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Trace Labs April Global OSINT Search Party CTF

Trace Labs April Global OSINT Search Party CTF

📅 Event Overview

  • Event: Trace Labs Global OSINT Search Party CTF
  • Date: April 19, 2025
  • Duration: 4 Hours
  • Team Name: ByteRaiders
  • Role: Investigator

🎯 Mission Objective

Trace Labs hosts a one-of-a-kind OSINT Capture The Flag, where hackers don’t pwn machines—they try to help find real missing persons using open-source intelligence (OSINT). Each team is assigned four missing persons cases and races against the clock to discover verifiable, actionable clues for law enforcement.

Let’s be real:
This isn’t your typical weekend CTF. This is real life. No hacking, no sock puppet accounts, just ethical sleuthing and the hope of reuniting families. A mission that requires empathy, precision, and a strong sense of duty.

As 404Yeti always says:

"This ain't a game. It's a calling. Respect the mission."

🛠️ OSINT Toolkit of the Tundra

Here’s what I packed in my frostbitten digital backpack for the search party:

  • 🔍 Search Engines: Google Dorking, Bing
  • 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 People Finders: 411, Whitepages, FindPeopleFast
  • 📱 Social Media Recon: Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), Pinterest
  • 🌍 Geo Intel: Google Maps, Google Earth
  • 🖼️ Image Tools: TinEye, Google Reverse Image
  • 🧢 Username Tracers: Namechk, WhatsMyName
  • 🧭 Wildcards: Reddit, FlightAware
  • 🧠 Visualization Tools: Maltego
  • 🧾 Note Taking: Obsidian (for clean, linked evidence)

👣 The Trail I Followed

Here’s a breakdown of my icy trek through the digital wilderness:

🧾 Hour 1 – Recon Mode: Activated

  • Identified each subject’s social media footprint
  • Cross-referenced profile pictures and aliases
  • Used “WhatsMyName” to connect usernames across platforms (even gaming accounts!)
  • Huge reminder: Privacy settings matter.

🏠 Hour 2 – Web of Connections

  • Mapped relationships: friends, family, classmates, coworkers
  • Used Maltego to visualize relationship graphs
  • Started spotting pivot points between accounts and aliases

🌎 Hour 3 – Locations & Timelines

  • Analyzed backgrounds of selfies for geo clues
  • Looked at metadata, timestamps, and flight records to build a timeline
  • Shared findings with teammates and helped cross-verify their targets

🧬 Hour 4 – Final Push

  • Helped team with last-minute blockers
  • Submitted final clues
  • Focused on quality over quantity—every detail counts

🧩 Challenges in the Frozen Web

  • 🔒 Locked-down profiles: Many social accounts were private or wiped
  • 🌀 Lookalikes: Similar names and faces made verification tricky
  • 🌪️ Information Overload: Sifting through outdated or irrelevant articles was time-consuming
  • ⏳ Time Crunch: The pressure of the clock made precision and teamwork essential

🧠 What I Learned from the Tundra

  • 🔍 Details are gold – That one blurry background item? Might just be the pivot you need
  • 🧩 Everything is connected – One username = 5 different sites = whole new lead
  • 🗃️ Stay organized – Obsidian helped me link clues and stay sane under pressure
  • 🧊 Distance helps – Staying emotionally neutral helps you analyze better and stay focused
  • 🧠 Brains over tools – The best tool is a sharp mind and a solid methodology

🔐 OSINT4Good – Why It Matters

Using our cyber skills to help others isn't just possible—it's necessary. But we’ve gotta stay grounded:

  • Always work within legal/ethical boundaries
  • Don’t share sensitive findings publicly
  • Remember that you’re part of a chain reaction—one wrong move can derail an entire case
❄️ “Just because you can find it, doesn’t mean you should use it. Be cool. Be lawful. Be helpful.” — 404Yeti

🏁 Final Results

  • 🧠 Score: 730 points
  • 📊 Ranking: 80th out of 135 teams (first-timer squad!)
  • 👥 Team Performance: ByteRaiders came in strong for a new crew—minimal prep, lots of grit
  • 🌟 Personal Win: Highest point submission on my team. Proud of my hustle, grateful for the support
  • 🎯 Next-Time Goals:
    • Tighten team workflows
    • Improve real-time communication
    • Step into a coaching role and guide new investigators

📦 Key Takeaways

  • Focus like a laser—even a blurry profile pic could change a case
  • Our brains are supercomputers—use your intuition and logic, not just tools
  • Method beats madness—structured thinking is stronger than shiny software
  • This is real life—and your skills can actually save someone’s life

❄️ Final Words from 404Yeti

"We ain’t just looking for IPs and ports out here.
We’re looking for people.
Stay frosty, stay human, and always use your powers for good."

See you on the next mission.
🧊 404 out.