Practice Platforms — Pwn & Reverse Engineering
Curated list of platforms for practicing binary exploitation skills including wargames, CTF archives, and vulnerable-by-design applications.
Contents
Practice Platforms — Pwn & Reverse Engineering
Sources: Crypto-Cat CTF Resources | HackTricks
Pwn / Binary Exploitation
| Platform | Focus | Link |
|---|---|---|
| pwn.college | Structured binary exploitation course | pwn.college |
| ROP Emporium | Progressive ROP challenges (8 levels) | ropemporium.com |
| Exploit Education | Phoenix — stack, heap, format strings | exploit.education |
| How2Heap | Heap exploitation techniques (shellphish) | GitHub |
| Pwnable.kr | Classic pwn challenges | pwnable.kr |
| Nightmare | Binary exploitation with walkthroughs | guyinatuxedo.github.io |
| Ir0nstone | Binexp notes & challenges | ir0nstone.gitbook.io |
| Microcorruption | Embedded CTF (MSP430 assembly) | microcorruption.com |
Reverse Engineering
| Platform | Focus | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Challenges.re | RE challenges by difficulty | challenges.re |
| CrackMes | User-submitted crackmes | crackmes.one |
| OpenSecurityTraining2 | Free RE/security courses | p.ost2.fyi |
| Azeria Labs | ARM assembly & exploitation | azeria-labs.com |
| GuidedHacking | Game hacking & RE | guidedhacking.com |
CTF Platforms (General)
| Platform | Link |
|---|---|
| CTFTime | ctftime.org |
| PicoCTF | play.picoctf.org |
| OverTheWire | overthewire.org |
| ImaginaryCTF | imaginaryctf.org |
| 247CTF | 247ctf.com |
| CryptoHack | cryptohack.org |
| Google CTF | capturetheflag.withgoogle.com |
| Hacker 101 | ctf.hacker101.com |
Pentesting Labs
| Platform | Link |
|---|---|
| HackTheBox | hackthebox.com |
| TryHackMe | tryhackme.com |
| OffSec Proving Grounds | offsec.com |
| Web Security Academy | portswigger.net |
| PentesterLab | pentesterlab.com |
| DVWA | GitHub |
| Juice Shop | GitHub |
Blue Team / DFIR
| Platform | Link |
|---|---|
| DFIR Labs | dfirlabs.thedfirreport.com |
| XINTRA | xintra.org |
| LetsDefend | letsdefend.io |
| Blue Team Labs Online | blueteamlabs.online |
| CyberDefenders | cyberdefenders.org |
Crypto-Cat Recommended Learning Paths
Binary Exploitation 101 (11 videos)
- 00 — Intro → Environment setup, tools, basic concepts
- 01 — Overwriting Variables → Stack overflow basics
- 02 — Overwriting Functions → Redirect execution
- 03 — Shellcode Intro → NX disabled exploitation
- 04 — Shellcoding → Custom shellcode injection
- 05 — Intro to ROP → Return Oriented Programming
- 06 — ret2libc → Using libc functions
- 07 — Format Strings → Read/write arbitrary memory
- 08 — Leak PIE + ret2libc → Bypass PIE
- 09 — Leak canary + ret2libc → Bypass stack canary
- 10 — Bypassing Canaries → Brute force & leak techniques
ROP Emporium (8 challenges)
- ret2win → 2. split → 3. callme → 4. write4 → 5. badchars → 6. fluff → 7. pivot → 8. ret2csu
Compilation Cheat Sheet (for practice)
# All protections OFF (easiest)
gcc vuln.c -o vuln -fno-stack-protector -z execstack -no-pie -m32
# 64-bit, no protections
gcc vuln.c -o vuln -fno-stack-protector -z execstack -no-pie
# With NX (no shellcode on stack)
gcc vuln.c -o vuln -fno-stack-protector -no-pie
# Everything ON (hardest)
gcc vuln.c -o vuln -fstack-protector-all -pie -z relro -z now
# Disable ASLR system-wide
echo 0 | sudo tee /proc/sys/kernel/randomize_va_space