OverTheWire Bandit Level 32 → 33 tutorial!!

Login

Log in as bandit32 using the password you obtained from Level 31 → 32.

ssh bandit32@bandit.labs.overthewire.org -p 2220
# password: 3O9RfhqyAlVBEZpVb6LYStshZoqoSx5K

Why? Each Bandit level is a separate UNIX user. To solve 32 → 33, you must be the bandit32 user.

Task

When you log in, you’re dropped into an UPPERCASE SHELL that uppercases whatever you type (so ls becomes LS, which doesn’t exist). Goal: break out to a real shell and read the password for bandit33.

A little bit of Theory

• The custom “uppershell” takes your input and converts letters → UPPERCASE before executing it.
• In POSIX shells, $0 expands to the current shell’s path/name (e.g., /bin/sh). Because $ and digits aren’t letters, they aren’t uppercased, so $0 expands correctly and launches a normal shell.
• Once in a normal shell, you can read /etc/bandit_pass/bandit33.

Further reading:

• Shell command language (POSIX)

Solution

1. Spawn a real shell using a variable expansion

   $0
   

   Why? $0 expands to the current shell’s executable (e.g., /bin/sh) after the uppercase filter, giving you a normal shell prompt.

2. Verify who you are (optional)

   whoami
   # bandit32
   

   Why? Sanity-check that you’re still the right user, now in a proper shell.

3. Read the next password

   cat /etc/bandit_pass/bandit33
   

   Why? Each password lives in /etc/bandit_pass/<user> and is readable by the matching previous level.

   

Password

Paste here the exact line your terminal printed:

tQdtbs5D5i2vJwkO8mEyYEyTL8izoeJ0

Troubleshooting

• $0: command not found → Try echo "$0" to see what it expands to. If empty, try $SHELL (if set): "$SHELL". You can also try ${0}.
• Still uppercased? → Make sure you typed $0 exactly (dollar-zero, no spaces).
• Permission issues → You must be logged in as bandit32 to read bandit33’s password.

Congrats 🎉 You bypassed the uppercasing shell using variable expansion and grabbed the next credentials. On to bandit33!

Thanks for reading!

Until next time — Otsumachi!! 💖☄️✨