🧠 CTF Writeups by Etmeseh

A structured and reproducible collection of CTF (Capture The Flag) and cybersecurity lab write-ups — designed to document, automate, and learn from every step of the exploitation lifecycle.

This repository brings together:

• 🎯 Detailed, structured write-ups for each challenge
• ⚙️ Automation tools (like set-target.sh) for faster lab setup
• 🧩 Templates and notes for standardized documentation

All labs and exercises are completed in authorized environments (TryHackMe, HackTheBox, or local VMs).
The goal is continuous learning and ethical skill-building.

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📁 Repository Structure

ctf-writeups/
├── README.md
├── writeups/
│   ├── RoomName-or-slug/
│   │   ├── 01-enumeration.md
│   │   ├── 02-exploitation.md
│   │   ├── 03-privilege-escalation.md
│   │   ├── 04-post-exploit.md
│   │   ├── 05-cleanup.md
│   │   └── assets/
│   │       └── screenshots, logs, txt outputs
│   └── ...
├── templates/
│   ├── writeup-template.md
│   ├── issue-template.md
│   ├── notes-template.md
│   └── README.md (optional overview)
├── tools/
│   ├── set-target.sh
│   └── README.md
└── docs/
    ├── how-to-contribute.md
    └── metadata-format.md

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🚀 Quick Start

1️⃣ Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/<yourusername>/ctf-writeups.git
cd ctf-writeups

2️⃣ Add a new CTF challenge folder

mkdir -p writeups/$(date +%Y-%m-%d)-room-name
cp templates/writeup-template.md writeups/$(date +%Y-%m-%d)-room-name/01-enumeration.md

3️⃣ Manage your target alias

Use the built-in helper script to make IP management easier.

cd tools
sudo ./set-target.sh 10.10.226.105
# Now you can use 'target.ip' in all your scans

4️⃣ Start documenting

Follow the sections in the template:

• Enumeration
• Exploitation
• Privilege Escalation
• Post-Exploitation
• Cleanup
• Lessons Learned

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⚙️ Included Tools

🔸 set-target.sh

A simple helper to manage a reusable alias (target.ip) in /etc/hosts.

Features

• Add / remove / list hostnames
• Timestamped /etc/hosts backups (auto-rotating, max 5 kept)
• DNS cache flushing (systemd-resolved / nscd)
• Safe, idempotent execution

Usage

sudo ./set-target.sh 10.10.226.105       # add/update
sudo ./set-target.sh --list              # list entries
sudo ./set-target.sh --remove target.ip  # remove entry

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📚 Templates

File	Purpose
writeup-template.md	Complete step-by-step CTF write-up structure
issue-template.md	GitHub issue tracker template for write-up progress
notes-template.md	Quick scratchpad for live lab notes

Each challenge should include:

1. 01-enumeration.md – all recon & scans
2. 02-exploitation.md – initial access
3. 03-privilege-escalation.md – root path
4. 04-post-exploit.md – flags, evidence
5. 05-cleanup.md – revert, lessons learned

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🧭 Workflow Example

# create folder
mkdir -p writeups/$(date +%Y-%m-%d)-tryhackme-tar-sudo
cp templates/writeup-template.md writeups/$(date +%Y-%m-%d)-tryhackme-tar-sudo/01-enumeration.md

# edit and add findings
vim writeups/2025-10-23-tryhackme-tar-sudo/01-enumeration.md

# commit progress
git add .
git commit -m "feat(writeup): add TryHackMe tar sudo enumeration phase"

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🧩 Example Write-Up (snippet)

# TryHackMe - Tar Sudo Privesc
**Date:** 2025-10-23  
**Target:** target.ip  
**Flag:** THM{80UN7Y_h4cK3r}

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🧭 Contribution & Review

• Fork the repo and open a PR for write-ups.
• Use templates/ for consistency.
• I will review PRs and suggest edits (formatting, clarity, redaction of sensitive steps if needed).

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🧭 Future Plans

• Add Markdown-to-PDF export for sharing.
• Build a CLI to list and search write-ups by tag.
• Integrate automatic metadata (IP, difficulty, platform).
• Include AI-assisted write-up generator for consistent formatting.
• Expand tools/ (enum automation, cleanup utilities, etc.).

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⚖️ Disclaimer

All the labs, exercises, and scripts documented here are used strictly for educational purposes in authorized environments.
Never attempt to reproduce these techniques on real-world systems without explicit permission.

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👤 Author

Etka Öncüol
💻 Informatics Enthusiast | 🧩 Dual Study Student (Berlin)
🔗 LinkedIn • GitHub

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“From enumeration to escalation — one repo to rule them all.” 🧠