Advanced › Module 10 › Lesson 2
Lab Path
Advanced crypto literacy path on $CRYPTO_LAB — toys to report handoff with ethics gates at every station.
Visual · t28_lab_path
Lab path = visual crypto chain on YOUR $CRYPTO_LAB. Original Cyberlium.
Opening
Draw the path from lab scope to mentor handoff — with stop signs at every prod attack shortcut.
Document literacy path: $CRYPTO_LAB setup → primitives/attack classes → classic/modern CTF → PKI/example.com read → TLS hygiene → keys/RNG → report/disclosure → capstone handoff. Ethics gates: prod padding-oracle, forged CA, MITM unauthorized TLS, pinning bypass, DIY cipher, key dump, prod oracle — refused paths labeled red. UTC milestones and artifact IDs per station. Mermaid or sketch chmod 600. Honest N/A if brief skipped RSA toy — labeled. Defender breakpoint: where libraries-not-DIY or RoE stop prevented bad finding.
1. Path stations
Setup, primitives, CTF branches, PKI/TLS, keys, report, handoff — seven minimum stations.
Each station links evidence index row and module lesson ID.
Command guide
Try these commands — Path stations
═══ TOOLS & WEBSITES ═══ Browse / read these (authorized learning only — stay in YOUR lab / program scope)
Cryptopals — https://cryptopals.com/ (continued learning — challenges YOU choose) NIST crypto — https://csrc.nist.gov/projects/cryptographic-standards-and-guidelines
Optional command
OpenSSL docs — https://www.openssl.org/docs/
═══ INSTALL ═══
Linux (Debian/Ubuntu):
Command — copy this
sudo apt install curl
macOS: Built-in
Windows: Built-in (PowerShell: Invoke-WebRequest)
═══ LINUX / macOS ═══
Command — copy this
export CRYPTO_LAB=${CRYPTO_LAB:-$HOME/cyberlium-lab/t28-crypto}
cat > "$CRYPTO_LAB/notes/lab-path.txt" <<'EOF'
next crypto lab path (authorized only):
1. Complete Cryptopals Set 1 on YOUR machine
2. Practice openssl dgst/enc/rand on YOUR files
3. Generate TOY RSA + 2048 lab key — document never-publish policy
4. Self-signed cert + compare to Let's Encrypt public CA docs
5. s_client example.com + map TLS to RFC 8446 literacy
6. Write finding draft + CWE-mapped remediation matrix
stay in $HOME/cyberlium-lab/t28-crypto/ — no live crypto attacks
EOFCommand — copy this
grep -E 'authorized|no live|cyberlium-lab' "$CRYPTO_LAB/notes/lab-path.txt" curl -sS https://cryptopals.com/ | head -8
Primary tools to practice this lesson: grep, curl. Reference sites: Cryptopals (https://cryptopals.com/); NIST crypto (https://csrc.nist.gov/projects/cryptographic-standards-and-guidelines); OpenSSL docs (https://www.openssl.org/docs/). Run every command in the box — install first, then the usage lines — only on YOUR lab / program scope.
2. Ethics overlay
Red stops: prod oracles, forged CA, unauthorized MITM, DIY crypto, key dumps.
RoE branch always green start — example.com read on separate labeled branch.
3. Integrity breakpoint
Mark where scope check or library-first rule prevented out-of-RoE test.
One paragraph uplift from YOUR $CRYPTO_LAB path.
4. What you ship: lab path diagram
Crypto chain with ethics gates + UTC milestones — chmod 600.
5. What you record before the next lesson
Lab path diagram path.
6. Wrong vs right: prod crypto oracles vs CTF toys
Worked failure — same MSF word, opposite target. Right never needs a café Wi-Fi or classmate laptop.
Wrong
Lab path includes prod padding-oracle shortcut lane.
Right
Lab path documented for $CRYPTO_LAB. Next: Evidence Pack.
Mission: lab path diagram
1) Map seven stations. 2) Add six ethics gates. 3) UTC milestones per station. 4) Link evidence index IDs.
Stuck? Ask Cyberlium AI Mentor
Ask Mentor: “Diagram vs numbered list for capstone?”
Knowledge Check
APPLY: Lab path documents:
Multiple choice
Knowledge Check
APPLY: True or False: Prod attack shortcut OK on path.
True or False
Knowledge Check
APPLY: Path ends at:
Multiple choice