ncme

Description

Solution

1. Step 1Connect with netcat
   Run the nc command with the host and port from the challenge page. The server immediately sends the flag without requiring any input.
   nc saturn.picoctf.net <PORT>Copied!
   Learn more

   netcat (nc) is a command-line tool that establishes raw TCP or UDP connections. The basic syntax nc <host> <port> opens a connection to the specified host on the specified port, then passes data between your terminal's stdin/stdout and the network socket. It is the simplest way to interact with a service that speaks plain text.

   In CTF challenges, nc is used to connect to challenge servers that serve flags, run programs, or host interactive puzzles. The host is typically a domain name or IP address, and the port identifies which service on that host to connect to -- similar to how a building address (host) and apartment number (port) together identify a specific destination.

   Common netcat use cases beyond CTFs include:

   • Testing whether a port is open: nc -zv host port
   • Listening for incoming connections: nc -l -p port
   • Transferring files between machines over a network
   • Debugging HTTP or SMTP servers by hand-crafting requests

   On some systems, netcat is installed as ncat (the Nmap version) or netcat. The flags differ slightly between implementations, but the basic connection syntax is the same.

Flag

picoCTF{...}

netcat is the go-to tool for connecting to challenge servers that speak plain text -- it opens a raw TCP connection and passes data between the terminal and the server.