Frequently Asked Questions

HackForge is a community-driven Capture The Flag (CTF) training platform where you can practice and improve your cybersecurity skills across multiple categories including Cryptography, Web exploitation, Forensics, Reversing, and Pwn.

Click "Register" in the navigation bar, fill in your details, and verify your email. Once verified, you can start solving challenges immediately!

Yes! HackForge is completely free for all registered users. No premium tiers, no paywalls—just pure learning.

A flag is a secret string (like HackForge{example}) that proves you solved a challenge. Find it by analyzing the challenge, then submit it to earn XP.

Challenges are rated on a 5-star difficulty scale. Each difficulty level corresponds to an XP range:

• ★☆☆☆☆ Beginner — 25-75 XP — Entry-level concepts, basic techniques
• ★★☆☆☆ Easy — 50-100 XP — Foundational skills, straightforward approach
• ★★★☆☆ Moderate — 75-150 XP — Requires solid understanding, multiple steps
• ★★★★☆ Hard — 100-250 XP — Advanced techniques, research needed
• ★★★★★ Expert — 150-500 XP — Complex multi-stage, cutting-edge skills

Don't give up! Try these steps:

• Re-read the challenge description carefully—hints are often hidden there
• Use available hints (they cost XP but can save hours)
• Check comments for non-spoiler tips from other solvers
• Ask on our Discord server (no spoilers allowed)
• Research the challenge category—learning is the goal!

No. Sharing flags or solutions is against our rules and ruins the experience for others. Writeups are allowed only after a challenge has been retired.

Hints provide guidance when you're stuck. Each hint has an XP cost that will be deducted from the XP you earn when you solve the challenge. You'll always earn at least 10% of the base XP, even if you unlock all hints.

Each challenge page has a "Report Issue" link in the sidebar. Click it to open a pre-filled contact form. You can also reach us directly via the contact page or our Discord server.

XP (Experience Points) measure your progress. Your level is calculated as: Level = Total XP ÷ 100

For example, if you have 450 XP, you're Level 4. Reaching 500 XP promotes you to Level 5.

First Blood is awarded to the first player to solve a challenge. It grants a bonus XP on top of the challenge's base value!

No, you cannot lose XP. Hint costs reduce the XP you earn from a specific challenge, but never below the base value, and they don't affect your existing total (even if you don't end up solving the challenge). Once earned, XP is yours to keep.

Click "Forgot password?" on the login page, enter your email, and follow the instructions in the reset email. The link expires after 24 hours for security.

Username changes require admin assistance to maintain scoreboard integrity. Please contact us with your request.

You can control who sees your profile in Account Settings:

• Public — Anyone can view your profile, even without an account
• Members Only — Only logged-in HackForge members can see your profile
• Private — Your profile is hidden from everyone (except admins)

Note: Your username and XP still appear on the public Scoreboard regardless of visibility settings. To remain anonymous, use a pseudonym as your display name.

Yes, you can delete your account at any time from Account Settings → Delete Account. This action is permanent and irreversible—all your data, progress, solves, and comments will be deleted.

Yes! We welcome community contributions. Visit our Contribution Guide to learn about the submission process, quality requirements, and how to become a contributor.

Great challenges are:

• Educational — Teaches a real-world skill or concept
• Solvable — Has a clear solution path (no guessing)
• Original — Not a copy of existing public CTF challenges
• Tested — Verified to work with a documented solution

Check our Contribution Guide for detailed requirements.

We appreciate responsible disclosure! Please visit our Security page for our vulnerability disclosure policy and reporting guidelines. Do not publicly disclose vulnerabilities before they are fixed.

The CTF challenges are designed to be "attacked"—that's the point! However, attacking the main platform infrastructure (user accounts, the website itself, other users) is strictly prohibited unless you're participating in a sanctioned bug bounty. See our Security policy for details.

We follow industry best practices to protect your data, including defense against common web vulnerabilities, abuse prevention, and rate limiting. Read our full Privacy Policy for details.