TISC 2022 Summary
The Challenge for TISC 2022
PALINDROME was back again with a vengeance. Singapore had another large-scale cyber attack that compromised and disrupted several of Singapore's critical infrastructure and cyberspace.
This year, there was a series of challenges that covered topics from Web Pen-testing, Forensics, Reverse Engineering, Binary Exploitation, Cryptography, Mobile Security and Cloud.
One unique feature that was implemented this year, allowed participants to choose between Track A or B to progress further up the levels. Upon unlocking level 4, participants chose between tackling the Reverse Engineering challenges on Track A or to face the Cloud and Web challenges on Track B. The two tracks eventually converged back on level 6 where participants continued on a linear track again.
TISC 2022 was held over 16 days, from 26 Aug 2022 (2100H) - 11 Sep 2022 (2100H).
PALINDROME operations mostly foiled but 1 got through!
Valiant work and effort by all you worthy cybersecurity experts whom tackled all that PALINDROME had thrown at us! Your ingenuity and perseverance helped in shutting down majority of PALINDROME's operations, but the last major attack got through and PALINDROME got away with $10k cash, that would have much benefited our cyber community.
PALINDROME had since retreated back into the shadows.. and Singapore's infrastructure and cyberspace is safe once again... for now!
Statistics
730 cybersecurity experts answered the call in TISC 2022 to stop PALINDROME, with 210 solving at least one challenge. Web/Cloud challenge (i.e., Route B) proved to be the more popular route for those who completed Level 4 (43 versus 18). Here are some statistics:
TISC 2022 Cash Prize Winners
Like last year, a total of $30,000 of cash pool prize was up for grabs. This year, we have more people obtaining the cash prizes! TISC 2022 cash prizes were awarded to these 4 worthy winners:
Calvin Fong Yi Yong
Highest level completed: 9
Cash prize: $5,833
Joel Tan Qiu Hao
Highest level completed: 9
Cash prize: $5,833
Chandrasekaran Akash
Highest level completed: 9
Cash prize: $5,833
Choo Yi Kai
Highest level completed: 8
Cash prize: $2,500
Stay tuned to find out more about them!
Scoreboard of top 30 participants
These are the top 30 participants who had completed the most number of levels in the fastest time.

Challenge Creators
A big thank you to all challenge creators (a.k.a. agents of PALINDROME)! Your challenges has allowed cybersecurity experts to put their skills to the test and your identity will now be revealed:
Level 1 - Slay The Dragon (Pwn)
Alt-Tab Creator (outsourced): Nikolas Tay (
Linkedin)
Level 2 - Leaky Matrices (Cryptography)
Alt-Tab Creator (outsourced): Ragul Balaji (
Linkedin)
Level 3 - PATIENT0 (Forensics)
Community Creator: Ronald Tong Yin Chuan
Level 4A - One Knock Away (RE)
Community Creator: Lee Chong Yu (
Linkedin)
Level 4B - CloudyNekos (Cloud Exploitation)
GovTech Creators: Tan Kee Hock (
Linkedin), Glenice Tan (
Linkedin)
Level 5A - Morbed, Morphed, Morbed (RE)
Community Creator: Aaron Ti Yu Ren (
Github)
Level 5B - Palindrome's Secret (Web Exploitation)
Community Creator: Zhang Zeyu (
Linkedin)
Level 6 - Pwnlindrome (RE, Pwn)
CSIT Creator
Level 7 - Challendar (Forensics, Web Exploitation)
GovTech Creator: Eugene Lim (
Linkedin)
Level 8 - Palindrome Vault (Pwn, RE)
CSIT Creator
Level 9 - Palindrome OS (Mobile Security)
CSIT Creator
Level 10 - Papasploit (Web Exploitation, Cryptography, RE, Pwn)
CSIT Creator
Find out more about our community challenge creators
here and hear from our CSIT creators
here!
Write-ups
We will be sharing the cash prize winners' write-ups once they are ready. We will be adding on to this list to include some of the challenge creators' write-up and those with interesting solves too, so stay tuned! Links are embedded in blue.
Level 9 Winner: Calvin Fong
Level 9 Winner: Joel Tan (PDF)
Level 8 Winner: Choo Yi Kai
Level 5A Challenge Creator: Aaron Ti
Level 5B Challenge Creator: Zhang Zeyu
Level 6 Challenge Creator: Lim YS
Level 7 Challenge Creator: Eugene Lim
Level 9 Challenge Creator: Lim ZY
TISC Swag
Top 30 participants who solve the most levels in the shortest time will receive Swag - customised deskmat, T-shirt and laptop sticker!
Badge of Completion
Participants who complete at least level 4 will receive a digital badge indicating the highest level completed, which you can share on your LinkedIn or other social media pages.
Badge of Participation
Participants who complete at least level 1 will receive a digital badge as a memento for your participation in TISC 2022.
Badge for Challenge Creators
Challenge Creators will receive this digital badge as a token of appreciation for creating challenges for TISC 2022.