Jerry, Curling, Netmon	Da Vinci, Hackerman, Forest, fs0ciety, Weak RSA, Unified, SickTeacher, Milkshake, Easy Phis	13
14		IceL0rd		BirdsArentReal	Arkham, Fordwardslash, Tenten, Valentine, Blackfield, Fuse, Cache, Apocalyst, Cronos, Bank, Poison, Blunder		13
15		Qarnix		Hacky	Craft, Sniper, Traverxec, Worker, Doctor	Easy Phish, Infiltration, We Have a Leak, Breach, Bank Heist, USB-Ripper, ID Exposed, Money Flowz	13
16		KaoRz		L1k0rD3B3ll0t4	Olympus, Secnotes, Ypuffy, Smasher	Find the easy pass, Impossible Password, ropme, Old Bridge, ropmev2, Dream diary 1, Dream diary 2	11
17		Magichk		Watch4Hack	Luke, Writeup	Please, don't share, Bank Heist, MarketDump, Emdee five for life, Fuzzy, August, Easy Phish, DSYM	10
18		pimmytrousers		BitsPlz	Bounty, Celestial, Jerry, Poison, Sunday, Valentine, Canape, Stratosphere, Dev0ops		9
19		mcruz		solitaire wolf	Valentine, Jerry, Legacy, Poison, Sunday, Silo, Active, Hawk, Querier		9
20		frosters		solitaire wolf	Aragog, Silo, Bounty, Rabbit, Dev0ps, Valentine, Secnotes, Oz		8
21		mgp25		MemoryLeaks		Blue Shadow, Deadly Arthropod, MarketDump, Marshall In The Middle, Obscure, Reminiscent, Took The Byte, USB Ripper	8
22		7Rocky		CocoTeam		Lost Modulus, Lost Modulus Again, LunaCrypt, mysterybox, RLotto, racecar, Restaurant, baby CachedView	8
23		artikrh		Sushi	Hawk, Stratosphere, Reddish, Waldo, Dab, Secnotes, Access		7
24		Sekisback		solitaire wolf	Carrier, Teacher, Ypuffy, Redcross, Lightweight, Conceal, Fortune		7
25		un1k0n		MemoryLeaks		Keys, Decode me, lernaean, cartographer, grammar, Emdee five for life, ezpz	7
26		amber		solitaire wolf	Vault, Giddy, Frolic, Chaos	Infinite Descent, Call, blacksquare	7
27		Hilbert		Solitaire wolf	Mango, Blocky, Postman, Networked, Traverxec, Obscurity	BabyEncryption	7
28		VbScrub		Solitaire wolf	Bastion, Resolute, Monteverde, Forest, JSON, Sniper		6
29		Str0ng3erG3ek		Vyt3k1ng5	Control, Monteverde, Registry, Sniper, Traverxec, Sauna		6
30		OscarAkaElvis		CommandlineKings	Olympus	The Art of Reversing, I know Mag1k, Retro, Nostalgia	6

Occasional contributors (2-5 writeups)

