picoCTF Solutions
picoCTF 2023Reverse EngineeringMedium

Reverse

Published: April 26, 2023Updated: December 9, 2025

Description

A stripped binary named ret hides a password in plain sight. Retrieve it via static inspection.

Setup

Download ret

Download the ELF and examine it with strings or a disassembler.

Search for picoCTF inside the binary output.

wget https://artifacts.picoctf.net/c/270/ret
strings ret | grep pico

Solution

  1. Step 1Rely on strings
    Despite the challenge name, the binary embeds the flag literally. strings ret provides the answer immediately.

Flag

picoCTF{3lf_r...f62bc8}

No reversing tools beyond strings are required for this warm-up.