OSINT challenges
Answer a question about the real world from public sources. The work is pivoting between identifiers, not exploiting anything.
507 in the index. The 200 below are ranked by how many independent published solutions exist - which is the right order for learning, not for difficulty. A challenge with nine writeups gives you nine explanations of the same technique to compare; a harder one nobody documented gives you none.
Finding Geno
RITSEC CTF 2021 20218 writeupsOLD Times
HackTM CTF Quals 2020 20208 writeupsCanada Server
KnightCTF 2022 20227 writeups#OSINTChallenge
RITSEC CTF 2021 20217 writeupsProgramming 3
HackIM 2016 20167 writeupsFind The Camera
KnightCTF 2022 20226 writeupsData Breach
RITSEC CTF 2021 20216 writeupsMusic Signs
RITSEC CTF 2021 20216 writeupsDark Social Web
DarkCTF 20206 writeupsFinsta
NahamCon CTF 20206 writeupsOSINT4
nullcom HackIM 2018 20186 writeupsProgramming 4
HackIM 2016 20166 writeupsAlexander Taylor
CSAW CTF Qualification Round 2015 20156 writeupsJulian Cohen
CSAW CTF Qualification Round 2015 20156 writeupsAPT Interference
RITSEC CTF 2021 20215 writeupsJustin2
UMDCTF 2021 20215 writeupsdns_wizard
WPICTF 2020 20205 writeupsinspector
WPICTF 2020 20205 writeupsTime Keeper
NahamCon CTF 20205 writeupsNew Developer
Inferno CTF 2019 20195 writeupsFind Me
HeroCTF v3 20214 writeupsJustin 3
UMDCTF 2021 20214 writeupsNikolai 1
UMDCTF 2021 20214 writeupsSocial ID #1
HeroCTF v3 20214 writeupsSocial ID #2
HeroCTF v3 20214 writeupsThe Tour(1)
GrabCON CTF 2021 20214 writeupsVacation
UMDCTF 2021 20214 writeupsALIedAS About Some Thing
AUCTF 2020 20204 writeupsBad man
DownUnderCTF 2020 20204 writeupsCatography
Houseplant CTF 2020 20204 writeupsFind cell
DarkCTF 20204 writeupsIdentity Fraud
FwordCTF 2020 20204 writeupsNew Years Resolution
NahamCon CTF 20204 writeupsTime Travel
DarkCTF 20204 writeupsTron
NahamCon CTF 20204 writeupsWho made me
AUCTF 2020 20204 writeupsChirp
WPICTF 2019 20194 writeupsMerry Christmas
Inferno CTF 2019 20194 writeupsSocial
FireShell CTF 2019 20194 writeupsWhistle Blower
Inferno CTF 2019 20194 writeupsProgramming 2
HackIM 2016 20164 writeupsRecon 100-1
CSAW CTF Qualification Round 2013 20134 writeupsRecon 100-3
CSAW CTF Qualification Round 2013 20134 writeupsRecon 100-5
CSAW CTF Qualification Round 2013 20134 writeupsRecon 100-6
CSAW CTF Qualification Round 2013 20134 writeupsAll OSINT challenges
Cyber Apocalypse CTF 2025: Tales from Eldoria 20253 writeupsA Harsh Reality of Passwords
IrisCTF 2024 20243 writeupsOSINT 1
UTCTF 2024 20243 writeupsFirst class mail
UIUCTF 2023 20233 writeupsgeoguesser
UIUCTF 2023 20233 writeupsBack Then
Tenable CTF 2022 20223 writeupsCan You Dig it?
Tenable CTF 2022 20223 writeupsCurious?
Space Heroes 2022 20223 writeupsExplosion In Front Of Bank Of Spain
KnightCTF 2022 20223 writeupsGoogle Ransom
San Diego CTF 2022 20223 writeupsKeeber 1
NahamCon CTF 2022 20223 writeupsKeeber 1-8
NahamCon CTF 2022 20223 writeupsKeeber 2
NahamCon CTF 2022 20223 writeupsMann Hunt
San Diego CTF 2022 20223 writeupsPart of the ship...
