Searchlight - IMINT

OSINT challenges in the imagery intelligence category

Note : All the flags in this challenges are in format sl{flag}

[Task 2] First Challenge

Knowing that 5 elements of IMINT to notice for a geolocation challenge :

• Context
• Foreground
• Background
• Map markings
• Trial and Error

From the image given above, there is a clear street board showing the name of the street : Cxxxxxx Sxxxxx

[Task 3] Just Google It

For this challenge, I got 2 different way to solve it :

1. Finding information from the image :

   

• The signboard/trademark on the picture 'UNDERGROUND' should be obvious that it is a London Underground
• You can find the metro sign from this list of metro systems
• You can see an incompleted sentence 'LY CIRCUS STA' nearby the stairs
• Since it is a underground station, thus you can expect the station is called 'something CIRCUS STATION'
• Try to search for this term on the search engine, and look closely to the similar associated images, and you should be able to find this London-based metro station

2. Using Yandex Search Engine :

• Yandex is Russian-based search image, and the advantage is that its image search is based on Machine Learning, instead of originality-search like Google Search.
• It returns a list of information from the image analysis, such as 'Text in image', 'Similar Images' and 'Sites where the image occurs'
• The analysis result looks like this :
• The analysis result on Yandex should have give you sufficient information to solve this challenge
• More information about Yandex can be found on another THM room Geolocating Image

[Task 4] Keep at it

• Just pay attention to the hightlighted part and search about related terms, then you may get the results
• Hint : The URL link on the signboard ended with .CA, which means it is a website with domain in Canada

[Task 5] Coffee and A Light Lunch

This task is a little tough comparing to those previous tasks, while

• You can find quite a big shopsign across the street, showing 'The Edinburgh Woollen Mill'
• Search for the shop on Google Map, and focusing on Scotland area (hint given in the task question)
• Another hint here : there is a national park 'nearby' (on the map)
• The email address of the coffee shop is NOT on the Google Map, but it can be found on their FB page (link provided on Google Map)
• Look into the review about this coffee shop and find out who is replying to those reviews
• PS : Looks like a lovely family-run coffee shop, and hopefully they can go through this hard period

[Task 6] Reverse your thinking

• Reverse image search by using various search engines (both Google Image and Yandex work for me)
• Search for the restaurant name on Youtube (given in the hint) to find a video made by Bon Appetit

[Task 7] Locate this sculpture

• By using Google Translate to search for the hint given, it is written in Norwegian, and thus we can assume that this statue is located somewhere in Norway
• By using reverse image searching method with Yandex, we can confirm that the statue is located in Oslo
• Find all the outdoor statues in that place, and you should be able to find the name of the statue in the given image

[Task 8] ...and justice for all

• Google Images and Google Map are your friends in this task
• By reverse image searching method, you should be able to find the name of the statue
• Finding an image of this statue from a further angle that will allow you to see the name of the building
• Hint 1 : the name of the building is actually above the statue itself
• Hint 2 : the building opposite is a hotel

[Task 9] The View From My Hotel Room

• From the video you can tell that the hotel is in Singapore, since there is Marina Bay building.
• Other than that, you can also see the signboard 'Riverside Point' on your right hand side and 'Clark Quay Central' in front of the accommodation
• There is a green field (actually a park) on the left hand side of the hotel
• To find out the location without any external tool, you can try linking the locations with relevant terms mentioned above on Google Map, and try to find the direction of the recorder
• Note 1 : The issue of finding this place is that this hotel is currently 'Permanently closed', thus it's harder to find (found out on 23 December 2020)
• Note 2 : This location is not assigned with the word 'hotel' in its title, so you have to add it by your own in front the place name, ie. sl{hotel (location_name_here)}
• Hint : There are 3 parks nearby this place on map