# ctf-testing

> Deploy and test Linux CTF challenges across cloud providers (AWS, Azure, GCP). Use when testing CTF setup, validating challenges work correctly, running the full test suite, or verifying services survive VM reboots.

- Author: Deep
- Repository: Deepcode643/linux-ctfs
- Version: 20260209090132
- Stars: 0
- Forks: 0
- Last Updated: 2026-02-09
- Source: https://github.com/Deepcode643/linux-ctfs
- Web: https://mule.run/skillshub/@@Deepcode643/linux-ctfs~ctf-testing:20260209090132

---

---
name: ctf-testing
description: Deploy and test Linux CTF challenges across cloud providers (AWS, Azure, GCP). Use when testing CTF setup, validating challenges work correctly, running the full test suite, or verifying services survive VM reboots.
---

# CTF Challenge Testing

This skill helps deploy CTF infrastructure to cloud providers and validate all 18 challenges work correctly.

## When to Use

- Testing changes to `ctf_setup.sh`
- Validating challenge setup across AWS, Azure, or GCP
- Running the full test suite before releases
- Verifying services survive VM reboots

## Prerequisites

1. **terraform** (>= 1.0)
2. **sshpass** - Install on macOS: `brew install hudochenkov/sshpass/sshpass`
3. **Cloud CLI authenticated** for target provider:
   - AWS: `aws sts get-caller-identity`
   - Azure: `az account show`
   - GCP: `gcloud auth list --filter=status:ACTIVE`

## Running Tests

Run from repository root:

```bash
./.github/skills/ctf-testing/deploy_and_test.sh <provider> [--with-reboot]
```

| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `deploy_and_test.sh aws` | Test AWS only (~15 min) |
| `deploy_and_test.sh azure` | Test Azure only (~15 min) |
| `deploy_and_test.sh gcp` | Test GCP only (~15 min) |
| `deploy_and_test.sh all` | Test all providers (~45 min) |
| `deploy_and_test.sh aws --with-reboot` | Test with reboot verification (~20 min) |

## What Gets Tested

1. **Verify command subcommands** - progress, list, hint, time, export
2. **Challenge setup** - Files exist, services running, permissions correct
3. **Solution commands** - Each challenge returns valid flag
4. **Flag submission** - All 18 flags accepted by `verify`
5. **Verification token system** - Instance secrets, token generation, token format validation
6. **Reboot resilience** (with `--with-reboot`) - Services restart, progress persists

## Expected Results

A successful run shows **~84 tests passing**:
- 7 verify subcommand tests
- 24 challenge setup verifications
- 18 solution command tests
- 20 flag verification tests
- 15 verification token tests

## Troubleshooting

### Setup not completing
- Check `/var/log/setup_complete` exists on VM
- Review cloud-init logs: `/var/log/cloud-init-output.log`

### Service not running
- Check status: `systemctl status <service-name>`
- Check logs: `journalctl -u <service-name>`

### Port not accessible externally
- Verify firewall rules in Terraform allow the port
- Check security group/NSG in cloud console

### SSH connection fails
- Wait longer for VM setup (~3-5 minutes after IP available)
- Verify security group allows port 22

## Post-Test Cleanup

Always verify resources were destroyed to avoid unexpected charges:

**AWS:**
```bash
aws ec2 describe-instances --filters "Name=tag:Name,Values=CTF*" "Name=instance-state-name,Values=running,pending,stopping,stopped" --query 'Reservations[*].Instances[*].[InstanceId,State.Name]' --output table
aws ec2 describe-vpcs --filters "Name=tag:Name,Values=CTF*" --query 'Vpcs[*].VpcId' --output table
```

**Azure:**
```bash
az group list --query "[?starts_with(name, 'ctf')].name" --output table
```

**GCP:**
```bash
gcloud compute instances list --filter="name~'ctf'" --format="table(name,zone,status)"
```

If resources remain, manually destroy:
```bash
cd <provider> && terraform destroy -auto-approve
```

## Scripts

- [deploy_and_test.sh](deploy_and_test.sh) - Orchestration script (runs locally)
- [test_ctf_challenges.sh](test_ctf_challenges.sh) - VM test script (runs on deployed VM)