CISPA x saarsec CTF Workshop 2026

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About the workshop

At the beginning of this semester, CISPA Helmholtz Center for Information Security and saasec, a group of CTF players, offer a compact workshop to teach interested students core concepts of applied cybersecurity and capture-the-flag (CTF) competitions specifically. The workshop will last a whole weekend, starting with a technical set-up session on the evening of Friday, April 10th and ending on Sunday, April 12th with an exciting hands-on CTF.

During the workshop, we will give 45-minute presentations on the common categories of challenges found in Jeopardy CTFs. By the end, you will know about the most common vulnerabilities found in competitions and real-world applications. But fret not, we offer more than just theory! After each presentation, participants will apply their newfound knowledge in hands-on exercises based on the categories of challenges introduced. The pinnacle of the workshop is the jeopardy-style CTF competition, where participants compete against each other in teams.

Timeline

We start on Friday with getting you and your laptop ready for some action, so that you can enjoy the entire weekend without interruptions. Just come by at any point during the indicated setup time window (ideally not right before the end). If you are very certain that your setup is solid (requirements are listed below), you may skip this optional session.

On Saturday, we will begin with a brief introduction before moving on to common web vulnerabilities. After the lunch break, you will get a complete overview of Python fundamentals to cover your programming bases. Finally, we provide a brief overview of open-source intelligence (OSINT) challenges, spend time on remaining challenges, and conclude the day with an open-ended gathering where we enjoy food from the Schwenker grill.

On Sunday, we will continue with binary exploitation, cryptography (don't worry, the maths will be light-weight) and then start preparing for the final CTF during the lunch break. As a closing highlight, the participants will be sorted into teams for the final jeopardy-style CTF. After about 3-4 hours of competition, we wrap up the workshop with a closing presentation.

Requirements for the workshop

Although we do not have strict operating system requirements, you should consider that several of the tools you may wish to use run best on Linux or MacOS. Therefore, we recommend having a Linux system ready, for example on a USB drive or in a VM. At the very least, we recommend setting up the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) if you insist on running Windows.

Regardless of the OS, please ensure that you have Python installed ahead of time and know how to install new packages (or even better, have requests and pwntools installed already). If you don't know how to do it or want some guidance, then please swing by during the setup time slot on Friday. Depending on how you want to code, we suggest you have an IDE ready (e.g., VSCode or one of its derivatives, or PyCharm, which has a free academic license).

No prior knowledge of the presented topics is required.

Logistics

The event will take place at the CISPA C0 building (Stuhlsatzenhaus 5). Please note that we cannot offer you coffee, drinks or snacks there and all nearby shops and cafes are typically closed during the weekend, so you should bring some for yourself. For the communal schwenking on Saturday evening please also bring your own food to put on the grill (we have a fridge to store it during the day). We will provide pizza for the lunch breaks on Saturday and Sunday. Note that there will likely not be any vegan options.

If you would like to attend the workshop, please register here and click on the account activation link that you will receive via email. Due to limited room capacity, only registered participants can attend the workshop. Places are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

TL;DR

• CTF Workshop - Lots of fun working on applied cybersecurity challenges with your mates
• Time: Evening of the 10th to 12th of April
• Cost: Free of charge
• Location: CISPA C0 (Stuhlsatzenhaus 5, 66123 Saarbrücken / Campus E9 1)
• Bring:
• Coffee / tea / whatever you like to drink
• Snacks
• Laptop and charger
• Food for the Schwenker on Saturday
• Lunch: We will provide pizza for lunch on Saturday and Sunday. If you have dietary restrictions, it is also possible to bring your own food (fridge and microwave are available).
• Sign up: Complete the registration form and follow the emailed instructions.
• Contact: workshop@saarsec.rocks. Please read the whole page before reaching out.