Bandit Level 1 Walkthrough

Mastering File Discovery and Basic Commands

1. Analyzing the Mission

In the screenshot of Level 1, OverTheWire provides us with a clear objective: "The password for the next level is stored in a file called readme located in the home directory."

Insights from the Image:

• Target: A file named readme.
• Location: The Home Directory (In Linux, this is your starting point, represented by the ~ symbol).
• Tools Provided: ls, cd, cat, file, du, find.

Notice the TIP in the image: "Create a file for notes and passwords on your local machine!" This is crucial. Every level from here on will give you a password for the next user. If you lose it, you have to start over from Level 0.

2. The Feynman Explanation: Interacting with Files

New users often ask: "Why can't I just see the file?" In a Graphical Interface (like Windows or Mac), folders and files are icons. In a Terminal, you are essentially blind until you use specific commands to "see."

The Treasure Chest Analogy:

Imagine you are dropped into a dark, empty room. You know there is a treasure chest here, but you can't see anything.

1. ls (List): This is your Flashlight. You turn it on and scan the floor. You see a box labeled "readme."

2. cat (Concatenate): This is the act of Opening the Box. You can't just look at the box to know what's inside; you have to open it to read the note hidden within. In Linux, cat dumps the text inside a file onto your screen so you can read it.

3. Step-by-Step Execution

First, log in as bandit0 (if you aren't already) using the password from Level 0. Then, follow these steps:

# Step 1: List the contents of your current directory
bandit0@bandit:~$ ls
readme

# Step 2: Read the contents of the 'readme' file
bandit0@bandit:~$ cat readme
NH2SXQwcBdsqTEvLcNoSc9e66SAs9m7h

Why these commands?

• ls: Short for "List." Without this, you wouldn't be 100% sure the file exists or is named correctly.
• cat: Short for "Concatenate." While it can join files, its most common use is simply displaying the contents of a single file.

4. Why not the other commands?

The screenshot suggested several other commands. Let's look at why we didn't use them, using the Feynman technique of simplifying logic:

• cd (Change Directory): We use this to "walk" into a different room (folder). Since the readme file was already in the room we started in, using cd would be unnecessary.
• file: This tells you what kind of object you are looking at (e.g., "This is a text file" or "This is a picture"). It doesn't show you the secret message inside.
• du (Disk Usage): This tells you how heavy (large) the file is. Knowing a file is 1kb doesn't help you read the password!

Success!

Copy that long string of characters. You will now use it to log in as bandit1 using the same SSH command from Level 0.

ssh bandit1@bandit.labs.overthewire.org -p 2220

Tags: #Linux #Bandit #OverTheWire #CatCommand #LsCommand #FileNavigation #CyberSecurity #FeynmanTechnique #CodeWithPritom