TryHackMe: Tor for Beginners — Write-Up

Figure 1.1 (Taken from Tor for Beginners Room)

Hi,

This article is about Tor for Beginners capture the flag created by Swafox on TryHackMe. It is free room and everyone can join this room after log-in to the website.

Description: A beginners oriented guide on using TOR network.

This room teaches about how to access the links/websites hosted on TOR network. Now Let’s get started,

In order to access the TOR Network first we have to connect with the TOR Network. TOR Network can be configured on either linux or windows. In order to complete this challenge we will use Tails OS (a pre-configured linux OS for TOR Network). I am using Tails OS on virtual environment.

Select Live Tails from the menu given in figure 1.2 below:

Figure 1.2 (Tails Start menu)

Click on Start Tails when welcome screen loaded as shown in figure 1.3 below:

Figure 1.3 (Welcome Screen)

Wait till the Tor Network is connected. You will see the notification saying “Tor is ready” or another sign is that icon of onion changed from blank onion to half colored onion as shown in figure 1.4 below:

Figure 1.4 (Onion Icon)

Now you are ready to access web pages which are available on TOR Network. Go to Applications -> Tor Browser and click on it as shown in figure 1.5 below:

Figure 1.5

You will see Mozilla Firefox like browser with tails homepage as shown in figure 1.6 below:

Figure 1.6 (Tails Homepage)

Go to address bar and type there that particular onion link given in the challenge as shown in figure 1.7 below:

Figure 1.7 (Onion Link)

Don’t lose your patience if it is working slowly as traffic in tor network passes from many relays to keep anonymity, this is the reason of tor network being a bit slow. You will see page as shown in figure 1.8 below after loading:

Figure 1.8 (Daniels Link Page)

Keep scrolling down till the end of page and you will find a bitcoin address as shown in figure 1.9 below:

Figure 1.9 (Bitcoin address)

That Bitcoin address at the end of the web page which is censored here with black bar is the flag.

Hurrah! We have completed the challenge. Thanks for being till here.