0xZone: A Secure Cybersecurity Challenge Platform
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Date
2025-06-18
Authors
Ali Abdulnaser Tawfiq Al-Abwah
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Abstract
This thesis presents the design, implementation, and security evaluation of 0xZone, a web-based platform for hosting Capture The Flag (CTF) cybersecurity competitions in educational environments. The platform addresses security challenges in educational technology while providing a foundation for practical cybersecurity training and assessment.
The research focuses on web application security, secure system design principles, and deployment strategies applied to educational technology platforms. The primary challenges addressed include: authentication and authorization in multi-user environments, protection against common web application vulnerabilities, basic anti-cheat mechanisms for competitive integrity, and secure containerized deployment in educational network infrastructures.
The platform implements a multi-layered security architecture using modern web development practices, secure coding standards, and basic security monitoring. Key features include: containerized deployment with Docker, role-based access control, secure session management, input validation and sanitization, audit logging capabilities, and automated scanner detection for common security tools.
Security evaluation demonstrates the platform’s resilience against common web application vulnerabilities including injection attacks, cross-site scripting, and session hijacking. The platform provides a functional foundation for educational cybersecurity training with appropriate security controls for academic environments.
The research contributes to the field of educational technology by demonstrating practical implementation of security controls in web applications, providing a framework for secure CTF platform deployment, and establishing practices for protecting educational competition data.