Linux Lore

Overview

Room URL: https://tryhackme.com/room/adventofcyberpreptrack
Difficulty: Easy
Category: Prep
Date Completed: 12/1/2025

Objective

Locate McSkidy’s hidden message in his Linux home directory.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Walk Through
Lessons Learned
Resources

Introduction

TBFC's delivery drones are malfunctioning and dropping eggs instead of presents. McSkidy's last login originated from a Linux server, and investigating his account may reveal the cause. Mastering Linux search capabilities is essential for defenders, as Linux powers most servers worldwide.

Useful Commands

ls list files in a directory
ls -l list files in a directory, shown as a list
ls -a list all files in a directory including hidden files
cat display the contents of a file in the terminal

Walk Through

1. Click the view site button to open the emulated linux terminal
2. cd /home/mcskiddy to change directory to McSkiddy's home directory
3. ls -la to view all of McSkidy's files in a list
4. revealed 2 files
   1. readme.txt
      1. "Delivery drones are glitching. Check hidden files for clues.
   2. .secret_message `
      1. Hidden messages, secret files -- McSkiddy sure knows his way around Linux.
      2. FLAG

Lessons Learned

• Learned Linux file listing commands: ls (list files), ls -l (detailed list view), and ls -a (show hidden files)
• Successfully investigated McSkidy's home directory using ls -la to uncover hidden files and discover the flag in .secret_message

Resources

TryHackMe
Linux Command Cheat Sheet