Leaderboard

https://dr4gan0x.github.io/dr4gan-portfolio/?post=prometheus-12-layers I hope this write up catches your interest

Threw this into Binary Ninja, turned out to be Rust-compiled ELF64 PIE not C as DiE claims, debug strings like src/main.rs src/vm/dispatcher.rs src/crypto/sbox.rs give it away, main at 0x41bea0 is just the lang_start trampoline real logic sits in sub_41a0c0 which drops into the verification orchestrator sub_418a10 running all 12 layers with bitwise AND accumulation no early exits, layers 1-3 are RDTSC delta and clock_gettime CLOCK_MONOTONIC anti-debug gates, 4-5-6 enforce the 28-char [A-Z0-9_] format with underscores pinned at positions 10/15/23 last 4 digits only and ASCII sum exactly 1901, identified the core hash at sub_433b80 as SipHash-2-4 from the init vectors 0x736f6d6570736575 0x646f72616e646f6d 0x6c7967656e657261 0x7465646279746573 aka "somepseudorandomlygeneratedbytes" with rotation constants 13/32/16/21/17/32 two rounds per block four at finalization, the actual crack comes from Layer 10 which splits the key into four 7-byte segments each hashed with independent k0/k1 pairs reducing the search space from 36^24 down to 4x36^6 roughly 2^33 which is the single architectural weakness in the design, brute-forced the last 4 digits first against Layer 6s YEARHASH/KEY01020 keys in 10K iterations got 2026 then segment 4 in 1.3K then segments 2 and 3 each in ~2.2B iterations then segment 1 with sum-constraint pruning total 55 seconds single core, validated against all remaining layers including the full-key SipHash triplet layers 7/8/9 with three different key pairs and the polynomial evaluation through MurmurHash3 fmix64 at five prime evaluation points all passed clean, key is PR0M3TH3U5_F1R3_ST34L3R_2026, I have a full writeup sitting around too lazy to format it properly but if anyone wants I can publish it

I was not able to download your firmware completely (Catbox seems to be having problems today) but I can give you some tips anyway. Step 1: It's unlikely that you've encountered a very unique hardware that has no existing tooling or documentation. Also a lot of hardware is made by the same OEM manufacturer in China and just sold under different brand names. So, use Google. Seriously. :) First few kilobytes of your firmware contain plenty of interesting and unique strings. Search for each one separately, or some combination of them. You're basically looking for the information about your hardware - CPU and system board manufacturer, addon boards, sensor information, and so on. You'll be amazed how much information a single search can provide. You could also search for the hardware make/model (which unfortunately you didn't tell us) or FCC ID. Step 2: Once you know the basic hardware information, use Google again. Look for tools and SDKs for the specific manufacturer/CPU. Use Google Translate to browse Chinese and Russian sites - they are a goldmine when it comes to hardware hacking and documentation. You should be able to find this github project. too. I didn't run the tool but a quick look at the source code tells me it should unpack your firmware with little to no modifications. Step 3: Load the unpacked firmware in Ghidra/IDA and start the actual reverse engineering process. :)

The crackmes.one CTF is officially live, built by the RE community, for the RE community. https://crackmesone.ctfd.io/ Start at: Sat 14 February 2026 00:00:00 UTC Enter the matrix and prove your skills. See you there!

Hello. I have organised it in two different formats. I also added the modified solver.c file as an extra. Thank you. Link: drive

Here my unpacked. CFF Explorer_unprotected.7z

Thank you very much, appreciate the PDF copy and extras! Ted.

Thank you very much for detailing the solution and method/s taken to solve. Would it be possible to get a PDF copy please? Ted.

