FAQ
What is a CTF?
A CTF is a Capture The Flag hacking competition where individuals or teams try and solve challenges to score points and win prizes. The ULYSSIS CTF is a jeopardy-style CTF aimed at introducing cybersecurity subjects to new players, as well as offering a challenge for both beginners and experienced teams.
When and where does the competition take place?
Tuesday 27 March 2018 from 19h until midnight on the first floor of the 200S building, Campus Arenberg, Heverlee.
Who can participate?
Only students at the association KU Leuven can join our competition, as long as they are below PhD-level. For more details, please check the rules.
What can I win?
Everyone gets a T-shirt and goodiebag, but besides that, the top 3, best bachelor team, and a few lucky raffle winners get a prize. You can find more information on our prizes page.
Do students with little or no experience stand a chance?
ULYSSIS CTF is aimed at beginners. So we have lots of challenges that people with some basic ability to search for information on the internet and basic knowledge of at least one programming language should be able to solve. Some of the challenges are just about getting a reference (which you can lookup online) or solving a very obvious problem.
What should I expect?
Our CTF follows the basic idea of an on-premise CTF: the teams all join up at the designated location. Of course collaboration between teams is prohibited, but there's some time before and after the competition to socialise and chat with other teams.
The challenges can be accessed through a dashboard that is only available on the local wired network at this location. You can solve challenges in any order and ignore challenges that seem too hard. There's plenty of challenges in many different categories with many different levels of difficulty. Any team should be able to spend the entire duration of the competition working on challenges appropriate for their level of skill and particular interest.
After the competition, the top 3 and best bachelor team are awarded their prizes in a small prize ceremony, the raffle will be drawn for the remaining prizes, and everyone gets their T-shirt and goodiebag.
Why should I participate?
CTF hacking competitions are of course a lot of fun. Trying to solve a difficult puzzle or just giving it a shot can be quite rewarding. These kinds of competitions are also a great source of experience in cybersecurity. Furthermore, you get a T-shirt and a goodiebag and you have a chance to win one of the many prizes.
What should I bring to the competition?
Of course, your team members need to all be there in time. Beyond that you all need a computer (preferably a laptop with a wired ethernet port). The challenges are only available over a local wired network without internet. So you will have to use a wired ethernet port to download or hack into challenges, while you will need to use the KU Leuven wireless network to lookup information on the internet. You'll probably want to bring your power adapter (there'll be plenty of power outlets). It's probably also a good idea to bring something to drink.
Can I eat and/or drink during the competition?
The official KU Leuven regulations state that you are not allowed to eat inside a classroom, but you are allowed to have beverages. Of course, that doesn't mean you should be drinking beer or liquor, but it's ok to have some water or soda.
I can't make 19h, can I join later?
Please contact us at ulyssis@ulyssis.org with details on your specific situation, and we will see whether we can make an exception for you.
I can't stay until midnight, can I leave early?
Please contact us at ulyssis@ulyssis.org with details on your specific situation, and we will see whether we can make an exception for you.
I had an unexpected circumstance, do I lose my deposit? What should I do?
Please contact us at ulyssis@ulyssis.org with details on your specific situation, and we will look into it. We are of course not trying to steal your money, so as long as you have a decent explanation, you can get your deposit back.
How can I contact the organising team?
Feel free to contact us at ulyssis@ulyssis.org
What kind of software should I have installed?
As long as you have your favorite programming language installed, along with your favorite editor or IDE, you should be fine to get going. We do advise everyone to install a telnet client, SSH client and netcat. Linux and macOS come with all of those pre-installed. For windows we recommend installing Putty and ncat (part of nmap). Googling around for CTF related tools can always lead to interesting discoveries.
If you're aiming to score high and get into the top 3, you might want to have a basic Unix setup ready to go (either as your operating system or as a virtual machine).
Is there anything I can do to prepare for the ULYSSIS CTF?
Have a look at what kind of software could be useful in the question above. Feel free to read up online on classic CTF challenges, tools and concepts. While this isn't necessary, it could maybe give you an edge over your direct competitor during the CTF.
What is not allowed during the competition?
You are supposed to only hack into challenges. Of course hacking the infrastructure of the competition, the infrastructure of the university, or other people's devices is strictly prohibited. Keep in mind that you are still bound by ICTS regulations. We expect people to think about their actions and to act ethically. Challenges that require more rigid methods of hacking will feature clear notes in their description.
