The Hillside Haven | OSINT
🧙♂️ The Hillside Haven — Write-Up| Cyber Apocalypse 2025
| Details |  |
|---|---|
| URL | [Hack The Box :: Summoners Incantation |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Team Rank | 541 / 8129 |
| CTF Date | 26 Mar, 13:00 |
🧙♀️ Challenge Description
Nyla stands before her largest crystal, hands weaving intricate patterns as she conjures an aerial view of the Western Hills district. A noble family’s ancestral home must be located precisely—its entrance marked with a numerical rune that could unlock valuable diplomatic secrets. The crystalline vision floats above her palms, revealing winding roads and nestled dwellings along the hillsides. Her enchanted sight zooms closer as she traces the hidden pathways between estates. The magical markers on her map pulse brighter as she narrows her search, until finally, the numerical sigil above one particular doorway glows with confirmation. Another secret revealed by Eldoria’s master information seeker, who knows that even among a thousand similar dwellings, each bears a unique magical signature for those with eyes to see.
HTB{Number_StreetnameRoad}
Example: HTB{13_OakwoodRoad} No special characters
🕵️♂️ Challenge Brief
We were tasked with finding the physical location of a specific house from a limited set of clues—primarily a few images and vague references. With no GPS metadata or clear addresses in sight, it was up to us to triangulate the location
🔍 The Team Approach
Team Members:
- Me (the smart one) (ha)
- Teammate 1 (bin enthusiast)
- Teammate 2 (dumpster diving apprentice)
Their Strategy:
Over two full days, my teammates conducted deep visual analysis on the photos. They examined:
- Bin types and branding
- Rubbish collection schedules
- Wheelie bin placement patterns by region
- Local council logos and colour codes
🧠 Our Approach
Our trio of seekers set out to reveal the truth of The Hillside Haven—an Easy challenge, or so it claimed.
- My two brave teammates ventured into the arcane study of… bins. For two entire days, they analysed rubbish containers, colour schemes, local council logos, and collection schedules. They scoured digital garbage heaps, determined to divine location from landfill.
- Meanwhile, I channelled the true magic of OSINT:
🔍 Google.
I took a single visual clue—an address fragment visible in the challenge-provided images—and entered it into Google with a rough idea of where it might be based on the description (Hilly) (Somewhere West). Moments later, as if guided by Nyla’s crystal, the house revealed itself. Nestled in the Western Hills, just as foretold.
🎯 Result
- House located ✅
- Numerical rune confirmed ✅
- Time taken: ~4 minutes + 2 days (after the bin analysis was politely set aside)
- Difficulty rating? Only if you overthink it.
🧙♂️ Key Takeaways
- Even the most enchanted challenges often yield to the mundane might of a well-placed search query.
- When the clues are vague, don’t forget to look for the obvious—blurred text, architectural style, background signage.
- And finally: always Google before you garbage.
🏁 Flag
‘‘HTB{356_CoventryRoad}’’
356 Coventry Rd, Kensington, CA 94707