Ctry	nick	avatar	team	machines	challenges
	manulqwerty		L1k0rD3B3ll0t4	Stratosphere, Canape, Nibbles, Bounty, Jarvis,
	humurabbi		Solitaire wolf	Safe,Heist, Unattended, Networked, Craft
	mansoor		Solitaire wolf	Ellingson, Safe, Frolic, OneTwoSeven, Ghoul
	Leonishan		solitaire wolf	Helpline, Unattended	Blue Shadow, Reminiscent, Took the byte
	wilde		Solitaire wolf	Active, Waldo, Hawk, Zipper
	fibbot		solitaire wolf	Celestial, Poison, Canape, Sunday
	spenkk		Sentry	Bart, Dev0ops, Dropzone	snake
	ozunu		OzunuClan	Giddy, Irked, Teacher, Access
	n4xh4ck5		solitaire wolf	Jerry, PopCorn, Haircut, Curling
	3v4Si0N		L1k0rD3B3ll0t4	Canape, TartarSauce, Bounty
	Pitenager		solitaire wolf	Blue, Mirai, Nibbles	Cartographer, Lernaean
	x4nt0n		AlphaPwner	Sunday, Olympus, Access	Marshal In The Middle
	FrankyTech		L1k0rD3B3ll0t4	Active, Dev0ops, Olympus
	TheLegend		solitaire wolf	Active, Dev0ops	I know Mag1k, Snake
	kabutor		solitaire wolf	Aragog, Access, LaCasaDePapel_alt
	Vis0r		L1k0rD3B3ll0t4	Blocky, Chatterbox	Matrioshka
	31337			Writeup, Haystack, Ellingson
	giru		solitaire wolf	Irked, Bounty
	morph3		solitaire wolf	Help, Friendzone
	Paint		solitaire wolf	Carrier, Ethereal
	Ghostpp7		L1k0rD3B3ll0t4	Valentine, TartarSauce
	o00o		solitarire wolf	Reel, Nightmare
	felli0t		solitaire wolf	DevOops, Chatterbox
	CyberVaca		L1k0rD3B3ll0t4	Chatterbox, Reddish
	b1gb1t		r00th4ck	Sunday, Active
	roskyfrosky		solitaire wolf	Jerry, Celestial
	Sephiroth		Bin4ryCh4os	Fortune, Vault
	BinaryShadow		Watch4Hack	Safe	Call, Crack this!, Decode me
	tabacci		Solitaire wolf	HackBack, RE	Obscure, Nostalgia, LostKey, Masks Off, Partial Encryption
	thereallulz		solitaire wolf		Retro, Monstrosity, Senseless Behaviour
	luthorien		ARGSS		Not Art, Grammar, Hidden in Colors
	Pepelu		Solitaire wolf	Player, Craft
	w4tchw0lf		L1k0rD3B3ll0t4		BitsNBytes, Monstrosity
	SadFud		solitaire wolf		Impossible Password, Find the easy pass
	epi		Hackmethod	Ypuffy, SwagShop
	v3he		solitaire wolf		Old Bridge, ropmev2
	3l33t		solitaire wolf	Safe, Jarvis, Player, Craft
	thecapo		Solitaire wolf	Forest, Heist
	wezzlaren		Hacky	Mango, Postman
	egotisticalSW		Solitaire wolf	Heist, Traverxec, Obscurity
	DarkNight2019		T0pt33m	Forest, Registry
	retrocraft		Solitaire wolf	Obscurity, Traverxec
	BananaPr1nc3		Solitaire wolf	Traverxec	DSYM
	offk0rs		MemoryLeaks	Safe, Ellingson, Jarvis
	Jacker31		NightTrain	Heist, OpenAdmin, Arkham, Book
	Mrx-Exploit		TCLRED	Traverxec	Ezpz
	ypl		Solitaire wolf		Ropme, ropmev2
	xiaobye		Solitaire Wolf	OpenAdmin, Mango, Obscurity
	ghsi10		solitaire wolf		You know 0xDiablos, Console, bad_grades
	h4ckd0tm3		SickaLoot		Unprintable, QuickR
	Segf4ul7		Solitaire Wolf		You know 0xDiablos, ropme, ropmev2, Little Tommy
	hyperreality		Solitaire wolf		Optimus Prime, RsaCtfTool
	DaWoschbar		SickaLoot	Sauna, Traceback
	ebaitello		Solitaire wolf		Cat, Missing in Action
	Ap0k4L1p5		ALTr34lity	Admirer	Cryptohorrific
	blankdash		VoidUnity	obscurity	Reminiscent, MarketDump
	snovvcrash		Solitaire Wolf	Hades, RPG, Ascension, Odyssey
	d4rkc0nd0r		AlphaPwners		TwoForOne, Emo, Bare Metal
	islamukheef		Solitaire Wolf		Baby RE, HackyBird
	sp00fexpl01t		Solitaire Wolf	Sharp	Phonebook, LoveTok, petpet rcbee
	hacefresko		Solitaire Wolf		Weather App, baby ninja jinja, Breaking Grad, BoneChewerCon
	ejedev		Solitaire Wolf		Toxic, APKey, SeeTheSharpFlag, PersistenceIsFutile
	D-Cryp7		Solitaire Wolf		RSAisEasy, xorxorxor, Birds of randomness
	danylokos		Solitaire Wolf		SAW, Joker, Waiting

Fleeting contributors (1 writeup)

