CTF PCAP Generator

Generate realistic, flag-embedded PCAP files for CTF competitions. A PCAP (packet capture) file records network traffic that participants analyze using tools like Wireshark to find hidden flags.

Features

• 12 scenarios (10 attack + 2 tutorials) across 5 categories -- from SYN port scans and SQL injection to DNS tunneling and reverse shells
• 3 difficulty levels controlling background noise ratio, flag encoding complexity, and flag splitting across packets
• CTFd integration for pushing challenges, flags, and PCAPs directly to a CTFd instance via its API
• Batch generation with ZIP download for producing multiple challenges at once
• In-browser PCAP preview with packet statistics, protocol breakdown, and flag verification
• Auto-generated writeups with scenario explanations and Wireshark display filters
• Challenge export as ctfcli-compatible challenge.yml files
• Docker-first -- the entire application runs in containers with no host dependencies beyond Docker
• Built with Flask, Scapy, HTMX, and Bootstrap 5

Quick Start

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/profzeller/ctf-pcap-generator.git
   cd ctf-pcap-generator

2. Configure environment:

   cp .env.example .env

3. Build the Docker image:

   make build

4. Start the application:

   make run

5. Open your browser at http://localhost:5000. You should see a scenario selection page where you can pick an attack type, choose a difficulty, and generate your first PCAP.

For Windows commands (if make is not available), troubleshooting, and advanced configuration, see the Deployment Guide.

Windows note: If you do not have make installed, you can use docker compose build and docker compose up directly. The deployment guide lists the docker compose equivalent for every make command.

Documentation

Guide	Description
Deployment Guide	Prerequisites, installation, first run, troubleshooting
Scenario Reference	All 12 scenarios with protocols, categories, and Wireshark filters
Configuration Reference	Every environment variable with types, defaults, and valid values
CTFd Integration Guide	Connect to CTFd, push challenges and flags via API
For Professors	Competition planning checklists and starter scenario packs
Contributing	Development setup, code style, and how to submit changes
Changelog	Release history and notable changes

License

This project is licensed under the Apache License 2.0 -- see LICENSE for details.