Read the SMTP greeting
Apprentice 10 ptsGoal: Connect to the SMTP port and read the node id in the server's 220 banner.
Capture it yourself — real SMTP needs a terminal
- Start Wireshark on your active interface with filter
tcp.port == 2525(orsudo tcpdump -i any -w cap.pcap port 2525). - Run this against the real SMTP server on this box:
nc ctf.nitaimaarek.com 2525
Stop the capture and Follow → TCP Stream. The 220 … ESMTP node greeting carries a node id — that's the answer. Type QUIT to exit.
No nc? On Linux/macOS try ncat, or bash: exec 3<>/dev/tcp/ctf.nitaimaarek.com/2525. The exchange is plaintext, so it's fully readable in your capture — that's the whole point.
Hints
Open in order — they nudge, not solve.
Hint 1
Capture tcp.port == 2525, then nc ctf.nitaimaarek.com 2525.
Hint 2
The first line is 220 mail.sentinel.lab ESMTP node ….
Hint 3
The SMTP-NODE-… id is the answer. Type QUIT to exit.