Conference Description
Key Takeaways
- 18-hour hybrid Jeopardy-style CTF competition open to participants worldwide
- Challenge categories include reverse engineering, cryptography, OSINT and web security
- Suitable for beginners through experienced CTF players
- Online teams have unlimited size; on-site teams at Hasso Plattner Institute are limited to four members
About the Competition
Platypwn is a Capture the Flag competition organized by a student cybersecurity club at Hasso Plattner Institute near Berlin. The hybrid format allows teams to compete either online or in person at the institute’s Potsdam campus. Participants work through independent challenges in a Jeopardy-style format, earning points by solving problems across multiple security disciplines.
The competition runs for 18 hours and features a mix of difficulty levels. Online teams may register with unlimited members, while on-site teams are capped at four participants. Prizes are available for on-site teams. Communication during the event takes place via Discord, and remote participants access challenges through Wireguard VPN.
Challenge Categories
Platypwn presents challenges across core offensive security domains. Reverse engineering tasks require participants to analyze compiled binaries and understand program behavior. Cryptography challenges test knowledge of encryption schemes, hashing and mathematical vulnerabilities. OSINT problems involve gathering intelligence from publicly available sources. Web security challenges focus on identifying and exploiting vulnerabilities in web applications. Additional miscellaneous challenges may appear alongside these primary categories.
Who Should Attend
The competition targets students, security researchers, penetration testers and ethical hackers seeking hands-on practice. University cybersecurity clubs and computer science departments will find the team format well suited to group participation. The range of challenge difficulties makes the event accessible to newcomers while still engaging experienced competitors. Sponsors including Binary Ninja, Hack The Box and Google CTF infrastructure support suggest the event also attracts interest from organizations involved in security tooling and talent development.