This repository contains my personal writeups and learning notes while solving the OverTheWire Bandit wargame.
The goal of this journey is to strengthen my Linux fundamentals, command-line usage, file handling, networking basics, and problem-solving skills through hands-on labs.

Bandit is a beginner-friendly Linux-based wargame created by OverTheWire.
Each level teaches important Linux and cybersecurity concepts such as:
- File operations
- Permissions
- Searching and filtering data
- Encoding/decoding
- Compression
- Networking
- SSH authentication
- SSL/TLS communication
| Level | Status | Level | Status | Level | Status | Level | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 → 1 | ✅ | 9 → 10 | ✅ | 18 → 19 | ⬜ | 27 → 28 | ⬜ |
| 1 → 2 | ✅ | 10 → 11 | ✅ | 19 → 20 | ⬜ | 28 → 29 | ⬜ |
| 2 → 3 | ✅ | 11 → 12 | ✅ | 20 → 21 | ⬜ | 29 → 30 | ⬜ |
| 3 → 4 | ✅ | 12 → 13 | ✅ | 21 → 22 | ⬜ | 30 → 31 | ⬜ |
| 4 → 5 | ✅ | 13 → 14 | ✅ | 22 → 23 | ⬜ | 31 → 32 | ⬜ |
| 5 → 6 | ✅ | 14 → 15 | ✅ | 23 → 24 | ⬜ | 32 → 33 | ⬜ |
| 6 → 7 | ✅ | 15 → 16 | ✅ | 24 → 25 | ⬜ | 33 → 34 | ⬜ |
| 7 → 8 | ✅ | 16 → 17 | ⬜ | 25 → 26 | ⬜ | 34 → 35 | ⬜ |
| 8 → 9 | ✅ | 17 → 18 | ⬜ | 26 → 27 | ⬜ |
ls,cd,cat,nano,vi,chmod,cp,mv
grep,find,sort,uniq,strings
file,xxd,gzip/gunzip,bzip2/bunzip2
base64,tr
ssh,scp,nc/ncat,telnet,openssl
For each level, I follow a structured approach:
- Understand the problem
- Try multiple commands and approaches
- Document the working solution
- Explain why the solution works
- Note key learnings
- Complete all Bandit levels
- Move to advanced wargames (Natas, Leviathan)
- Apply these concepts in real-world cybersecurity scenarios
Arijit Nayak
Aspiring SOC Analyst
Focused on building practical cybersecurity skills