San Diego CTF 2022 20223 writeupsSamuel
San Diego CTF 2022 20223 writeups50m on the right
Really Awesome CTF 2021 20213 writeupsChaplin's PR Nightmare - 8
UIUCTF 2021 20213 writeupsgeomapping2
HSCTF 8 20213 writeupsImp3rs0nAt0r-1
DamCTF 2021 20213 writeupsJed Sheeran
H@cktivityCon 2021 CTF 20213 writeupsMemeCTF 2 Electric Boogaloo
UMDCTF 2021 20213 writeupsMike
DeconstruCT.F 2021 20213 writeupsNikolai 2
UMDCTF 2021 20213 writeupsOSINT The Creator
UIUCTF 2021 20213 writeupsProtonDate
HeroCTF v3 20213 writeupsSugar, we're goin up
MetaCTF CyberGames 2021 20213 writeupsThe Foreign Student
TMUCTF 2021 20213 writeupsThe Reporter
darkCON CTF 20213 writeupsThis ain't a scene, it's an encryption race
MetaCTF CyberGames 2021 20213 writeupsTour (2)
GrabCON CTF 2021 20213 writeupsTraveling
UMDCTF 2021 20213 writeupsTriangles
Really Awesome CTF 2021 20213 writeupsVictim 1
GrabCON CTF 2021 20213 writeupsVictim 2
GrabCON CTF 2021 20213 writeupsBad Tumblers
2020 Defenit CTF 20203 writeupsGood Old Days
AUCTF 2020 20203 writeupsGoogle Cloud
CyBRICS CTF 2020 20203 writeupsIsabelle's Bad Opsec 4
UIUCTF 2020 20203 writeupsPI 2: A Series of Tubes
rgbCTF 2020 20203 writeupsThats just Phreaky
NeverLAN CTF 2020 20203 writeupsThe Bait
DarkCTF 20203 writeupsTracking a Criminal
FwordCTF 2020 20203 writeupsIt's to KeyZ
NeverLAN CTF 2019 20193 writeupsWelcome
FireShell CTF 2019 20193 writeupsWhere is the IRC?
FireShell CTF 2019 20193 writeupsHelp Mars!
CTFZone 2018 Quals 20183 writeupsosint3
nullcom HackIM 2018 20183 writeupsDrive Home (Reconaissance)
ABCTF 2016 20163 writeupsEric Liang
CSAW CTF Qualification Round 2015 20153 writeupsfind him
VolgaCTF 2015 Quals 20153 writeupsRecon 100-2
CSAW CTF Qualification Round 2013 20133 writeupsRecon 100-4
CSAW CTF Qualification Round 2013 20133 writeupsRecon 100-7
CSAW CTF Qualification Round 2013 20133 writeupsRecon 100-8
CSAW CTF Qualification Round 2013 20133 writeupsmisc/linkedout-recon
TJCTF 2025 20252 writeupsParty Time!
SwampCTF 2025 20252 writeups[OSINT] Bandit
TCP1P CTF 2024: Exploring Nusantara's Digital Realm 20242 writeups[OSINT] Night Live at Indonesian
TCP1P CTF 2024: Exploring Nusantara's Digital Realm 20242 writeups[OSINT] The Investigator
TCP1P CTF 2024: Exploring Nusantara's Digital Realm 20242 writeups[OSINT] The Pentagon
TCP1P CTF 2024: Exploring Nusantara's Digital Realm 20242 writeupsCheck Out Our Campus Orgs
Texas Security Awareness Week 2024 20242 writeupsGeo-Location
Texas Security Awareness Week 2024 20242 writeupsOSINT 2
UTCTF 2024 20242 writeupsOSINT: Redditor
WolvCTF 2024 20242 writeupsPersona
The Cyber Jawara International 2024 20242 writeupsSherlock
Texas Security Awareness Week 2024 20242 writeupsНелегальная реклама
KubanCTF Qualifier 2024 20242 writeupsFinding Artifacts 1
UIUCTF 2023 20232 writeupshike to where?
LA CTF 2023 20232 writeupsNMPZ
idekCTF 2022* 20232 writeupsrecord-me
JerseyCTF III 20232 writeupsRFC standard for security policy information
VU CYBERTHON 2023 20232 writeupsscouts-honor
JerseyCTF III 20232 writeups43
BYUCTF 2022 20222 writeupsdns-joke
JerseyCTF II 20222 writeupsElon Musk
DaVinciCTF 2022 20222 writeupsFind Me if You Can
Tenable CTF 2022 20222 writeupsHue is This?
EZ CTF | Beginner Friendly 20222 writeupsI don't dream about noodles, dad.
BYUCTF 2022 20222 writeupsKeeber 3
NahamCon CTF 2022 20222 writeupsKeeber 4
NahamCon CTF 2022 20222 writeupsKeeber 5
NahamCon CTF 2022 20222 writeupsLaunched
Space Heroes 2022 20222 writeupsMonkeey
DaVinciCTF 2022 20222 writeupsOh the Vanity
BYUCTF 2022 20222 writeupsPainting spot
DaVinciCTF 2022 20222 writeupsphoto-op-spot
JerseyCTF II 20222 writeupsTuring Test
San Diego CTF 2022 20222 writeups? I'm lost in the world ?
