CTF Competition Rulebook

1 Introduction

Welcome to the Cyber Security Club CTF competitions! Capture The Flag (CTF) is a competitive cybersecurity challenge where participants solve security-related problems to capture "flags" - special strings that prove successful completion of a challenge.

Our CTF competitions are designed to provide hands-on experience in various domains of cybersecurity including web exploitation, cryptography, reverse engineering, forensics, binary exploitation, and more.

Competition Types

• Weekly CTF: Short format competitions (3-5 hours) held weekly for continuous practice
• Monthly CTF: Extended competitions (6-8 hours) with more challenging problems
• Special Events: Annual flagship competitions and collaborative events with other institutions

2 Eligibility & Registration

2.1 Eligibility Requirements

• All registered students of Uttara University are eligible to participate
• Participants must be currently enrolled in any undergraduate or graduate program
• Club members and non-members are both welcome to participate
• Guest participants may be allowed in specific events (will be announced)

2.2 Registration Process

1. Register on the CTF platform at: ctf-cybersecurity-club-uttara.duckdns.org
2. Use your university email address for registration
3. Complete your profile with accurate information
4. Choose to compete as Solo or Team
5. If team mode: Create a new team or join an existing one
6. Read and accept the code of conduct

2.3 Participation Mode

• Solo Players: Compete individually and earn points for yourself
• Team Players: Form teams of 2-4 members and collaborate together
• You can choose your preferred mode during registration
• Team formation deadline: 24 hours before competition start
• Teams need one person as captain for official communications
• Once competition starts, you cannot switch between solo/team mode

3 Competition Format

3.1 Jeopardy-Style Format

Our CTF competitions follow the Jeopardy-style format where:

• Challenges are organized by category and difficulty
• Each challenge contains a flag (format: CSC{flag_text_here})
• Participants solve challenges independently and submit flags
• Points are awarded for correct flag submissions
• Scoreboard updates in real-time

3.2 Challenge Categories

3.3 Competition Timeline

• Pre-Competition: Registration, team formation, rule review
• Competition Start: Platform opens, challenges become accessible
• Active Period: Participants work on challenges
• Final Hour: Last chance to submit solutions
• Competition End: Platform closes, no more submissions accepted
• Verification: Organizers verify results and detect any violations
• Announcement: Winners announced and prizes distributed

4 Scoring System

4.1 Point Distribution

Challenges are assigned points based on difficulty:

4.2 Dynamic Scoring

Some competitions may use dynamic scoring where:

• Points decrease as more teams solve a challenge
• First blood (first solve) may receive bonus points
• Minimum points threshold is set to maintain fairness

4.3 Tiebreakers

In case of tied scores (for both solo and team categories), winners are determined by:

1. Total points earned
2. Time of last successful flag submission
3. Number of challenges solved
4. First blood count (if applicable)

4.4 Penalties

• No penalty for incorrect flag submissions
• Hint usage may reduce points earned (if hints are available)
• Rule violations may result in point deductions or disqualification

5 Allowed & Prohibited Actions

5.1 Allowed Activities

5.2 Prohibited Activities

5.3 Resource Usage

• Use your own computing resources
• Public cloud services are allowed for hosting solutions
• Do not overload or abuse provided challenge servers
• Respect rate limits on challenge interactions

5.4 Flag Submission

• Submit flags through the official platform only
• Flag format must match the specified format (usually CSC{...})
• Flags are case-sensitive unless stated otherwise
• Submit the complete flag including prefix and suffix

6 Code of Conduct

6.1 Ethical Behavior

All participants are expected to:

• Demonstrate respect, integrity, and sportsmanship
• Compete fairly and honestly
• Respect fellow competitors and organizers
• Follow all competition rules and guidelines
• Report any issues or violations immediately

6.2 Respectful Communication

• Be courteous in all interactions (Discord, platform chat, in-person)
• No harassment, discrimination, or offensive behavior
• No spamming or flooding communication channels
• Use appropriate language at all times
• Help create a positive learning environment

6.3 Academic Integrity

• Do not plagiarize solutions or writeups
• Credit sources when using others' tools or techniques
• Original work is expected from all participants
• Past competition solutions may be referenced for learning only

6.4 Reporting Violations

If you witness or experience any rule violations:

1. Contact competition organizers immediately
2. Provide specific details and evidence if available
3. Do not take matters into your own hands
4. All reports will be investigated confidentially

7 Prizes & Recognition

7.1 Awards

• Top 3 Solo Players: Certificates, prizes (when applicable), and public recognition
• Top 3 Teams: Certificates, prizes (when applicable), and public recognition (shared among team members)
• Category Winners: Recognition for best performance in specific categories
• First Blood Awards: Special recognition for first solves (when applicable)
• Participation Certificates: All participants receive certificates of participation

7.2 Prize Distribution

• Winners announced within 24 hours of competition end
• Prizes distributed during award ceremony or club events
• Valid student ID required for prize collection
48 hours
• Prizes are non-transferable

7.3 Leaderboard & Recognition

• Final standings published on club website and social media
• Top performers featured in club newsletter
• Outstanding performance may lead to club leadership opportunities
• Cumulative rankings maintained across multiple competitions

8 Disputes & Appeals

8.1 Dispute Resolution

If you have concerns about competition conduct or results:

1. Submit a formal appeal via email within 24 hours of competition end
2. Provide evidence supporting your claim (screenshots, logs, timestamps)
3. Describe the issue clearly and objectively
4. Wait for review - organizers will investigate within 1 hour
5. Accept decision - organizer decisions are final

8.2 Technical Issues

• Report platform issues immediately during competition
• Backup your solutions and progress regularly
• Technical difficulties may result in time extensions (at organizer discretion)
• No compensation for personal hardware/internet failures

8.3 Challenge Disputes

• If a challenge appears broken or unsolvable, notify organizers
• Broken challenges may be fixed, removed, or have points adjusted
• Announcements made for any challenge modifications
• Already submitted solutions remain valid unless otherwise stated

8.4 Final Authority

The Cyber Security Club, Uttara University organizing committee reserves the right to:

• Make final decisions on all disputes and appeals
• Modify rules if necessary for fairness
• Disqualify participants for rule violations
• Cancel or postpone competitions due to unforeseen circumstances