whatsapp icon

Simple CTF Walkthrough — TryHackMe (Beginner Friendly)

""

McyberAcademy Blogs👋🌍

Simple CTF Walkthrough — TryHackMe (Beginner Friendly)

Introduction

Capture The Flag (CTF) rooms — especially on platforms like TryHackMe — are the fastest way to convert cybersecurity theory into practical skills. This walkthrough demonstrates a safe, repeatable process for approaching entry-level CTF rooms, teaching beginners how to think like ethical security testers: observe systematically, form hypotheses, verify safely, and document thoroughly.

The fundamental goal of CTF practice is educational growth rather than exploitation. These challenges provide controlled environments where aspiring cybersecurity professionals can develop critical thinking skills, learn common vulnerability patterns, and practice the methodical approach that characterizes professional penetration testing.

TryHackMe's beginner-friendly rooms are specifically designed to teach core concepts progressively, making them ideal starting points for students who want to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application.

Who Should Read This

This guide is designed for multiple audiences within the cybersecurity learning community:

  • Absolute beginners seeking practical laboratory experience to complement their theoretical studies. If you understand basic networking concepts but haven't applied them in hands-on scenarios, this methodology will help you get started.
  • Students preparing for cybersecurity certification or technical interviews who need to demonstrate practical problem-solving abilities. Many certification programs now include hands-on components that require systematic approach skills.
  • Learners enrolled in ethical hacking or cybersecurity courses who want additional practice beyond their structured curriculum. CTF challenges provide unlimited opportunities to apply classroom concepts in diverse scenarios.

Prerequisites

Before beginning CTF challenges, ensure you have these foundational elements:

  • TryHackMe Account: Create a free account to access beginner rooms. The platform's progression system helps you build skills systematically from basic concepts to advanced techniques.
  • Basic Linux Navigation: Familiarity with fundamental file system operations, command-line basics, and text file reading. These skills are essential for most cybersecurity tasks.
  • Documentation Commitment: Willingness to maintain detailed records in a laboratory notebook. Professional cybersecurity work requires meticulous documentation, and developing this habit early is crucial.
  • Learning Mindset: Approach each challenge with curiosity about why vulnerabilities exist and how they can be prevented, not just how to exploit them.

The 6-Step Methodology (Repeatable for Any Simple Room)

Step 1: Read the Room Carefully

Begin every challenge by thoroughly analyzing the room description and any provided hints. TryHackMe authors deliberately include valuable clues that can save hours of unnecessary exploration.

Document the specific objectives clearly: user flag location, root flag requirements, specific vulnerabilities to discover, or particular techniques to practice. Understanding the learning goals helps you focus your efforts effectively.

Pay attention to subtle hints about technologies, services, or attack vectors. Room descriptions often mention specific tools, protocols, or concepts that directly relate to the solution approach.

Step 2: Scope & Reconnaissance (What's Visible?)

Systematic reconnaissance forms the foundation of successful penetration testing. Your goal is comprehensive discovery of the attack surface without attempting exploitation.

  • Service Discovery: Identify all open ports and running services. TryHackMe provides IP addresses and often hints about available services. Use appropriate tools to enumerate ports, service versions, and configuration details.
  • Web Application Analysis: For any discovered web services, explore the application structure, identify interesting directories, and note any unusual functionality or error messages.
  • Documentation Requirements: Record every discovered service, port number, service banner, web path, and any other observable information. Seemingly irrelevant details often become crucial later.

Step 3: Enumerate (What Can You Learn About Those Services?)

For every exposed service, conduct thorough enumeration to understand its configuration, version, and potential vulnerabilities.

  • Web Application Enumeration: Visit all discovered web pages and inspect HTML source code for comments, hidden form fields, or JavaScript that might reveal additional functionality or credentials.
  • Directory and File Discovery: Check for common configuration files, backup archives, administrative interfaces, and hidden directories that might contain valuable information.
  • Service Banner Analysis: Examine service version information for known vulnerabilities, default configurations, or unusual settings that might indicate misconfigurations.
  • Content Analysis: Look for development comments, hardcoded credentials, database connection strings, or references to other system components that might provide additional attack vectors.

Step 4: Hypothesize an Access Path

Use reconnaissance and enumeration results to develop specific, testable hypotheses about potential entry points.

