The Nixu Challenge

░░ ▄▄▀▀▄▄▄ ▀░░ ▀▓▄ ▄▓▀ ▀░░ ▀░░ ▀█▀ ▀▀ ▒▒ ___▀▒▒░░ ▀░░▀▀▀▄ ▄▄▄▄▄▓▓▄▀▀▀ ▄ ▄▒▒▀ ▀▒▒▄ ▒ ▒ ▀▄▒▒▄ ▄▒▒▄▀ ▓█░ ▓█░ ▄▒▓▓▒▒▄░░▄█▀██ ▀▀▀ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄██|▀▀ ▓▓ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀░▀▀▀▀▒▒▓▓▀ ▀ ▄█▓_ ▓█▓ ░█▓ ▒█░ ▀▄░░▄░░▄▀ ░░▓ ░░▓ ▓▓▒▒▄▀█▒▒█▄▀▄██▄▄▄▄▄░░░░░▓▒▒▒█▀ ░░ ▒▒-▀░░▀▓▓▀▀▓▓▀▀▒█▀▀▄▀▓▓▓█▄░░▒▒▓__ ▒█▓ ░█▓ ░█▓ ▄▀███▀▄ ░▒▒ ░▒▒ ▒▒▀ ▄ ▄▓▓██▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄█▄▀ ░░ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▒▒▀▀▓▀▄█▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄█- ░█▒ ░█▒ ░█▒ ▄▀░░▀ ▀░░▀▄ ▀░░▄ ▄░░▀ ▀ ▄████▒▒▄▄▄▄▀▄▒▒█▓▓▓██▒░░▒▒▄▄▓___ ░░ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀░░▀▀█▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ ░▀░ ░▀░ ░▀░ ▄▒▒▀ ▀▒▒▄ ▀▀▀▀░▀▀ ▄█▒▒▒▒▄▓▓▄▄▄▄▄▒▓▓▄▄▄▄▓▓▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄|░░ ░░|▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▓▓▀▀▀▀▓▓▒▀▀▀▀▀▓▓▀▒▒▒▒█▀ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀█▀▀░░▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ ░░ ___▓▀▀▒▒░░▒██▓▓▓█▒▒▀▄▀▀▀▀▒▒████▀ ▄ ▄▄▄▄ ▄▄▀ ▄▄▀ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▄░ ░ ▄▄▄▄ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▄▄▄▄ ▄▄▄▄ -█▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀█▀▄▓▄▄▒▒▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ░░ ▄▀█▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀██▓▓▀ ▀ ▄▒▒ ▒▒░ ▄▄ ░▒▒▀░▒▒ ░▒░ ░▒░ ▒▒▒ ▒▒▄ ▀▒▒▄ ░▒░ ░▒░ ░▒░ ▄▄▄ ▀▒░▄ __▓▒▒░░▀█▓▓▓▄▀▄▄█▒▄▄▓▓▄▄▓▓▄░░▄-▒▒ ░░ ▄█▒▒▒▓░░░░░▀▀▀▀▀██▀▄▀█▒▒█▄▀▒▒▓▓ ▓▓▒ ▓▓ ▒█▓ ▒▓▓ ▒▓▒▀▒▓▒ ▓▓▓ ▓▓▒ █▓▓ ▒▒▓ ▒▓▒ ▒▓▒ ▒▓▒ ▓▓ █▓▒ ▓▓▒ _▓█▀ ▄ ▄▓▓▒▒▄▄▄▄░▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ▓▓ ▄▄|██▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ ▄▄▄ ██▄█▀░░▀▒▒▓▓▒▀ ▀▓▄█▀ ▓█▀ ▓█▀ ▓█▀ ▀█▓ ██▀ ▀█▓ ▀█▄█▀ ▓█▀ ▀█▓ ▀▓▄█▀ ▀▓██▀ ▀ ▄▄▄▀▓▓▀▀▀▀▀ ▀▄▄▄░░▄ ░░▒▒▄___ ▒▒ ▄▄ ▄█▄ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ░░

The first rule of The Nixu Challenge is to do your best. There is no need to fully solve all the challenges. Grab flags, kick ass and show us what you got!

INSTRUCTIONS First, you should sign up. We generate random user IDs for everyone and display them as pseudonyms on the scoreboard. Challenges are accessible without signing up, however submitting answers requires logging in.

Solving each challenge results in a small token called a flag, which are in the format NIXU{...} or NIXU17{...}. Submit them on the corresponding challenge page. Challenges are either offline, meaning you need to download something, or hosted on the following subdomain:

<challenge-name>.thenixuchallenge.com

Please do not break the challenge for others. We would also like to ask you NOT to publish a writeup of the current year's challenges before April.

If you want to apply for a job, you should submit a writeup: create a report explaining your solutions. Start with the current year's challenges first! Include the source code of any programs or scripts you may have written.

This site (https://thenixuchallenge.com/) with the challenge list and scoreboard is explicitly NOT part of the challenges, so we ask you to not attack it. However, if you bump into security issues, we appreciate responsible disclosure using email. If you experience technical issues, you can send a mail to thenixuchallenge@nixu.com (please do not expect a guaranteed reply). We will post updates on the site as needed.

WHAT IS THE NIXU CHALLENGE? The Nixu Challenge is a way for you to showcase your skills and apply for a job, or just to have fun! You are expected to solve technical tasks, which will demonstrate your skills, knowledge, and problem-solving abilities.

WHAT IS NIXU? Nixu Corporation is an international cybersecurity company. We work to improve our clients’ cybersecurity in solution areas of Corporate IT, Digital Business and Industrial Internet. Our clients trust Nixu in projects where developing, implementing, or assessing of information security is a must. We ensure the confidentiality of our clients' data, business continuity and ease-of-access to digital services through planning and mitigation of cybersecurity risks. Our offices are located in Espoo, Stockholm, Uppsala, and Amsterdam. We serve our clients in multiple industries and countries. For more information, please visit our website.

HOW DO I REMOVE MY ACCOUNT HERE? Click here and follow the instructions.

WHAT KIND OF PEOPLE WORK FOR NIXU? We employ over 350 experienced information security consultants, technical experts and software developers working in challenging assignments. We all share passion for fine quality, client satisfaction, and team work. Our professional skills are truly the core of our business, so we take good care of continuously developing ourselves as well as ensuring our work-life balance. Every year we hire talented trainees to become future experts in securely connected society.

HOW DO YOU USE THE INFORMATION GATHERED VIA THE CHALLENGE? The challenge website stores an access token in your browser after logging in. This is required to keep track of who solved what. You can clear it from the browser's local storage, but then the site will not work properly. On the backend we store IP addresses of visitors in standard webserver logs. We use it to fine-tune our marketing and talent acquisition tactics. Logs older than one year are automatically erased.

ABOUT/FAQ