Rating:
Players download an image.
Could check for embedded files or stego, or perhaps do a reverse image lookup on Google or TinEye.
In fact, the title and description is a hint! If we check the image metadata (EXIF), we'll see a comment.
```bash
exiftool ripple.jpg
ExifTool Version Number : 12.57
File Name : ripple.jpg
Directory : .
File Size : 6.5 MB
File Modification Date/Time : 2024:09:21 15:51:46+01:00
File Access Date/Time : 2024:11:10 11:24:06+00:00
File Inode Change Date/Time : 2024:11:12 11:10:15+00:00
File Permissions : -rwxrw-rw-
File Type : JPEG
File Type Extension : jpg
MIME Type : image/jpeg
Comment : /a/pq6TgwS
Image Width : 4032
Image Height : 3024
Encoding Process : Baseline DCT, Huffman coding
Bits Per Sample : 8
Color Components : 3
Y Cb Cr Sub Sampling : YCbCr4:2:0 (2 2)
Image Size : 4032x3024
Megapixels : 12.2
```
Recognise the comment format? It's from Imgur, where [URLs are formatted](https://www.reddit.com/r/redditdev/comments/35bb7i/imgur_link_format) like `imgur.com/a/{alphanumeric}` (albums) and `imgur.com/g/{alphanumeric}` (galleries).
Let's visit the [imgur link](imgur.com/a/pq6TgwS) and see the same image, along with a comment.
```
V2hhdCBhICJsb25nX3N0cmFuZ2VfdHJpcCIgaXQncyBiZWVuIQoKaHR0cHM6Ly9wYXN0ZWJpbi5jb20vRmRjTFRxWWc=
```
We [base64 decode it..](<https://gchq.github.io/CyberChef/#recipe=From_Base64('A-Za-z0-9%2B/%3D',true,false)&input=VjJoaGRDQmhJQ0pzYjI1blgzTjBjbUZ1WjJWZmRISnBjQ0lnYVhRbmN5QmlaV1Z1SVFvS2FIUjBjSE02THk5d1lYTjBaV0pwYmk1amIyMHZSbVJqVEZSeFdXYz0>)
```
What a "long_strange_trip" it's been!
https://pastebin.com/FdcLTqYg
```
Visit the [pastebin link](https://pastebin.com/FdcLTqYg) and find a password protected note. Enter `long_strange_trip` to uncover a hex string.
Converting from hex [doesn't work](<https://gchq.github.io/CyberChef/#recipe=From_Hex('Auto')&input=MjUyMTNhMmUxODIxM2QyNjI4MTUwZTBiMmMwMDEzMGUwMjBkMDI0MDA0MzAxZTViMDAwNDBiMGI0YTFjNDMwYTMwMjMwNDA1MjMwNDA5NDMwOQ&oeol=VT>), so we check the users public pastes and find [this one..](https://pastebin.com/UavLs18i)
```
I've been learning all about cryptography recently, it's cool you can just XOR data with a password and nobody can recover it!!
I think I've learnt enough about that now, hopefully I'll learn something new in next weeks topic: https://specopssoft.com/blog/password-reuse-hidden-danger
```
Quite a hint, but at the last minute I worried this part was too guessy. We XOR the data with the same password and [get the flag](<https://gchq.github.io/CyberChef/#recipe=From_Hex('Auto')XOR(%7B'option':'Latin1','string':'long_strange_trip'%7D,'Standard',false)&input=MjUyMTNhMmUxODIxM2QyNjI4MTUwZTBiMmMwMDEzMGUwMjBkMDI0MDA0MzAxZTViMDAwNDBiMGI0YTFjNDMwYTMwMjMwNDA1MjMwNDA5NDMwOQ&oeol=VT>) :)
Flag: `INTIGRITI{instagram.com/reel/C7xYShjMcV0}`