  • Credential-Based Access: Consider whether discovered information suggests default credentials, leaked passwords in configuration files, or reused authentication across multiple services.
  • Configuration Vulnerabilities: Evaluate whether service configurations, file permissions, or access controls might allow unauthorized access or information disclosure.
  • Application Logic Flaws: Assess whether web applications might have upload functions, input validation issues, or authentication bypass vulnerabilities.
  • Prioritization Strategy: Focus on low-impact verification methods that can confirm hypotheses without risking system stability or violating ethical guidelines.

Step 5: Initial Access (Safe, Lab-Only Validation)

Validate your hypotheses using only the authorized laboratory environment, treating this as a learning exercise rather than an exploitation attempt.

  • Authentication Testing: If you've discovered credentials, test them through legitimate authentication channels like login forms or SSH access.
  • File Access Verification: Attempt to access discovered files or directories through normal web browsing or authorized service access.
  • Learning Focus: Treat successful access as an opportunity to understand the underlying vulnerability rather than simply achieving the objective.
  • Safety Protocols: Never attempt these techniques outside of authorized lab environments or without explicit written permission.

Step 6: Post-Access Learning & Privilege Escalation (Understand Why)

Once you achieve initial access, focus on understanding the system configuration and identifying educational opportunities.

  • System Mapping: Explore the accessible environment to understand file structures, user accounts, running processes, and system configurations.
  • Vulnerability Analysis: Look for common privilege escalation vectors like misconfigured sudo rules, world-writable files, stored credentials, or vulnerable services.
  • Root Cause Analysis: Focus on understanding why misconfigurations exist and how they could be prevented in production environments.
  • Documentation Emphasis: Record not just what worked, but why it worked and how similar issues could be detected or prevented.

Conceptual Walkthrough (Example — Beginner Room)

Room Scenario

  • Premise: A simple web application with SSH access available
  • Objective: Locate and retrieve user.txt and root.txt files
  • Initial Hint: "Check the site for hidden paths"

Step 1: Read & Initial Reconnaissance

The room hint suggests focusing on web application enumeration. Initial port scanning reveals HTTP service on port 80 and SSH on port 22. The web root displays a basic page with a contact form.

Step 2: Web Application Enumeration

HTML source inspection reveals a comment referencing /backup.zip. This represents a common beginner scenario where backup files are inadvertently exposed through web servers.

Directory enumeration might reveal additional paths like /admin, /config, or other administrative interfaces that weren't linked from the main page.

Step 3: Hypothesis Development

The backup archive likely contains configuration files, source code, or credentials that could provide access to the application or system. Configuration files often contain database credentials, API keys, or administrative passwords that might be reused across multiple services.

Step 4: Safe Validation Process

Download and examine the backup archive contents within the lab environment. Look for configuration files, database schemas, or documentation that might reveal authentication information.

If credentials are discovered, test them through legitimate authentication channels like the web application login form or SSH access with proper authorization.

Step 5: Post-Access System Exploration

After gaining legitimate access, explore the available environment to understand the system structure and locate the required flag files.

Search for common privilege escalation indicators: scheduled tasks running with elevated privileges, misconfigured file permissions, or credentials stored in accessible locations.

Safe Laboratory Practices & Ethics

Maintaining strict ethical standards is essential for all cybersecurity learning activities:

  • Authorized Environment Only: Conduct all testing exclusively within designated lab environments like TryHackMe rooms. Never attempt these techniques against systems you don't own or lack explicit written authorization to test.
  • Educational Focus: Approach each challenge as a learning opportunity to understand vulnerability causes and prevention rather than simply achieving exploitation objectives.
  • Legal Compliance: Ensure all activities comply with applicable laws, platform terms of service, and professional ethical standards.
  • Responsible Knowledge Application: Use gained knowledge to improve defensive capabilities and help organizations enhance their security postures.