I would appreciate a full writeup! Also, please consider publishing your solve to crackmes.one, where the author cross-posted this challenge.

hello everyone! first post here :D im somewhat new to reverse engineering xiot firmware binaries, so please forgive my ignorance as i learn. ive been working on this one embedded linux binary, but ive been having trouble. using binwalk, it cant seem to fully decompile it, only return a .lzo file. based on entropy analysis of given lzo file, it appears encrypted with partial plaintext for bootloader (high entropy/low variance, please correct me if im wrong). im not sure how exactly to go about decryption or further analysis. i thought maybe xor encryption algorithm, so i tested the binary against all possible xor encryption keys, with no results. https://files.catbox.moe/cnre9d.bin if anyone has the time to help out, pls do so!! ive linked a copy of the binary, if you make progress, pls let me know what you did so i can learn from it too. thank you! ^^

Prometheus (12 Layers of Insanity) A recruitment challenge for those who see what others cannot. The binary guards an encrypted message. To reveal it, you must provide the correct 28-character key. There is no backdoor, no shortcut, no unintended solution—only the key. The verification process spans twelve interconnected layers. Each depends on others. Disrupting one cascades through all. The binary knows its own shape and will notice if you change it. Some defenses are apparent through static analysis. Others manifest only at runtime. A few exist in the liminal space between instruction and execution—observable only through their effects, never their implementation. Difficulty 6/6 ## Rules - Standard crackme rules apply - The solution is the 28-character key - Picture of the solved challenge to be posted only 48h after completion. - No external services or network required - Linux x86_64 The reward prize and job offer will terminate in 24 hours. File Information Submitter Prometheus Submitted 01/21/2026 Category CrackMe View File

Hello @boot, bad news, your tool & driver can't kill the python process too like all those other tools. ☹️ Really sad. It can kill other running processes but not that specific one. I really would like to know why it is impossible to exit this process. Ever heard something about that a process really can't get terminated and the only way to get a rid of it is to reboot the system? Do you have another ideas? Remember, in this thread you could see my video I did post where it happens when using ComfyUI Portable (even outside of Sandbox) which used a embedded Python file which also makes that trouble I can't terminate at the end when this problem occurs by random etc. https://forum.tuts4you.com/topic/45702-how-to-terminate-a-process-which-is-denied-to-terminate/#findComment-226957 greetz

Bypassed the license check but unpack is too complicated. The imports are very heavy wrapped. Can do it but few hours manual work will need.

Yes, please post crackme's in the correct area, read the description at the top of the category in the link below, thank you... https://forum.tuts4you.com/forum/146-challenge-of-reverse-engineering/ Ted.

It seems that although the executable looks protected, no real encryption or obfuscation has actually been applied. There is also a possibility that I accidentally tested the original executable file. I will review my program and fix any shortcomings in the protection pipeline. Thank you for your feedback. Would you like me to open a new thread after I make the corrections?

There is absolutely nothing encrypted, virtualized, or obfuscated in the exe. private void BtnCheck_Click([Nullable(2)] object sender, EventArgs e) { if (this.txtLicenseKey.Text.Trim() == "QUJU-329D-4936-GSBW-AVSK-U8") { base.Hide(); new SuccessForm().Show(); return; } MessageBox.Show("Invalid License Key!", "Error", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Hand); }

I guess nobody wants to help

ArmDot .NET v2026.1 (Built-in License System) This one uses the built-in license system of the ArmDot .NET.. Provide a serial or an unpacked or a patched variant that accepts a serial. File Information Submitter whoknows Submitted 01/31/2026 Category KeygenMe View File

ArmDot .NET v2026.1 File protected with Hide strings Obfuscate control flow Obfuscate names Obfuscate namespaces and some virtualization accepted solution - unpack OR tell what is doing. File Information Submitter whoknows Submitted 01/30/2026 Category UnPackMe (.NET) View File

use Net gaured Cflow Cleaner This doesn’t fully clean the control flow but after using it you will need to use a SizeOf fixer. After that, you can use the constant decrypter by CuredSheep. SizeOf-Fixer-master.zipnetguard controlflow.rar

Here compiled unlicense with codeexplorer's fixes: unlicense compiled With pyton 3.09 and 3.11 versions.