awesome-ctf

Awesome CTF is a curated list of tools, frameworks, libraries, and learning resources for people who participate in Capture The Flag competitions. A CTF is a cybersecurity contest where participants solve a series of puzzles and challenges, each requiring them to find a hidden piece of text (the "flag") by breaking into simulated systems, decoding encrypted messages, analyzing files, or exploiting software vulnerabilities in a controlled environment. CTFs are widely used for learning and practicing security skills.

The list is organized into two main sections: tools for creating CTF challenges, and tools for solving them. The solving side covers categories like cryptography (breaking or decoding encrypted data), forensics (examining files and disk images), reverse engineering (figuring out how compiled programs work), web vulnerabilities, steganography (finding data hidden inside images or audio), networking, and exploitation. Each category lists specific tools with brief descriptions and links.

There is also a resources section covering beginner starter packs, wargame platforms where you can practice year-round, wikis, and collections of writeups, which are detailed explanations of how past challenges were solved. Reading writeups is a common way to learn new techniques.

The project is aimed at both people new to CTFs who want a starting point and experienced participants who want a single organized reference rather than scattered bookmarks. With nearly 11,500 stars, it has become one of the go-to references in the security competition community.