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CTF Marketplace

Looking to host a CTF? We've got you.

Ryan Gordon avatar
Written by Ryan Gordon
Updated over a month ago

Whether you are hosting a hacking event for your organization, looking to upskill your team, or give back to your community, Hack The Box is ready to support you and all your CTF needs.

With our CTF Marketplace, getting your own CTF event setup with us has never been easier. You pick the content you want, the size of your event, and the days it will run. We handle the rest. Hacking might be hard, but your life doesn't have to be.


Choosing a Package

On the CTF Marketplace, you'll have a number of pre-configured Packs to choose from. These are templates for different styles of CTFs that you can choose from. With Packs, you can easily select both the type of content you are looking for, as well as the difficulty.

For example, if you are running an event as part of some initial, entry-level pentesting training, you may want to go for the Hack All Things 101 - Level 0 Pack, suitable for people who aren't very experienced in hacking challenges or are junior.

On the other hand, if you are trying to put together a fun exercise for your grizzled web app pentesting team that eats exploit chains for breakfast, you may opt for the Web Application Security - Level 2 Pack.

Every Pack lists detailed information for you to review. On the Pack's page, you'll find learning outcomes, a description, the target audience, and the specific categories of content included.

Hoping for some custom content? No worries. Our content engineers are first-in-class and second to none. If you've got something special in mind, go ahead and hit the contact button at the bottom of the page, we'll help craft a series of challenges suited to your needs.


Setting Up Your Event

Once you've selected a Pack, you'll be asked to fill in some basic contact information. Once you've done that, you'll have the option to fine-tune some of your event settings.

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On the Event Details page, you'll have the option to configure the following:

  • Event Name

  • Event Dates

  • Timezone

  • Number of players

  • Maximum team size

  • Event password

These can be changed later, but try to be as accurate as you can when choosing!

Pwnbox Addon

At this stage, you'll also have the choice to include Pwnbox in your event. Pwnbox is our in-browser pentesting workstation. It's a Parrot Security virtual machine that you can access from any laptop/desktop with a web browser.

If you want to make sure that everyone can participate regardless of their device's setup, or you are worried about accessing our targets or downloading tools on your corporate network/devices, then Pwnbox might be a great solution for you!


Purchasing the CTF

After selecting all the necessary options, review your choices on the Event Summary page.

If everything appears correct, proceed to purchase credits by clicking the "Purchase Credits" button. This will redirect you to the payment page, where you can enter your billing information. You can skip this step and finalize your registration if you already have sufficient CTF Credits.

Once completed you will see the Event Purchased message and you can start managing it right away.

For more information please check the CTF Credits Terms.

Calculating the Event Cost

You can access the calculator by clicking the + icon next to the amount of credits. You can then edit the following:

  1. Event Duration: Select the number of days for the event.

  2. Content Capacity: Choose the number of challenges for the event.

  3. Participants: Set the number of participants)expected to join.

  4. Pwnbox: Pwnbox is enabled by default, providing virtual machines to participants.

Once the settings are selected, the calculator updates the total credit cost dynamically on the right side of the page. You can also toggle the Use available credits option to apply any existing credits towards the purchase.

Finally, clicking the Purchase Credits button directs you to the checkout page, where you can complete the transaction. VAT taxes are calculated at checkout.

Each credit is equivalent to 0.5 USD. The total number of credits required for setting up a CTF event depends on several factors:

  1. Number of Challenges:

    • 10 Challenges: 4000 credits

    • 15 Challenges: 6000 credits

    • 20 Challenges: 8000 credits

  2. Pwnbox Usage:

    • Pwnbox per user per day: 25 credits

  3. Event Duration and Participants:

    • 1-day event with up to 100 users: 1000 credits

    • 1-day event with up to 200 users: 2000 credits

    • 1-day event with up to 300 users: 3000 credits

    • 1-day event with up to 400 users: 4000 credits

    • 1-day event with up to 500 users: 5000 credits


Playing a CTF

Once your event is set up, the process for your users becomes the same as any other CTF on our platform! They'll register an account, form teams (if they'd like, and if you've allowed it), and get registered! The registration process can be read about here.

When it's time to play, they may want some help navigating the platform, or to get a better idea of what to expect. We have an article showcasing how to use the CTF Platform from a user perspective, check it out below!


Got Questions?

Throughout the entire process, you'll find a Contact Sales button somewhere on the page. Feel free to click that at any time, and our team will get in touch with you to help answer whatever questions you have.

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