Ah, another new machine on HTB! I’m going to have a blast with this all weekend!
Mia, you always look like you’re having so much fun! I recently started HTB too, but my rank isn’t going up very fast… Is there an efficient way to progress? My goal is to reach the Hacker rank!
Hacker rank, huh? That’s 20% ownership, right? It’s quite a journey. I’m used to CTFs, so it’s a bit easier for me, but for beginners like Aoi, it must be hard to know where to start.
You both seem very enthusiastic! Aoi, it’s wonderful that you’re aiming for the Hacker rank. If you don’t mind, I might be able to offer some assistance with my knowledge.
Celina! Thank you so much! Please, tell me the most efficient way to rank up!
Celina, please do! I want to level up faster too!
Let me share some key points about the optimal route to reach the Hacker rank in a short period.
First, regarding the HTB ranking system, only the points earned from solving active (current) machines and challenges contribute to your rank. If you have VIP, you can also attempt retired machines, but solving those won’t increase your rank, so please be aware of that.
Oh, really? I thought retired machines would be good for practice, but they don’t count towards the rank? I didn’t know that!
I see! So, I just need to focus on the active machines, then!
Exactly. And the requirement for achieving the Hacker rank is to have ownership of 20% or more of all active challenges. The specific number of points needed may vary depending on the total number of active machines and challenges at any given time, but the general idea is to solve multiple active machines in a short period.
Hmm, that makes sense. New machines are added every week, and older ones get retired.
Yes. When a machine is retired, the points you earned from it become zero, so taking too much time can lead to a decrease in your ownership percentage as some of your previously earned points become invalid. Therefore, it’s crucial to aim for a short-term, focused effort to reach your target rank. Once you achieve the Hacker rank, you don’t have to worry about dropping down even if your points decrease later, so you can rest assured.
Short-term focus is key! Got it!
Alright, let’s talk about some strategies for getting points efficiently.
The most efficient way to boost your ownership is to focus on solving active machines that are Easy to Medium difficulty. While harder machines give you more points, for beginners like Aoi, solving more of the easier ones is a better use of your time. Actually, some people have said they almost reached Pro Hacker rank just by focusing on Easy Linux machines.
Wow! You can get that high just by solving Easy machines? That’s surprising!
Yep. Easy Linux machines, in particular, tend to be easier for beginners to get into. There have even been reports of people reaching the Hacker rank by solving around eight active machines in just 11 days. So, aim to solve several Easy machines quickly to get that 20% ownership.
Easy Linux machines it is! I’ll do my best!
And Mia, since you know a lot about web development, you might find it helpful to start with machines that involve finding weaknesses in web apps. For example, boxes that focus on things like SQL injection or file upload vulnerabilities would let you use what you already know.
That’s a good point! I’m pretty familiar with web vulnerabilities. I’ll look for those!
On the other hand, Windows machines might seem a bit scary at first. It’s usually a good idea to start with Linux machines and then, once you’re more comfortable, try out basic Windows stuff like exploiting simple SMB shares or RDP. By starting with what you’re good at, you can stay motivated and speed things up.
Thank you, Celina! I’ll try them in that order!
Also, even though you prefer to play solo, if you have some friends you trust, working together can be a good way to get things done faster. Sharing what you know and working on different parts at the same time can cut down on solving time. You can also check out hints on the HTB forums and Discord. Just remember that sharing flags directly isn’t allowed, so use the hints as guidance only.
Hmm, I might check out the forums if I get stuck. But I really like the feeling of accomplishment when I solve something myself!
I totally get that. But if you’re really stuck, using hints can be a good way to make the most of your time.
Alright! Professor, can you give us some examples of a specific route to take?
Sure. Here’s an example of a route that someone with beginner VIP could take to quickly reach the Hacker rank.
(Pointing to her notebook)
Solve 3-5 Easy Active Machines: Start by trying active machines that are labeled “Easy.” Easy machines usually have easier-to-find weaknesses, so you can grab both the user and root (administrator) flags faster. Linux machines are especially recommended.
