Overview
This challenge involves extracting information from a boarding pass, specifically reading a barcode and identifying the booking reference number.
Solution
Step 1: Read the PDF417 Barcode
Extract the barcode data from the boarding pass file. The PDF417 barcode contains machine-readable passenger and booking information.
Step 2: Parse the Data
The barcode data follows the IATA (International Air Transport Association) standard format for boarding passes. The data is structured as:
M1WANG/SIHYAO E5RUYUF
Breaking down the format:
- M1 – Format code (indicates IATA boarding pass)
- WANG/SIHYAO – Passenger name (Last name/First name)
- E5RUYUF – Booking reference/Confirmation number (6 characters)
Step 3: Extract the Booking Reference
The booking reference is the 5-8 character alphanumeric code found after the passenger name in the IATA barcode data. In this example, it’s E5RUYUF.
Step 4: Submit the Flag
Submit the booking reference as the flag in the format: MetaCTF{E5RUYUF}