Introduction
As we progress further in the Bandit Challenge, Level 19 ↗️ presents us with an intriguing challenge. Our objective is to retrieve a password hidden within a file. However, this challenge comes with a twist—the system has been tampered with to automatically log us out during SSH login.
Challenge Overview
Level 19 challenges us to retrieve the password stored in a file named readme
located in the home directory. However, the system’s .bashrc file has been
modified to log us out automatically upon SSH login.
Our task is to employ commands that allow us to bypass this restriction, access the file, and retrieve the password.
Approach and Strategy
Follow these steps to successfully solve Level 19
Enter the password you obtained from the previous level.
Notice that the system logs you out automatically due to the modified .bashrc file. To bypass this automatic logout, use the -t flag to allocate a pseudo-terminal.
With this we will directly run the cat readme command to display the contents of the readme file.
This command will force the allocation of a pseudo-terminal and execute the cat readme command. The password for the next level will be displayed. Take a note of it for next level.
Notes
- The
-tflag can be used to allocate a pseudo-terminal during SSH login. This is useful when the system has been modified to log you out automatically during SSH login.
Conclusion
Congratulations on successfully completing Level 19 of the Bandit Challenge! This was a very interesting problem and by leveraging the -t flag we were able to solve it. Our ability to adapt and strategize in challenging scenarios has grown, enhancing our cybersecurity prowess.
Stay tuned for the next blog post, where we’ll tackle Level 20 and continue our journey to become skilled cybersecurity practitioners.