Halloween Code Night
A high-stakes Halloween double-feature where teams raced to exploit vulnerabilities in the "Haunted Juice Shop" while simultaneously solving puzzles in as many programming languages as possible. It was a night of strategic chaos, balancing cyber attacks with linguistic gymnastics to top the leaderboard.
The moon was high, the caffeine was flowing, and the terminal screens were glowing a ghostly green. Our Halloween-themed Code Night wasn’t just about the treats; it was a grueling double-feature of digital defense and linguistic gymnastics.
Unlike your typical workshop, we threw our participants into the deep end with two simultaneous tracks. Attendees had to manage their time wisely, choosing whether to hunt for vulnerabilities or master new syntaxes—or attempt to conquer both at once.
Track 1: The Haunted Juice Shop (Cyber Security)
In one corner of our digital graveyard, teams of two squared off in a high-stakes Cyber Security Challenge. Using the famous (and intentionally broken) OWASP Juice Shop as their target, participants turned into ethical hackers for the night.
The Goal: Discover and “abuse” as many vulnerabilities as possible.
Risk vs. Reward: The leaderboard was a battlefield. Teams could play it safe with minor bugs or go for the “Nightmare” level vulnerabilities—like deep SQL injections or cryptographic failures—to rocket to the top of the standings.
The Atmosphere: There’s nothing quite like the frantic clicking of keys as a team realizes they’ve just gained administrative access to a “haunted” storefront.
Track 2: The Polyglot Graveyard (Programming)
For those who prefer building to breaking, we hosted the Polyglot Challenge. This wasn’t a test of how fast you could code, but how broadly you could think.
The Mission: Solve a series of programming puzzles.
The Catch: Participants were challenged to solve the same problems in as many different programming languages as possible.
The Chaos: We saw developers jumping from the modern comfort of Python and TypeScript into the chilling depths of C++, Haskell, and even some esoteric languages that should have stayed buried.
The Witching Hour Results
Running these events simultaneously created a frantic, high-energy environment. Some teams split their focus—one person hunting bugs while the other translated logic into a fifth language—while others put all their “eggs” in one supernatural basket.
By the time the clock struck midnight, the leaderboard was finalized, the vulnerabilities were (mostly) patched, and our “Polyglots” had proven that logic remains the same, no matter what syntax you wrap it in.
Note from the Crypt: A massive shoutout to everyone who attended! Whether you were a security novice or a language expert, the creativity on display was truly frightening.