QR Challenge Write Up

We have a qr code this time, to decode it we can use an awesome online service ZXing Decoder Online .

Figure 2 showing QR Challenge Write Up written by thewhiteh4t

A base64 string, lets decode it...

$ echo "aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWd1ci5jb20vYS9UUkdJczUz==" | base64 -d
https://imgur.com/a/TRGIs53

A cat image, classic...it's a stego challenge...

$ file cat_img.png
cat_img.png: PNG image data, 634 x 548, 8-bit/color RGBA, non-interlaced

# After trying various other tools, I tried zsteg...

$ zsteg cat_img.png

b1,rgb,lsb,xy       .. text: "https://pastebin.com/V9TaKwNM"
b2,r,msb,xy         .. text: "PPUPUUUUEDE"
b2,b,msb,xy         .. text: "PPATUAP@"
b2,rgba,lsb,xy      .. file: PGP Secret Sub-key -
b2,abgr,msb,xy      .. text: "CWWCWCCC"
b3,g,lsb,xy         .. text: "Hd6Hi&RH"
b3,bgr,lsb,xy       .. text: "Xe6\tH&Za"
b3,rgba,lsb,xy      .. text: "rw7ww7Sy"
b4,r,lsb,xy         .. text: "ffDfffDD "
b4,r,msb,xy         .. text: "w3USaUdgP%"
b4,g,lsb,xy         .. file: 0421 Alliant compact executable
b4,g,msb,xy         .. text: "5 bffFWQGbf\""
b4,b,lsb,xy         .. text: "fdDD\"\"\"\"\"D\""
b4,b,msb,xy         .. text: "f5\"fU5Db5@fBc7"
b4,rgb,msb,xy       .. text: "6g5PsSW1afBET"
b4,bgr,lsb,xy       .. text: "b&\"b&\"b&"
b4,bgr,msb,xy       .. text: "c70uSW3QfAbD"
b4,rgba,lsb,xy      .. text: "F/f/hOjo"
b4,abgr,msb,xy      .. text: "o\"oa_U_3_w?pO&Of/aoe_"

Under text we can see a pastebin URL and the content is a long string. Lets switch to CyberChef and use From base64...

Figure 3 showing QR Challenge Write Up written by thewhiteh4t

We have morse code here!!! At this point I switched output to input and used From Morse recipe and got binary as new output, then I tried using From Binary recipe but it did not work so I used Reverse Recipe and then From Binary and got a pastebin URL...

Figure 4 showing QR Challenge Write Up written by thewhiteh4t

And in the pastebin link we got the flag!

Congrats on finishing my challenge,
flag{curiosity_is_wonderful}

Feel free to respect my hackthebox account:
roman1

or add me on discord:
roman1#9419

To anyone who read this far, please respect roman1 on HTB, Thank you roman1 for creating this amazing challenge!