For example:
General Easy Linux Machines: These will help you learn basic things like port scanning, exploiting vulnerable services, and simple ways to get more privileges (like messed-up sudo permissions or using SetUID programs).
Easy Windows Machines: If you can, try one Windows machine. If you find one that involves exploiting SMB shares or older Windows service weaknesses (classic examples include EternalBlue/MS17-010), it’ll help you learn the basics of hacking Windows.
Clearing around 4-5 Easy machines should get you really close to the 20% ownership you need for Hacker rank. If you can manage to solve more, like 5 or more, it’ll give you some wiggle room in case you lose points later when machines get retired.
Got it! I’ll start with Easy Linux machines! And I’ll try a Windows one if I get the chance!
I’ll also keep an eye out for some Easy Web machines!
If you haven’t quite hit the 20% ownership needed for Hacker rank just by solving machines, you can work on challenges to make up the difference. Hack The Box challenges are divided into categories (Web, Crypto, Pwn, Reverse Engineering, Misc.) and have different difficulty levels from Easy to Hard. While one challenge gives you about 1/10th of a machine’s points towards your rank, so they’re not great for getting tons of points, solving Easy challenges quickly can be an efficient way to bump up your ownership percentage.
Easy challenges in the Web category are a good place to start. For example, challenges that involve getting specific info using SQL injection or simple XSS problems can often be solved using your web skills, Mia. These tend to be solvable pretty quickly (within a few minutes to a couple of hours). You can also try challenges in other categories based on what you’re good at (for example, if you’re good at programming, you might enjoy Crypto or Misc puzzles). Solving a few challenges will slowly increase your ownership percentage, helping you reach that 20% mark. A good rule of thumb is that clearing 3-5 Easy challenges is roughly equal to the points from one machine.
There are challenges too! I might be able to solve some Easy Web ones! If a machine is too hard, I can earn points here instead!
I need to remember to check out the challenges as well!
If you’re still a little short of the 20% ownership mark after doing the above steps, or if you want to make absolutely sure you reach Hacker rank, solve one or two more Easy machines. It’s important to remember that you only get full credit for a machine once you’ve gotten both the user and root flags, so don’t give up halfway through. Each machine you fully solve will steadily increase your ownership percentage.
Keep focusing on solving machines quickly. Like I said before, if machines you’ve already solved get retired over the weekend, you’ll lose those points. For example, you might be at 15% ownership, but after the weekend, your points could drop, putting you back in the low teens. The goal is to get over 20% before that happens. Luckily, once you reach Hacker rank, you won’t lose it even if your points go down later. So, if you’re close, just push through and solve the remaining machines you need to reach your goal.
Machines get retired over the weekend! I need to be careful about that!
Alright! I’m going to focus on solving machines this weekend!
Lastly, here are a few extra tips to help you reach the Hacker rank quickly
If you have VIP, you can use the official Writeups and videos to learn how to solve retired machines. Even though they don’t give you points now, the knowledge you get from past machine walkthroughs can really help when you’re tackling active machines. You might see similar weaknesses or techniques and remember them from a retired machine you looked at. By trying out what you learn right away in the active environment, you can build up your skills and get faster.
And, to make the most of the time you have, focusing on the basics like Enumeration (gathering information) is actually the fastest way to go. Make sure to do thorough port scans and check out the services running at the beginning so you don’t waste time going down the wrong path. Even when you’re trying to be efficient, take a moment to quickly review your solutions and think about what you could have noticed earlier. This will make your next attempts even smoother. Getting better at the basics, even during a short-term push, will ultimately help you rank up the fastest.
Writeups and videos can be really helpful! I’m glad I have VIP!
Focusing on the fundamentals is important! I’ll keep that in mind!
By following these routes and strategies, even beginners should be able to reach the Hacker rank pretty quickly. Like you see in various communities, lots of people have successfully ranked up fast by focusing their efforts. Take your time, be steady, but also be smart about how you earn points. I wish you both the best of luck! 🚩✨