# Timed Socket Programming / HTTP Coding Challenge

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/timed-socket-programming-http-coding-challenge/164701>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [April 4, 2009, 8:28am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/timed-socket-programming-http-coding-challenge/164701 "2009-04-04T08:28:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![awarefish](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/c2a13f/32.png) [@awarefish](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/awarefish)\
**Post date:** [April 4, 2009, 8:28am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/timed-socket-programming-http-coding-challenge/164701/1 "2009-04-04T08:28:17Z")

</div>

This is what I have so far as code:

=begin

Timed Challenge #1  
[[HBH: Learn how hackers break in, and how to keep them out.](http://www.hellboundhackers.org/challenges/timed/timed1/index.php)]

RULE: You have 1 second to retrieve/submit this!  
GOAL: 1. Decrypt the following random string: a2UpYDkyYjhyLCRebCFneA==  
2. Answer like this:  
/challenges/timed/timed/index.php?b64=decryptedString

=end

require ‘net/http’  
require ‘socket’  
require ‘base64’

# The web server

host = ‘[www.hellboundhackers.org](http://www.hellboundhackers.org)’

# Default HTTP port

port = 80

# The file we want

path = “/challenges/timed/timed1/index.php”

# This is the HTTP request we send to fetch a file

request = “GET #{path} HTTP/1.0\r\n\r\n”

# Connect to server

socket = TCPSocket.open(host,port)

# Send request

socket.print(request)

# Read complete response

response = socket.read

# Split response at first blank line into headers and body

headers,body = response.split(“\r\n\r\n”, 2)  
print body

# The encryted message to work on

if(body =~ /\w\*==/)  
encoded = $1;  
end

# Decryption of Base64 string value

decoded = Base64.decode64(encoded)  
pre-answer = ‘/challenges/timed/timed1/index.php?b64=’+decoded  
answer = “Get #{pre-answer} HTTP/1.0\r\n\r\n”

# Submit the decrypted text to “/challenges/timed/timed1/index.php?b64=”

socket.print(answer)  
response = socket.read

# Split response at first blank line into headers and body

headers,body = response.split(“\r\n\r\n”, 2)  
print body

I am stuck on using login data before submitting anything. I know how to  
do this in PHP’s cURL library, but not with Ruby.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. No spoiler either. I like to work  
for the answer. I would not want to ruin it for my brain.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![awarefish](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/c2a13f/32.png) [@awarefish](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/awarefish)\
**Post date:** [April 4, 2009, 8:36am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/timed-socket-programming-http-coding-challenge/164701/2 "2009-04-04T08:36:39Z")

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On Sat, Apr 4, 2009 at 11:57 AM, Aware Fish  
[removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:

> I am stuck on using login data before submitting anything. I know how to  
> do this in PHP’s cURL library, but not with Ruby.

Do you mean you need to first log into the site, and then get the  
challenge page and submit a response? Take a look at the mechanize  
library, it’s meant for stuff like that.

martin