induwara<CTF/>← induwara.lk
season 01 · pre-launch

Find Sri Lanka's
sharpest thinker.

A Sri Lankan CTF for extreme thinkers — open globally, prizes reserved for SL-verified solo champions.

top 5 win TryHackMe Premium · 1 month
·
free · no signup paywall
registration opens in
00
days
00
hours
00
min
00
sec

qualifiers run for 14 days the moment registration opens.

join the waitlist

7 already in line.

free

no spam. one launch ping + the qualifier window opening. unsubscribe anytime.

already have an account?

→ Try the free challenge

No registration needed. Solve this and get a taste of what's coming. Log in to submit your flag and appear on the solver list.

Free ChallengeMisceasy1 hacker solved this

Hello, Lanka

Hello, Lanka

"The island of Serendib — where every hidden thing reveals itself to those who look."

Welcome to induwara<CTF/> Season 01. Before you storm the main gates, let's make sure your hacker senses are awake.

Someone left a message for you. It's encoded with the oldest trick in the book — a cipher so simple that Julius Caesar used it to pass notes in Latin class.

Decode the following string to find your first flag:

vaqhjnen{j3yp0z3_g0_1aqhj4e4_pgs}

Hint: Every letter has been rotated by 13 positions in the alphabet. Numbers and symbols stay exactly as they are.

Flag format: challenge{...}

Once you have the flag, submit it to unlock the qualifier challenges. The real hunt begins there.

Log in to submit your flag.

how it works

four phases, one trophy.

01 · register

Pick a handle. Choose your country. You're in. No fees, no qualifiers paywall, no nonsense.

02 · qualifiers

Solo, 14-day window. Solve at least 2 qualifier challenges to advance.

03 · squad up

Find a partner — squads of 2. Use the squad finder or bring your own. Lock in before main event.

04 · compete

Live, scored, dynamically decayed. First blood gets bonus points. Leaderboard updates in real time.

prizes

top 5 walk away with TryHackMe Premium · 1 month.

Every qualifier gets bragging rights and a permanent leaderboard slot. Winners get a certificate, social shout-out, and a month of premium training to keep the streak.

5
rules brief

play fair, play hard.

who can play

Anyone, anywhere. Prizes ship to Sri Lanka first — international winners get equivalent digital rewards. Minimum age 13 (with guardian consent if under 18).

qualifying

Solo only. Solve at least 2 qualifier challenges within 14 days of your registration. Flag format is shown on each challenge — submission attempts are rate-limited, but unlimited within reason.

squads

Squads of 2. Form your own with an invite code or browse the squad finder. You can only belong to one squad per event.

scoring & fair play

Dynamic decay — the more people solve a challenge, the fewer points it gives. First blood bonus: +25. Sharing flags, multi-accounting, or automated scrapers = ban from this and all future events. We log everything; we're fair, not naive.

categories

Crypto, forensics, OSINT, steganography, reversing, web, misc — plus a dedicated sl-flavor track with puzzles only a Sri Lankan can love.

be the first one in the door.

we'll ping the waitlist the second qualifiers open. no spam, promise.

about the competition

What is induwara CTF?

Test your cybersecurity skills in Sri Lanka's most immersive online CTF event. induwara CTF Season 01 features 12 original challenges across cryptography, forensics, OSINT, steganography, reversing, and web security — all with a uniquely Sri Lankan flavor. Whether you are a first-time hacker or a seasoned CTF veteran, register free and start solving today.

This free online cybersecurity competition is open to everyone worldwide. Students, professionals, and hobbyists from Sri Lanka and beyond are all welcome to participate. induwara CTF Season 01 is designed for all skill levels: beginner-friendly challenges are always available from day one, while harder tiers unlock progressively as you prove your skills. You need no special hardware — a web browser and a curious mind are enough to get started.

The competition covers 7+ challenge categories: Cryptography, Forensics, OSINT (Open Source Intelligence), Steganography, Reverse Engineering, Web Security, and a unique sl-flavor track with puzzles rooted in Sri Lanka culture, geography, railways, tea grades, and cricket. Solve challenges, capture flags, and climb the live leaderboard — completely free, no paywalls, no subscriptions.

A note on what this is and isn't. Every challenge is an original puzzle that we wrote, hosted in our own sandboxed environment, and it is solved inside that sandbox. Nothing here teaches or encourages attacking systems you do not own or have written permission to test, and no challenge targets a real third-party service. Capture the flag is how the security profession teaches defence — the same way a fire drill teaches evacuation. Attempting any of these techniques against somebody else's systems is illegal, is a breach of our terms, and will get you removed from the competition.

12+

original CTF challenges

7+

challenge categories

free

no entry fee, ever

faq

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know before you compete.

What is induwara CTF and who can participate?

induwara CTF Season 01 is a free online Capture The Flag competition open to anyone worldwide. No prior cybersecurity experience is required — we have beginner-friendly challenges designed to teach you core concepts while you compete. Students, professionals, and hobbyists from Sri Lanka and globally are all welcome.

Is the CTF free to enter?

Yes. induwara CTF Season 01 is completely free to participate in. Just register at induwara.lk/ctf and you can start solving challenges immediately after registration. There are no entry fees, no subscriptions, and no paywalls on core challenges.

What categories of CTF challenges are available?

The competition covers 7+ categories: Cryptography, Forensics, OSINT (Open Source Intelligence), Steganography, Reverse Engineering, Web Security, and a special Sri Lanka Flavor (sl-flavor) category featuring puzzles based on local culture, geography, railways, tea grades, cricket, and more.

I am a beginner — are there easy challenges for me?

Absolutely. We have dedicated Easy and Beginner-level challenges that are always available from the moment you register. These require no tools beyond a web browser and basic logic. We also provide two progressive hints per challenge to help you when you are stuck.

How does the challenge unlock system work?

Challenges are unlocked progressively based on your total solve count. The first two challenges in each tier are always available. As you solve more challenges, harder ones unlock automatically — at 2 solves, 4 solves, 6 solves, and 8 solves. This keeps the competition exciting and rewards persistence.

Do I need to install any special software to participate?

Most challenges can be solved with a web browser, a text editor, and free tools like CyberChef, Python, or a simple terminal. We design all challenges to be infrastructure-free — no VMs, no Docker, no paid tools required. A Chromebook or basic Linux/Windows machine is sufficient.

What is a Capture The Flag (CTF) competition?

A CTF is a cybersecurity competition where participants solve security-related puzzles to find hidden strings called ‘flags’. Challenges test skills like code analysis, cryptography, finding hidden data in files, open-source research, and web security. Solving a challenge and submitting its flag earns you points on the leaderboard.

When is induwara CTF Season 01 and how long does it run?

induwara CTF Season 01 is a 2026 online competition hosted at induwara.lk/ctf. Specific dates are announced via the official site and social channels. The event is designed as an extended-duration CTF so participants from any timezone can compete at their own pace. Sign up to receive event notifications.