Introduction
In this article walk-through, we covered reverse engineering an executable file with Ollydbg to reveal the contained strings as part of HackTheBox “Find The Easy Pass” challenge.
HackTheBox Find The Easy Pass Challenge Description
Find the password (say PASS) and enter the flag in the form HTB{PASS}
Key Learnings
- Reversing Skills: Using OllyDbg to set breakpoints and analyze program flow.
- String Analysis: Finding relevant strings in the code to locate key program logic.
- Memory Inspection: Identifying the correct password stored in the program’s memory.
Walkthrough
The presenter explains that the challenge involves reverse engineering a program to find the correct password.Tools used:
- The executable file is opened in OllyDbg, a debugging tool.
- They opt for OllyDbg because of its simplicity in setting breakpoints and analyzing program flow.
The executable is run, prompting the user for a password.A wrong password returns the “wrong password” message.The presenter searches for referenced strings in the program’s code, revealing key strings:
- “Good job! Congratulations” (success message).
- “Wrong password” (failure message).
These strings are linked to specific memory sections that execute commands based on password validation.
The program compares the entered password with the correct one stored in the code.
By setting a breakpoint before the comparison, the presenter pauses execution to observe the input and stored password in memory.
After entering a test password, the memory view shows the correct password: Fortran!.
The presenter removes the breakpoint, restarts the program, and enters the correct password (“Fortran!”).
The program displays “Good job! Congratulations,” confirming success.
The challenge is successfully completed.
The presenter concludes by encouraging viewers to try the challenge themselves and to stay tuned for more videos.
