Wargame pulltheplug.org problem

Hi,

I am currently trying to get past vortex level 00.. but I have a problem. :o http://www.pulltheplug.org/wargames/vortex/level00.html

Here is my code (in python):

Code:

---

import socket

HOST = 'vortex.labs.pulltheplug.org'
PORT = 5842

s = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
s.connect((HOST, PORT))
b1 = s.recv(2)
b2 = s.recv(2)
b3 = s.recv(2)
b4 = s.recv(2)

b = b1+b2+b3+b4

s.send(b)

while 1:
        ans = s.recv(1024)
        print repr(ans)
        if not ans: break
s.close()

---

Can anybody help me, please?

-jk

Sorry for being harsh but i suggest you should work on it instead of
asking for help this way, you can learn better if you work on it.

Ok... thanks. ;)

But its possible to take this "challenge" in python, or?

Yeah, I'm sure you can do it in Python. Just keep working at it, I'm sure you'll get it.

When I read in from port 5842 I get 16 bytes. There are supposed to be 4 unsigned ints, so every unsigned int have 4 bytes.

But every unsigned int normally have only 2 bytes, or?

Here are 4 example bytes:
20 225 63 39

So, how can I make an unsigned int of these 4 bytes?



Thanks for every hint you can give me...

2 bytes is a short int.


-Maestr0

Also don't forget the byte order :)

My problem is that I cant calculate the original unsigned int of these 4 bytes... I have searched google for an hour but that didnt get me further....

Can anyone please explain me the way to make an unsigned int of these 4 bytes? :)

You're trying to learn how to hack but you don't know that 4 bytes is an integer?!?!? Signed or unsigned is a matter of interpretation.. The thing to watch out for is little or big endian.. I'll leave it up to you to find the difference between them :D

Hi

]jk[, let me give you an advice: ask yourself what is your goal?
Do you want to pass level 0 "to pass level 0", "to learn
basic networking and byte representation of data" or
"to learn how to gather information"? Or even something else?


If you just want to pass, a few people here could give you the
solution immediately, however, you will be lost at level 1 again.


If you want to learn about basic networking and byte representation,
that's great. You already now the basic networking part, so
let me give you a reader[1], which should help you to solve the
problem: learn, how an integer is represented in the memory,
and why people here are talking about the "order". Learn,
what "memory" actually is.


In my opinion, the highest achievement you can make during
this wargame is to learn how to gather information by yourself -
independently. Analyse what you know, what you will have to
know, and learn. This is not simple, but the more you practise
it, the better you become. This wargame starts simple, so use
this opportunity :)


Cheers

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endianness