From b6b7faa647c374ba7f2f880a20a8bd86bd96d5be Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: "Z. Cliffe Schreuders" Date: Wed, 14 Jan 2026 09:46:32 +0000 Subject: [PATCH] Add Mission 3 Stage 8 - Educational Validation (Part 4) --- .../stages/stage_8/validation_report.md | 216 ++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 216 insertions(+) diff --git a/planning_notes/overall_story_plan/mission_initializations/m03_ghost_in_the_machine/stages/stage_8/validation_report.md b/planning_notes/overall_story_plan/mission_initializations/m03_ghost_in_the_machine/stages/stage_8/validation_report.md index a87de55..d12a74c 100644 --- a/planning_notes/overall_story_plan/mission_initializations/m03_ghost_in_the_machine/stages/stage_8/validation_report.md +++ b/planning_notes/overall_story_plan/mission_initializations/m03_ghost_in_the_machine/stages/stage_8/validation_report.md @@ -604,3 +604,219 @@ Technical implementation is solid across all stages, with proper room dimensions --- +### 4. Educational Validation - ✅ PASS + +#### CyBOK Alignment + +**Knowledge Areas Covered:** + +1. **Network Security (CyBOK v1.0 Chapter 11)** + - **Scanning and Reconnaissance:** nmap port scanning challenge (scan_network) + - **Service Fingerprinting:** Banner grabbing from FTP service (ftp_banner) + - **Network Topology:** Understanding 192.168.100.0/24 subnet structure + - **Assessment:** ✅ Aligns with Network Security KA (reconnaissance, enumeration) + +2. **Malware & Attack Technologies (CyBOK v1.0 Chapter 8)** + - **Exploitation:** distcc service exploitation (CVE-2004-2687 concept) + - **Attack Vectors:** Understanding how reconnaissance enables targeted attacks + - **Attack Lifecycle:** Reconnaissance → Exploitation → Impact chain + - **Assessment:** ✅ Aligns with Attack Technologies KA (exploitation methodologies) + +3. **Adversarial Behaviors (CyBOK v1.0 Chapter 7)** + - **APT Tactics:** Zero Day's methodology mirrors real adversary behavior + - **Economic Motivation:** Exploit marketplace as criminal business model + - **Target Selection:** Healthcare sector premium pricing (realistic adversary calculus) + - **Assessment:** ✅ Aligns with Adversarial Behaviors KA (threat actor models) + +4. **Human Factors (CyBOK v1.0 Chapter 20)** + - **Social Engineering:** Victoria meeting covers trust-building, rapport + - **Ethical Decision-Making:** James Park moral choice explores complicity + - **Security Culture:** WhiteHat's facade vs. criminal reality + - **Assessment:** ✅ Aligns with Human Factors KA (security psychology, ethics) + +5. **Security Operations & Incident Management (CyBOK v1.0 Chapter 15)** + - **Intelligence Gathering:** Correlating VM logs with physical evidence + - **Investigation Methodology:** Systematic evidence collection + - **Incident Response:** Understanding attack attribution (M2 hospital connection) + - **Assessment:** ✅ Aligns with Security Operations KA (digital forensics, intel) + +6. **Privacy & Online Rights (CyBOK v1.0 Chapter 19)** + - **Ethical Hacking Boundaries:** Victoria's "free market" rationalization vs. harm + - **Responsible Disclosure:** Zero Day selling exploits vs. reporting them + - **Dual-Use Technology:** Legitimate pen testing tools weaponized for harm + - **Assessment:** ✅ Aligns with Privacy & Online Rights KA (ethics of vulnerability research) + +**CyBOK Coverage Summary:** +- ✅ 6 Knowledge Areas directly addressed +- ✅ Intermediate-tier appropriate (not introductory, not advanced research) +- ✅ Practical application of theoretical concepts (not just reading about exploits, but running nmap) +- ✅ Ethical dimensions integrated (not just technical skills) + +**Verdict:** PASS - Strong CyBOK alignment across multiple knowledge areas + +#### Technical Accuracy + +**Network Reconnaissance Accuracy:** + +1. **nmap Port Scanning:** + - ✅ Realistic commands: `nmap -sV 192.168.100.0/24` + - ✅ Correct output format: Port numbers, service names, versions + - ✅ Subnet notation accurate (/24 = 256 addresses) + - **Assessment:** Technically accurate + +2. **Banner Grabbing:** + - ✅ Realistic approach: `nc 192.168.100.10 21` for FTP banner + - ✅ Authentic banner format: "220 ProFTPD 1.3.5 Server" + - ✅ Version disclosure vulnerability concept accurate + - **Assessment:** Technically accurate + +3. **Service Exploitation:** + - ✅ ProFTPD 1.3.5 vulnerability realistic (CVE-2010-4652 backdoor existed) + - ✅ distcc vulnerability realistic (CVE-2004-2687 exists) + - ⚠️ **Minor Issue:** Mission uses "distcc" as primary exploit but hospital attack used "ProFTPD" + - **Clarification:** Both exploits exist in Zero Day's arsenal, used for different targets + - **Assessment:** Technically accurate with proper narrative context + +**Encoding/Decoding Accuracy:** + +1. **ROT13:** + - ✅ Correct algorithm (Caesar cipher with shift of 13) + - ✅ Authentic examples: "ZRRG JVGU GUR NEPUVGRPG" → "MEET WITH THE ARCHITECT" + - ✅ Properly explained as encoding, not encryption + - **Assessment:** Technically accurate + +2. **Hexadecimal:** + - ✅ Correct hex encoding concept (Base16) + - ✅ Client roster file plausibly hex-encoded + - **Assessment:** Technically accurate + +3. **Base64:** + - ✅ Correct Base64 encoding concept + - ✅ Double-encoding challenge (Base64 → ROT13) realistic + - ✅ Properly distinguished from encryption + - **Assessment:** Technically accurate + +**RFID Cloning Accuracy:** + +- ✅ **Proximity Requirement:** 2 GU (realistic for RFID skimmers) +- ✅ **Time Requirement:** 10 seconds (plausible for low-frequency RFID) +- ⚠️ **Simplification:** Real RFID cloning is more complex (card type matters) +- **Justification:** Acceptable abstraction for gameplay (not a RFID hacking tutorial) +- **Assessment:** Sufficiently accurate for educational game context + +**Vulnerability Research Economics:** + +- ✅ **Zero Day Market:** Realistic concept (exploit brokers exist) +- ✅ **Sector Premiums:** Healthcare/finance premium pricing matches real-world patterns +- ✅ **Price Range:** $12,500 for hospital exploit (plausible for commodity exploit) +- ✅ **Business Model:** Exploit-as-a-service matches real adversary economics +- **Assessment:** Highly accurate portrayal of underground economy + +**Inaccuracies Detected:** + +- ⚠️ **Minor:** RFID cloning simplified (doesn't account for encryption, card types) + - **Impact:** Non-blocking - educational game, not technical manual + - **Mitigation:** Could add disclaimer about real-world complexity + +- ⚠️ **Minor:** VM network setup assumes all services vulnerable simultaneously + - **Reality:** Unlikely all services vulnerable on small network + - **Justification:** Training network intentionally vulnerable (plausible cover story) + +**Verdict:** PASS - Technical accuracy high with acceptable gameplay abstractions + +#### Pedagogical Quality + +**Learning Objectives:** + +**Technical Skills:** +1. Use nmap for network reconnaissance ✅ +2. Perform banner grabbing with netcat ✅ +3. Decode ROT13, Hex, Base64 messages ✅ +4. Understand exploit lifecycles (recon → exploitation → impact) ✅ +5. Correlate digital evidence with physical context ✅ + +**Conceptual Understanding:** +1. Distinguish encoding from encryption ✅ +2. Understand vulnerability disclosure ethics ✅ +3. Recognize exploit marketplace economics ✅ +4. Analyze adversary motivations and rationalizations ✅ +5. Evaluate moral complexity in security incidents ✅ + +**Assessment:** All learning objectives clearly supported by mission content + +**Scaffolding and Progression:** + +1. **Tutorial Phase (Act 1 - Daytime):** + - ✅ Safe environment (Victoria meeting is non-hostile) + - ✅ Low-stakes introduction (RFID cloning in controlled setting) + - ✅ Clear objectives (meet Victoria, clone card) + - **Assessment:** Effective onboarding + +2. **Guided Practice (Act 2 - Nighttime, Part 1):** + - ✅ VM challenges provide structured progression (nmap → netcat → exploitation) + - ✅ Flags provide feedback loop (success confirmation) + - ✅ Agent 0x99 available for hints + - **Assessment:** Appropriate scaffolding for intermediate learners + +3. **Independent Application (Act 2 - Nighttime, Part 2):** + - ✅ Encoding challenges require synthesis (find message → decode → interpret) + - ✅ LORE fragments optional (encourages exploration) + - ✅ Stealth challenge adds complexity (multi-tasking) + - **Assessment:** Supports learner autonomy + +4. **Synthesis and Reflection (Act 3 - Confrontation & Debrief):** + - ✅ Moral choices require applying understanding (Victoria's philosophy, James's guilt) + - ✅ Debrief provides closure and reflection + - ✅ Callbacks reinforce earlier learning + - **Assessment:** Effective knowledge consolidation + +**Feedback Mechanisms:** + +- ✅ **Immediate Feedback:** VM flag acceptance/rejection +- ✅ **Narrative Feedback:** Agent 0x99 responses to discoveries +- ✅ **Progress Feedback:** Objectives checklist +- ✅ **Consequence Feedback:** Debrief reflects player choices +- **Assessment:** Multiple feedback types support diverse learners + +**Misconception Prevention:** + +1. **Encoding vs. Encryption:** + - ✅ CyberChef explicitly shows "encoding" operations (not "decryption") + - ✅ ROT13 framed as obfuscation, not security + - ✅ No false impression that encoding protects data + - **Assessment:** Clear conceptual distinction maintained + +2. **Ethical Hacking vs. Criminal Activity:** + - ✅ Victoria's rationalization explicitly challenged in moral choice + - ✅ M2 hospital deaths provide concrete harm from "just selling exploits" + - ✅ James's unknowing complicity shows how legitimate work can be weaponized + - **Assessment:** Nuanced ethical framing prevents oversimplification + +3. **Vulnerability Disclosure:** + - ✅ Zero Day's model (selling exploits) contrasted with responsible disclosure + - ✅ Harm from weaponized zero-days shown (hospital attack) + - ✅ Player works for SAFETYNET (defensive security perspective) + - **Assessment:** Responsible disclosure values reinforced + +**Accessibility Considerations:** + +- ✅ **Hint System:** Agent 0x99 provides progressive hints (m03_phone_agent0x99.ink) +- ✅ **Optional Content:** LORE fragments optional (reduces pressure on struggling learners) +- ✅ **Multiple Paths:** Stealth vs. bribe vs. SAFETYNET reveal (accommodates different playstyles) +- ✅ **Success Tiers:** 60%, 80%, 100% completion allows partial success +- **Assessment:** Good accessibility for diverse skill levels + +**Potential Improvements:** + +- ⚠️ **Missing:** Explicit learning objectives stated to player at mission start + - **Recommendation:** Add briefing section outlining "By completing this mission, you will learn..." + - **Impact:** Non-blocking - implicit learning is still effective + +- ⚠️ **Missing:** Post-mission knowledge check or quiz + - **Recommendation:** Optional post-debrief quiz reinforcing key concepts + - **Impact:** Non-blocking - debrief provides reflection opportunity + +**Verdict:** PASS - Strong pedagogical design with effective scaffolding and feedback + +--- +