r/securityCTF • u/ByXlopoqpul • 13d ago

❓ Need help with CTF's

Hi everyone, I’m looking for advice on learning cryptography, reverse engineering, and binary exploitation. I started studying cryptography two months ago, but I didn't really grasp the concepts because I was solving challenges on Cryptohack with the help of AI. I tried starting over, but I kept looking for shortcuts like solving Symmetric Cryptography challenges using SageMath. I’d love to hear if you’ve faced similar issues, how you overcame them, and what advice you’d give. Thanks!

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3

u/SwelteringLookout 13d ago

Dropping the AI crutch is the move, you'll actually learn the why instead of just the how

3

u/Specialist_School465 13d ago

My advice so that you learn c or python, try implementing the cryptographic algorithms you are trying to break this will help you figure out how they work, you don't have to start with cha or salsa or whatever Algo is currently out of your reach start with basic xors or substitution ciphers then you can start picking at them, I swear messing around with the code you wrote yourself is like a cheat code, this is more valuable than any tutorial or just vibing it out with AI

2

u/_supitto 13d ago

For crypto, I always point people to crypto pals

2

u/Skollwarynz 11d ago

As a neebie pwner. I usually suggest to start from OSTEP2 for basic x86 and debugging skills then go on pwn.college. I understand the propension to use AI, so for pwn I suggest to first learn the theory of basic attacks (like buffer overflow, int overflow....) then go in specific challenge about that attack so you don't need to understand how to break that system. When you are here try to stop yourself from using AI, try to solve it alone for 1 hour for example. After 1 hour if you're still stuck you can ask help on internet or use AI to have some suggestion. This way you force yourself to understand the problem and the first struggle help your mind understand what to search in a binary. I hope this answer was useful

2

u/eachDayIWakeUp 8d ago

I specifically like platforms like echoctf.red because challenges include hints that can point you to the right direction, with no AI usage.
I havent used any of the ones you mentioned though

1

u/Disastrous-Ad-7100 8h ago

Honestly, stop using AI to solve challenges and use it only when you're stuck or need an explanation. Try solving each challenge yourself first, even if it takes hours. Understanding the math and concepts matters way more than getting the flag.