HackTheBox - CriticalOps
Source: YouTube · IppSec · published Jun 25, 2025 · 15:29
This video demonstrates solving the "Critical Ops" teaser challenge for the upcoming Hack the System CTF, revealing a client-side JWT secret that allows privilege escalation to admin.
Key Takeaways:
• The Hack the System CTF runs June 27-29, featuring five web challenges derived from real bug bounty reports 0:06.
• Winners receive up to three Silver Academy vouchers, including eligibility for the Certified Bug Bounty Hunter exam 0:16.
• Two teaser challenges, "Critical Ops" and "Nova Energy," are available immediately on the CTF platform 0:24.
• Access the CTF by visiting the Hack the System Bug Bounty CTF page and clicking "play CTF" 0:39.
• The "Critical Ops" challenge was solved by finding a hardcoded JWT secret in the client-side JavaScript source code 0:45.
• The attacker forged an admin JWT token using the discovered secret to bypass authentication and retrieve the flag 2:30.
The event offers a practical opportunity to test web security skills against realistic scenarios using tools like Burp Suite and JWT editors.
Sources:
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First 800 characters of the transcript
What's going on, YouTube? This is IPSC, and we'll be solving an easy web challenge that was created as a teaser for the Hack the System CTF, Hack the Box is running between June 27th and 29th. This CTF contains five web challenges based upon real bug bounty reports. It's free to join and the winning team will get up to three silver academy vouchers that will include the ability to take the certified bug bounty hunter exam. As part of the promotion for the event, two teaser challenges were created. I'll be covering critical ops challenge and OXDF will cover the Nova Energy. Both challenges are free to play now over on the CTF platform. And I'll put a link in the description for everything. Anyways, let's just hop in and start solving Critical Ops. So, to play this challenge, we're going to …