# Level 9 → 10 ## Level Goal The password for the next level is stored in the file data.txt in one of the few human-readable strings, preceded by several `=` characters. ## Write-Up 1. List the content of the current directory: ```sh ls ```
ls
This confirms the presence of the data.txt file. 2. Display the content of the data.txt file: ```sh cat data.txt ```
cat data.txt
3. To find human-readable strings proceeded by `=` characters, the `string` command was used in combination with `grep`: ```sh strings data.txt | grep "=" ```
strings data.txt | grep "="
* `strings data.txt`: Extracts printable strings from the file * `|`: Pipes the output to the next command * `grep "="`: Searches for lines containing '=' characters The password retrieved: FGUW5ilLVJrxX9kMYMmlN4MgbpfMiqey 4. Access the next level: ```sh ssh bandit10@bandit.labs.overthewire.org -p 2220 ``` Enter the password when prompted. ## Lessons Learned * The `strings` command is crucial for extracting readable text from binary files * `Grep` is versatile for finding patterns, but exact patterns may need adjustment * Visual inspection of output can be necessary when automated filtering is imprecise * Binary files often contain hidden, readable information \-- Othmane