← Back to KAALCHAKARA PREQUALS 2026

FOLLOW THE TRAIL

Stegseek image password crack, base64 GPS coordinates lookup, and locating nearby reviews on Google Maps.

Tools Used

stegseekGoogle MapsBase64

Overview

Given a JPEG image image_sJM6Gg8.jpg. We need to extract hidden payloads using steganography tools.

Reconnaissance

We use stegseek to bruteforce the password of the image. The cracked password is sept12, which reveals cipher.txt.

Exploitation Strategy

The extracted text contains a Base64-encoded string: MTUuNDEyNDAxNzk4MDEyMjYyLDc0LjAxMjk4Nzk5NjYwMTQ3Cg==. Decoding this yields coordinates: 15.412401798012262, 74.01298799660147. Searching this location on Google Maps points to a college, where filtering reviews by newest exposes the flag.

Solution Code

# Decode coordinates:
# echo "MTUuNDEyNDAxNzk4MDEyMjYyLDc0LjAxMjk4Nzk5NjYwMTQ3Cg==" | base64 -d
# Output: 15.412401798012262,74.01298799660147
# Location lookup on Google Maps reviews reveals flag: Kaal{The_Three_Eyed_Student}

Flag

Kaal{The_Three_Eyed_Student}