WIDE Walkthrough - HTB Very Easy Challenge | Hardcoded Password
Walkthrough for WIDE challenge from Hack The Box. A reversing challenge where Ghidra is used to decompile an ELF binary and extract a hardcoded decryption key, which unlocks an encrypted dimension entry containing the flag.
Challenge Description
We’ve received reports that Draeger has stashed a huge arsenal in the pocket dimension Flaggle Alpha. You’ve managed to smuggle a discarded access terminal to the Widely Inflated Dimension Editor from his headquarters, but the entry for the dimension has been encrypted. Can you make it inside and take control?
Solution
Execution
Running the binary with db.ex as argument displays a list of dimensions, where the last entry — Flaggle Alpha — is marked as encrypted:
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[Feb 25, 2026 - 10:11:53 (CET)] exegol-main rev_wide # ./wide db.ex
[*] Welcome user: kr4eq4L2$12xb, to the Widely Inflated Dimension Editor [*]
[*] Serving your pocket dimension storage needs since 14,012.5 B [*]
[*] Displaying Dimensions.... [*]
[*] Name | Code | Encrypted [*]
[X] Primus | people breathe variety practice | [*]
[X] Cheagaz | scene control river importance | [*]
[X] Byenoovia | fighting cast it parallel | [*]
[X] Cloteprea | facing motor unusual heavy | [*]
[X] Maraqa | stomach motion sale valuable | [*]
[X] Aidor | feathers stream sides gate | [*]
[X] Flaggle Alpha | admin secret power hidden | * [*]
Selecting entry 6 prompts for a WIDE decryption key.
Decompilation with Ghidra
Loading the wide binary in Ghidra and inspecting the main function shows a call to menu:
Inside menu, the binary compares the user-supplied key against the hardcoded string sup3rs3cr3tw1d3:
Flag Recovery
Using the extracted key to unlock the encrypted entry:
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Which dimension would you like to examine? 6
[X] That entry is encrypted - please enter your WIDE decryption key: sup3rs3cr3tw1d3
HTB{som3_str1ng5_4r3_w1d3}
Flag obtained.