Write-up of the HTB OutBound machine: exploit Roundcube 1.6.10 (CVE-2025-49112) for RCE and gain www-data in Docker. Priv-esc via password reuse, DB creds, and decrypting stored data to access Jacob and SSH. Final root via abusing sudo-allowed below by symlinking its log to /etc/group to add user to sudo.

Writeup for HTB’s Artificial machine, covering enumeration, exploiting a TensorFlow deserialization flaw for initial RCE, cracking weak MD5 hashes to pivot to user gael, abusing Backrest backups via bcrypt credential cracking and port forwarding, then restoring snapshots to retrieve root’s SSH key for full compromise.

I passed the Hack The Box Certified Penetration Testing Specialist (CPTS) exam, a 10-day, VPN-based real-world pentest covering AD, web, pivoting, and privilege escalation. The lab was stable, realistic, and required a professional report. Prep with HTB Academy, retired machines, IppSec videos, and careful methodology made success possible.

I completed the TryHackMe PT1 exam, a 48-hour, hands-on entry-level pentesting cert covering Web, Network, and AD. The exam offered practical learning and flag-based progress, but faced unstable environments and inconsistent difficulty. Prep with THM paths, HTB boxes, and eJPT/eCPPT notes helped me succeed.

I recently passed the eCPPTv3 exam, a hands-on black-box penetration test focused heavily on Active Directory. The official training was insufficient, so I supplemented with HackTheBox, TryHackMe, and YouTube videos. Despite exam environment issues and broken tools, careful preparation, note-taking, and persistence led to success.

Nullcon GOA CTF 2025 writeup (February 1st, 2025): detailed solutions for REVERSE, WEB, and MISC challenges. Explains using Ghidra, radare2, and Python for reverse engineering tasks, analyzing scrambled data, extracting hidden content from PCAP files, and exploiting web pagination and SQL quirks to retrieve challenge flags.

I recently completed the eJPTv2 certification after preparing with INE’s Penetration Testing Student course, TryHackMe labs, and HTB machines. This hands-on exam tests core pentesting skills like enumeration, exploitation, and web testing. In this post, I share my study strategy, practical tips, exam approach, and key resources for success.