Challenges

Lab start: 24.03.2010

During the InetSec course, we will announce a "challenge" here every couple of weeks that you can solve. These challenges aim to allow you to gain some basic practical experience in the penetration testing and the security analysis of software and applications.

We have planned 6 challenges that deal with topics such as common security tools, web vulnerabilities, code cracking and stack-based buffer overflows. The challenges are directly related to the concepts discussed in the lecture part of the course.

In order to successfuly pass the InetSec course, you have to have at least 38 points out of a total of 75 possible points by the end of the semester. Each InetSec candidate starts the course with 0 points. Each challenge you solve will give you 5 points. The written exam at the end of the semester consists of 50 possible points. Suppose John Student, for example, solves 3 challenges and manages to get 35 points in the written exam. John will get a total of: 3*5+35=50 points for the course.

To get the maximum number of points for the practical part of the course, you need to successfuly solve at least 5 challenges. The 6th challenge will give you a bonus of 5 points.

The challenges in the course are not necessarily difficult (for people who can program and who have basic Web, networking and software knowledge), but may require you to do some research on the Internet and read some documentation. Of course, you also need some patience.

By the way, we are aware that the InetSec environment is not highly secure. So we trust you that you will not try to break or hack the system. That is not a challenge. Remember that you are the good guy/gal. If we notice that you are trying to crack us, there will be consequences.

Good luck and happy debugging ;-)