CTF Internacional MetaRed 2021 - 3rd STAGE 20212 writeupsAHF
DeconstruCT.F 2021 20212 writeupsAll Hail Google
RTLxHA CTF 21 20212 writeupsc-brother-2
HSCTF 8 20212 writeupsChaplin's PR Nightmare - 1
UIUCTF 2021 20212 writeupsChaplin's PR Nightmare - 6
UIUCTF 2021 20212 writeupsDiscord
Securebug.se CTF Thor 2021 20212 writeupsDon't Talk to Blue Birds
BuckeyeCTF 2021 20212 writeupsFind my key [ Opensource Lover Part 2 ]
WORMCON 0x01 20212 writeupsGood French Charcuterie
HeroCTF v3 20212 writeupsImp3rs0nAt0r-2
DamCTF 2021 20212 writeupsJailbird
DEADFACE CTF 20212 writeupsJanus
DaVinciCTF 2021 20212 writeupsJohn Poet
Really Awesome CTF 2021 20212 writeupsLab
COMPFEST CTF 2021 20212 writeupsMeetup
DEADFACE CTF 20212 writeupsMissing Ranger
WORMCON 0x01 20212 writeupsMr.B Identity
Securebug.se CTF Odin 2021 20212 writeupsMr.B Supermacy
Securebug.se CTF Odin 2021 20212 writeupsMr.B Ultimatum
Securebug.se CTF Odin 2021 20212 writeupsOHSINT
Really Awesome CTF 2021 20212 writeupsOpen Source In(sta)telligence
BuckeyeCTF 2021 20212 writeupsOSINT Part 1
UTCTF 2021 20212 writeupsOSINT Part 2
UTCTF 2021 20212 writeupsOSINT The Creator 2
UIUCTF 2021 20212 writeupsOSINT: Tour de Japan: Part 1 - Dare enter the mirror world
Digital Overdose 2021 Autumn CTF 20212 writeupsOSINT: Tour de Japan: Part 13 - The river of Sakura
Digital Overdose 2021 Autumn CTF 20212 writeupsOSINT: Tour de Japan: Part 4 - One of the classics
Digital Overdose 2021 Autumn CTF 20212 writeupsOSINT: Tour de Japan: Part 5.a - The Central Hub
Digital Overdose 2021 Autumn CTF 20212 writeupsOSINT: Tour de Japan: Part 5.b - This way, Emperor Naruhito
Digital Overdose 2021 Autumn CTF 20212 writeupsOSINT: Tour de Japan: Part 8 - A staple drink of Japan
Digital Overdose 2021 Autumn CTF 20212 writeupsPhriedman Systems
DawgCTF 2021 20212 writeupsPushhhh
HeroCTF v3 20212 writeupsSilver Darlings
Really Awesome CTF 2021 20212 writeupsSkyline
Really Awesome CTF 2021 20212 writeupsThe Poet Denis The First
Jornadas 2021 20212 writeupsWe're watching you
Tenable CTF 2021 20212 writeupsWebsite
GrabCON CTF 2021 20212 writeupsWho broke the printer this time?
MetaCTF CyberGames 2021 20212 writeupsWho goes there?
DownUnderCTF 2021 (Online) 20212 writeupsA Mirror would be useful
e-Jornadas 2020 20202 writeupsA quick search
Brixel CTF winter edition 20202 writeupsBrick by Brick
Really Awesome CTF 2020 20202 writeupsDead Man
Really Awesome CTF 2020 20202 writeupsDigMe
Affinity CTF Lite (Junior/Beginner) 20202 writeupsDo Stars Spin? 3
HSCTF 7 20202 writeupsEye
DarkCTF 20202 writeupsFind The Coin
VULNCON CTF 2020 20202 writeupsG is Good
FwordCTF 2020 20202 writeupsGroovin and Cubin
Houseplant CTF 2020 20202 writeupshellofellowchallengers
WPICTF 2020 20202 writeupsInsanity Check
rgbCTF 2020 20202 writeupsIsabelle's Bad Opsec 1
UIUCTF 2020 20202 writeupsIsabelle's Bad Opsec 2
UIUCTF 2020 20202 writeupsIsabelle's Bad Opsec 3
UIUCTF 2020 20202 writeupsIsabelle's Bad Opsec 5
UIUCTF 2020 20202 writeupsMahatma
e-Jornadas 2020 20202 writeupsManhunt #1
Brixel CTF winter edition 20202 writeupsManhunt #2
Brixel CTF winter edition 20202 writeupsNASA
Zh3r0 CTF 20202 writeupsNeighbors
e-Jornadas 2020 20202 writeupsoperationsluggishhamster
Affinity CTF Lite (Junior/Beginner) 20202 writeupsOsint 0x0003
riftCTF 20202 writeupsOsint 0x0005
riftCTF 20202 writeupsOSINT 2 607
AUCTF 2020 20202 writeupsOSINT You All Other The Place
AUCTF 2020 20202 writeups
Looking for a specific event? Browse all events.