# Twisted `twisted` is a reverse engineering challenge where we must recover a flag from a provided binary and an encrypted output string. ## Information Gathering We start by analyzing the file type of the `twisted` binary: ```bash $ file twisted twisted: ELF 64-bit LSB executable, x86-64, version 1 (SYSV), statically linked, ... stripped ``` The binary is stripped, meaning it lacks debugging symbols like function names. Connecting to the challenge server gives us the encrypted flag: ``` Here is your twisted flag: 34d133c640536c58ffcebb864a836aaf3bc432c3606b331df2d981a472bd6e80 ``` ## Reverse Engineering We open the binary in Ghidra to analyze its logic. Since the binary is stripped, we first locate the entry point (`entry`), which calls `__libc_start_main`. The first argument to `__libc_start_main` is the address of the `main` function. Following this path leads us to the function at `0x40190a`, which we rename to `main`. ### Main Function (`0x40190a`) The decompiled code for `main` reveals the expected arguments and basic validation: ```c undefined8 main(int param_1,long param_2) { size_t sVar1; if (param_1 < 2) { printf("Usage: %s \n",*(undefined8 *)(param_2 + 8)); // Usage string at 0x49e081 return 1; } sVar1 = strlen(*(char **)(param_2 + 8)); if (sVar1 == 32) { FUN_004017b5(*(undefined8 *)(param_2 + 8)); return 0; } printf("Error: Flag must be exactly %d characters long.\n",32); // Error string at 0x49e098 return 1; } ``` From this, we learn that the input flag must be exactly **32 characters** long. If the length is correct, it calls `FUN_004017b5`. ### Transformation Function (`0x4017b5`) We analyze `FUN_004017b5`, which contains the core encryption logic. It performs two distinct operations on the input string. ```c void FUN_004017b5(long param_1) { long lVar1; int local_84; // Counter for Loop 1 int local_80; // Counter for Loop 2 int local_7c; // Counter for Loop 3 byte local_70 [32]; // Shuffled Buffer byte local_50 [32]; // Final XOR Buffer byte local_30 [32]; // Input Copy // ... Setup and copying input to local_30 ... // --- STEP 1: Permutation --- local_84 = 0; while (local_84 < 32) { // Load byte from Permutation Table at 0x49e020 // Use it as an index into the input string local_70[local_84] = local_30[(int)(uint)(byte)(&DAT_0049e020)[local_84]]; local_84 = local_84 + 1; } // --- STEP 2: XOR Encryption --- local_80 = 0; while (local_80 < 32) { // XOR the shuffled byte with a Key byte from 0x49e040 local_50[local_80] = local_70[local_80] ^ (&DAT_0049e040)[local_80]; local_80 = local_80 + 1; } // --- Print Result --- printf("Here is your twisted flag: "); // String at 0x49e060 local_7c = 0; while (local_7c < 32) { printf("%02x",(ulong)local_50[local_7c]); local_7c = local_7c + 1; } // ... } ``` The algorithm is: 1. **Permutation**: Use the array at `0x49e020` to reorder the input characters. `shuffled[i] = input[PERM[i]]` 2. **XOR**: XOR the reordered characters with the array at `0x49e040`. `encrypted[i] = shuffled[i] ^ KEY[i]` ### Data Extraction We inspect the memory at the identified addresses to retrieve the Permutation Table and XOR Key. **Permutation Table (`0x49e020`):** Values: `3, 0, 1, 2, 7, 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 8, 9, 15, 12, 13, 14, 19, 16, 17, 18, 22, 23, 20, 21, 25, 26, 27, 24, 31, 28, 29, 30` **XOR Key (`0x49e040`):** Values (Hex): `55, AA, 55, AA, 12, 34, 56, 78, 9A, BC, DE, F0, 0F, F0, 0F, F0, 55, AA, 55, AA, 12, 34, 56, 78, 9A, BC, DE, F0, 0F, F0, 0F, F0` ## Solution To decrypt the flag `34d133c6...`, we reverse the operations: 1. **Reverse XOR**: `shuffled[i] = encrypted[i] ^ KEY[i]` 2. **Reverse Permutation**: `input[PERM[i]] = shuffled[i]` ### Solver Script ```python import sys # Extracted from 0x49e020 PERM = [ 3, 0, 1, 2, 7, 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 8, 9, 15, 12, 13, 14, 19, 16, 17, 18, 22, 23, 20, 21, 25, 26, 27, 24, 31, 28, 29, 30 ] # Extracted from 0x49e040 KEY = [ 0x55, 0xAA, 0x55, 0xAA, 0x12, 0x34, 0x56, 0x78, 0x9A, 0xBC, 0xDE, 0xF0, 0x0F, 0xF0, 0x0F, 0xF0, 0x55, 0xAA, 0x55, 0xAA, 0x12, 0x34, 0x56, 0x78, 0x9A, 0xBC, 0xDE, 0xF0, 0x0F, 0xF0, 0x0F, 0xF0 ] def solve(hex_string): encrypted_bytes = bytes.fromhex(hex_string) if len(encrypted_bytes) != 32: print("Error: Length mismatch") return # 1. Reverse XOR shuffled = [0] * 32 for i in range(32): shuffled[i] = encrypted_bytes[i] ^ KEY[i] # 2. Reverse Permutation original = [0] * 32 for i in range(32): target_idx = PERM[i] original[target_idx] = shuffled[i] print("Flag: " + "".join(chr(b) for b in original)) if __name__ == "__main__": solve("34d133c640536c58ffcebb864a836aaf3bc432c3606b331df2d981a472bd6e80") ``` Running the script gives us the flag: `{flag: Reverse_Engineer_The_Map}`