Ctry	nick	avatar	team	machines	challenges
	absolutezero		Sentry	Fighter
	xephrox		solitaire wolf	Mischief
	worldunruled		hackmethod	Active
	rtheory		FlavorTown	Reddish
	thereverend		solitaire wolf	Active
	Zaiuss		L1k0rD3B3ll0t4	Celestial
	attl4s		juankeres	Falafel
	kauffman		solitaire wolf	Poison
	revil		solitaire wolf	Sunday
	k4nj1d		solitaire wolf	nibbles
	giovii		criuz	Mischief
	3zculprit		solitaire wolf	Olympus
	FuxSocy		PhobosGroup	Dev0ops
	abselithat		Pratum	Chatterbox
	Killerloops		prosegur		Tear or dear
	Renero		criuz		Digital Cube
	Gibdeon		PKTeam		Old Bridge
	therearwindow		solitaire wolf		Beatles
	malwrecon		solitaire wolf	Ypuffy
	labyrinth		badwolf		Ebola Virus
	zdravich		TMHC	Carrier	Mission Impossible
	Wh04m1		YoRHa		Ropme
	coldBug		NeatMalwAreParty	Curling
	dionero		solitaire wolf	Jerry
	TheShahzada		solitaire wolf	Mischief
	SadClown		solitaire wolf	Redcross
	julianjm		solitaire wolf		Old Bridge
	snowman418		solitaire wolf	Reel
	jondow		Bailando	Help
	lolfireball		solitaire wolf	Lightweight
	solsanctum		solitaire wolf	Carrier
	fbbc		solitaire wolf	Conceal
	4lexag		EphorSec		Cryptohorrific_es, Cryptohorrific_en
	superhedgy		Solitaire wolf	Netmon
	blazz3		PwnD34L3rS	Sizzle
	Marduk		PwnD34L3rS	Helpline
	lduros		solitaire wolf	SwagShop
	explmuzz		N00b543V3R	Bastion
	AlhA		solitaire wolf		Emdee Five for Live
	liamm		PORTKNOCKWHOSTHERE	Jarvis
	cavla		Solitaire wolf		Crooked Crockford
	entropy		Solitaire wolf		Crooked Crockford
	MrP4p3r		Solitaire wolf		Fuzzy
	emmanuel		Solitaire wolf	Craft
	Cript0crc		Solitaire wolf		Eemedefive for live
	bWlrZQo		USCh4ck3r5	Craft
	naveen1729		Solitaire wolf	Player
	AmbrotD		Solitaire wolf		USB Ripper
	danielcues		Ripp3rs		Mission Impossible
	arcc		Solitaire wolf	json bitlab
	CRYPT0HEX		Solitaire wolf	Writeup
	couchpotato		Solitaire wolf	Heist
	sneakypanda		Mystiko	Zetta
	nitrow		Solitaire wolf		Image Processing 101
	Cyb3rb0b		Solitaire wolf	Json
	N7E		iamroot	Mango
	Parteek Singh		D3v1L5	Sniper
	c1cada		CommandlineKings	Obscurity
	Mrigendra Soni		Solitaire Wolf	Postman
	mikeywayne		Solitaire Wolf	traverxec
	Milo		p0t4t03s		ezpz
	N1Z4M		7eam4dholokam	OpenAdmin
	corshine		Solitaire Wolf	OpenAdmin
	SevenLayerJedi		Solitaire Wolf	Nest
	IamKsNoob		Solitaire Wolf	Postman
	Bayrem				Cartographer
	Bayrem		Solitaire Wolf		Cartographer
	3gbCyber		KAU	OpenAdmin
	FlapJack		NashvilleCTF	OpenAdmin
	wazKoo		ScripTease	Traceback
	Shkk		Solitaire wolf	Monteverde
	elklepo		notSoBad	Fatty
	Chr0x6eOs		SickaLoot		QuickR
	dayld		Solitaire wolf		breaking grad
	7riple7hrea7		p0tat0z		Interdimensional Internet
	caracal		HideAndSec		Mr. Burns
	aminegr		Solitaire Wolf		Emdee five for life
	run3		hack2tan		Mission Pinpossible
	Isopach		Solitaire Wolf		Baby RE
	YoavD		Solitaire Wolf		HackyBird
	adhkr		Solitaire Wolf	[Stocker]

Special note

Hack the Box is a superb platform to learn pentesting, there are many challenges and machines of different levels and with each one you manage to pass you learn a new thing. But talking among ourselves we realized that many times there are several ways to get rooting a machine, get a flag ... That's why we created this repository, as a site to share different unofficial writeups to see different techniques and acquire even more knowledge. That is our goal and our passion, to share to learn together.

Some people have been distrustful because in this repository there are writeups of active machines, even knowing that absolutely each one of them is protected with the corresponding password (root flag or challenge). But We did not want to give up this because we think the most interesting thing for a HTB player is to check other users' walkthroughs right after they get it, that is, not wait for weeks or months afterwards. For this reason, we have asked the HTB admins and they have given us a pleasant surprise: in the future, they are going to add the ability for users to submit writeups directly to HTB which can automatically be unlocked after owning a machine. And also, they merge in all of the writeups from this github page. Simply great!

Therefore it is a real pride that they have decided to include the functionality of this repo directly on their platform. When this is done, this Github will be migrated and will be inactive but with a pleasantly fulfilled mission. Until then, Keep pushing!

Hackplayers community, HTB Hispano & Born2root groups.