Documentation Best Practices

Professional cybersecurity work requires excellent documentation skills. Develop these habits early:

Essential Lab Notebook Elements

  • Challenge Information: Record room name, objectives, and any special constraints or learning goals.
  • Reconnaissance Summary: Document all discovered services, ports, web paths, and service versions with timestamps and methodology notes.
  • Key Findings: Note important files, credentials, misconfigurations, or vulnerabilities with specific details about their discovery and significance.
  • Access Methodology: Describe the conceptual approach that led to initial access, focusing on the logical reasoning rather than exploitation commands.
  • Privilege Escalation Analysis: Explain the theoretical basis for privilege escalation opportunities and why they exist in the system configuration.
  • Remediation Recommendations: Provide specific, actionable suggestions for fixing identified vulnerabilities, improving configurations, and preventing similar issues.

This documentation practice is essential for cybersecurity certifications, professional penetration testing reports, and career development.

Common Tools and Their Educational Purpose

Understanding the purpose and appropriate use of common tools helps develop professional judgment:

  • Web Browser: Primary tool for web application analysis, HTML source inspection, and general reconnaissance of web-based services.
  • Directory Discovery Tools: Help identify hidden paths, backup files, and administrative interfaces that aren't linked from main pages.
  • File Viewers and Editors: Essential for examining configuration files, log files, and system documentation that might reveal vulnerability information.
  • SSH Client: Provides authorized access to systems when valid credentials are discovered through legitimate reconnaissance.

⚠️ Important Note: Focus on understanding each tool's purpose, appropriate use cases, and output interpretation rather than memorizing specific commands or attempting to misuse them.

Learning Outcomes

Systematic completion of TryHackMe CTF challenges develops several essential cybersecurity skills:

  • Methodical Target Assessment: Learn to approach unknown systems systematically, prioritizing findings based on their potential security impact and exploitability.
  • Evidence-Based Hypothesis Formation: Develop the ability to use reconnaissance results to form specific, testable theories about potential vulnerabilities or access vectors.
  • Configuration Analysis Skills: Recognize common system and application misconfigurations while understanding how to remediate them in production environments.
  • Professional Communication: Practice producing clear, actionable reports that effectively communicate technical findings to diverse audiences including both technical and business stakeholders.
  • Ethical Decision Making: Develop judgment about appropriate testing techniques, legal boundaries, and professional responsibility in cybersecurity contexts.

Building Long-Term Cybersecurity Skills

CTF practice provides foundational skills that support broader cybersecurity career development:

  • Continuous Learning: The cybersecurity field evolves rapidly. CTF challenges help maintain current knowledge of emerging vulnerabilities and attack techniques.
  • Portfolio Development: Documented CTF solutions and analysis create portfolio evidence of technical capabilities and analytical thinking skills.
  • Professional Networking: CTF communities provide opportunities to connect with other cybersecurity professionals and learn from their experiences.
  • Certification Preparation: Many cybersecurity certifications include practical components that directly benefit from CTF experience.

Next Steps & Professional Development

  • Progressive Skill Building: Continue practicing on TryHackMe with increasingly complex rooms that build upon foundational skills while introducing new concepts and techniques.
  • Structured Education: For comprehensive, instructor-led learning that includes guided CTF walkthroughs, detailed feedback on lab notebooks, and certification preparation, consider formal cybersecurity education programs.
  • Professional Training: At M Cyber Academy in Gurgaon and Rohtak, we provide structured cybersecurity education that combines CTF practice with comprehensive theoretical foundations, hands-on laboratories, and career preparation.

Our programs include guided walkthrough sessions, individual lab notebook reviews, and preparation for industry certifications like CEH and digital forensics credentials. We focus on developing job-ready skills through practical experience while maintaining strong ethical foundations.

  • Career Preparation: Our comprehensive approach ensures students develop not just technical skills, but also the professional communication abilities, ethical judgment, and systematic thinking that employers value in cybersecurity roles.

Whether you're just beginning your cybersecurity journey or looking to formalize your practical skills with professional credentials, structured education programs provide the guidance and support needed to accelerate your career development.

Conclusion

CTF challenges represent an essential component of modern cybersecurity education, providing safe environments where students can develop practical skills while learning responsible security practices.

The systematic methodology presented in this guide helps beginners approach challenges professionally while building the analytical and documentation skills that characterize successful cybersecurity careers.

Remember that the goal is not just solving challenges, but understanding the underlying security principles and developing the ethical judgment needed for professional cybersecurity work.

Start your CTF journey today, maintain detailed documentation of your learning process, and consider formal education programs that can help you transform your practical skills into a rewarding cybersecurity career.