KringleCon3 Overview

KringleCon is the annual Holiday Hacking Challenge put on by the SANS Institute. Players are presented with a variety of security themed objectives and CLI challenges which provide valuable hints. In addition, the KringleCon YouTube Channel provides additional training, helpful for solving obstacles within the game, as well as practical security advice outside the game.

When KringleCon is over, players publish writeups. Each player tackles the objectives in their own unique way. These writeups help us gain insight into the minds of each individual player.

Objective Overview

Talk to Pepper Minstix in the entryway to get some hints about the Santavator. The Santavator is the elevator that moves between floors.

Elf Hints

The elves say this more artistic…

You’ll need a key and other odd objects. Try talking to Sparkle Redberry about the key.

For the odd objects, maybe just wander around the castle and see what you find on the floor.

Once you have a few, try using them to split, redirect, and color the Super Santavator Sparkle Stream (S4).

Objective Detailed Writeup

Initial Findings

The elevator buttons are not working. Looks like a key is needed to open the control panel.

Assumptions After Initial Observations

• Need to find parts to fix the elevator
• Need to replace missing button

Solving

Solving this objective required walking around looking for objects and picking them up.

These objects open the elevator control panel and redirect the elevator energy through the different colored bulbs to enable the floor buttons as noted in this diagram:

By arranging the objects and light bulbs, all three of the power rails lit up:

Once power is enabled, the buttons light up:

Answer

Arrange the bulbs and objects to light up the power rails.