Challenge Overview
A passenger posted a photo of their flight ticket online. The image was heavily pixelated, but some details were still partially visible.
The task for this challenge is to recover the following information using lawful OSINT techniques only:
- Passenger’s first and last name
- Seat number
- Arrival airport IATA code
The ticket appears to be from American Airlines, and visible elements include a blurred name, a PNR code, and a PDF417 barcode.
Final answer format:
OSINT{NAME_SURNAME_SEATNUMBER_AIRPORTIATA}
Example (not the solution):
OSINT{JOHN_DOE_14A_JFK}
Rules:
- Use only legal, open-source methods
- No contact with any individuals
- No intrusion or unauthorized access
Initial Assumptions
From the provided attachment (20130609_141614_censored.jpg) and description, the following assumptions were made:
- The image is a boarding pass from American Airlines
- The filename format suggests the image may be a censored version of an original upload
- The original, uncensored image might still exist online
- The ticket likely dates back to June 9, 2013, based on the filename
Investigation Process
1. Filename-Based OSINT
The provided image filename was:
20130609_141614_censored.jpg
The _censored suffix suggested that this might be a modified version of an original image. A common OSINT technique in such cases is to search for the same filename without modifications.
“20130609_141614.jpg”
The following Google search query was used:
2. Locating the Original Image
The search results returned a publicly accessible image hosted on a WordPress blog. The uncensored image was found at:
https://mc3michael.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/20130609_141614.jpg
This image displayed the full boarding pass without pixelation, revealing all required information.
3. Extracting Passenger and Seat Information
From the uncensored boarding pass, the following details were clearly visible:
- Passenger Name: Michael Chen
- Seat Number: 3D
These details were directly readable from the boarding pass layout used by American Airlines.
4. Identifying the Arrival Airport IATA Code
The boarding pass listed the arrival airport as:
- Shanghai Pudong
To convert the airport name into its official IATA code, the following official resource was used:
- IATA Airport Code Search
Searching for Shanghai Pudong returned the IATA code:
- PVG
Key Findings
- The _censored filename suffix revealed a strong OSINT pivot opportunity
- The original, uncensored image was publicly accessible online
- Passenger name and seat number were directly visible in the original image
- The arrival airport IATA code was confirmed using an official IATA directory
Final Flag / Answer
OSINT{MICHAEL_CHEN_3D_PVG}
Notes & Takeaways
- Filename analysis is a powerful but often overlooked OSINT technique
- Censored or redacted images may still have original versions publicly available
- Always rely on authoritative sources (like IATA) for technical data validation
- This challenge highlights the privacy risks of oversharing travel documents online
A simple filename pivot was enough to fully deanonymize sensitive travel information — a strong reminder of why metadata and filenames matter.