Detective Work!
Wrong attempt will block the challenge for 30 minutes.
Challenge 1:
Enter the ZIP Code / Pincode of the area, where this photo was taken.
A google image search for “samsung factory from plane” reveals it’s in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
Address: Block C, Sector 81, Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201305
Solution: 201305
Challenge 2:
Name the country where this photo was taken
A google reverse image search reveals it’s Myanmar.
Also found this YouTube video about OSINT using the same image.
YouTube: OSINT At Home #1 – Starting an investigation with image reverse search
Solution: Myanmar
Challenge 3:
Enter the ZipCode of where this photo was taken.
A google search with hotel’s name reveals it’s in Munich, Germany.
Address: Tal 8, 80331 München, Germany
Also found this YouTube video about OSINT using the same image.
YouTube: OSINT At Home #4 – Identify a location from a photo or video (geolocation)
Solution: 80331
Challenge 4:
As you might have guessed this was taken from a plane, (callsign: 6E5789). Enter the estimated elevation when this photo was taken. For example, If estimated is 14,238 or 14,999 feets, just enter lowest floor value (without commas), ie – 14000
EXIF Data of the image revealed it was taken on 11 August 2023 at 01:42 PM
Now need to find out where was 6E5789 on 11 August 2023 at 01:42 PM
Found the track log of flight here https://www.flightaware.com/live/flight/IGO5789/history/20230811/0735Z/VEAB/VIDP/tracklog
Convert 6279 meters and it’s 20600 feets approx.
Solution: 20000
Challenge 5:
This plane was spotted at an airport on 17 August, 2023. Name the city where the airport is located
Reverse image search didn’t help in this. Tried to search the flight by number on the plane G-EZBO. Found a lot of flights but no site allowed access to older data. Wrote down the cities and after trial and errors found the answer.
Solution: Amsterdam
Challenge 6:
Name the country where this photo was taken.
Reverse Google Image search of the engine revealed it’s a ŽCG series 461 of Montenegro
Solution: Montenegro
Challenge 7:
This is Park am Gleisdreieck, in Germany. Within 1 km range of this, there is a shop which has a banner of COVID 19 testing below the shop name. Enter the last name of the shop. For example, if Shop Name is ‘Awesome Pets’, enters Pets as answer. Hint: Last name of the shop sounds similar to Paneer
Luckily landed on the exact location this photo was taken.
The description says there’s a sign related to COVID-19 test on the shop, which could be on places like medical store, health check-up center, clinic, hospital etc. Keeping Park am Gleisdreieck in the center, tried these keywords. Searching blood test gave only one result within 1km area.
Opened street view of the location and the shop was just on the other side of road. Linoleum Pannier
I tried submitted Linoleum as answer but it was not accepted. After confirming with CTF organizers that the challenge is working fine, I re-read the description. I had to enter the last name of shop. Not the first name.
Solution: Pannier
Challenge 8:
Name the country where this building is located.
Just searched hostinec saris and answer was there.
Solution: Slovakia
Challenge 9:
Name the Indian City where this photo was taken
Did a reverse image search on this and every result shouted OOTY
The place is Destiny – The Farm Resort, OOTY
Solution: Ooty
Challenge 10:
Name the state in India, where these photo were taken. Photos were taken back in 2016t.
Couldn’t find anything about this. Took a guess and tried Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Karnataka. Didn’t work so had to try every state. Even that didn’t work.
So tried alternate names. Turned out one of my first guesses was right.
Solution: Orissa
Challenge 11:
These two photos were taken from the same hotel. Enter the first name of the hotel. For example, if Hotel is ‘Lotus Hotel’, answer is Lotus
Did a reverse image search on top right part of the photo and it revealed the location is Pattaya beach.
Did a reverse image search on green logo revealed it’s Hotel Holiday Inn
After spending a good time wandering around Hotel Holiday Inn on Pattaya beach (in Google street view obviously), I searched in Google Images for pattaya spiderman hotel.
There’s the Hotel from which photo was taken. Siam@Siam Design Hotels
Solution: Siam
Challenge 12:
Enter the ZipCode and floor number from where this photo was taken. Example, if pincode is 11001 and it was taken from 1st floor. Enter 11001,1 as answer
Did a reverse image search on those “stacked” building and found that it’s Prius Vision (GYS Vision), Gurugram
Opened Google maps in satellite view to check from which location the image was taken. Turned out it was Zomato’s Headquaters. Pioneer Square, Golf Course Extension, Gurugram, Haryana – 122102, India
Got the pincode. Now the floor, it’s either 3rd or 4th.
Solution: 122102,4
Challenge 13:
Name the City where this photo was taken
Easy! Reverse image search that unique looking building with some alphabets on top.
It’s ANZ Bank Building in Melbourne.
Solution: Melbourne
Challenge 14:
Name the City where this photo was taken
Used cleanup.picture to remove window frames and did a reverse image search on the cleaned image
It’s National Library of Latvia, Riga
Solution: Riga
Got the flag after solving all the challenges.
As I was first to solve the level, I was offered to be bought by Yash, the CTF champion.
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