OverTheWire Bandit Automation Toolkit (PowerShell)

PowerShell helper functions used to automate repetitive tasks while working through the OverTheWire Bandit wargame.

This project was created as a learning exercise to improve:

• PowerShell scripting
• bash scripting
• SSH automation
• Secure credential handling
• Command-line workflow efficiency
• Linux administration skills
• Cybersecurity fundamentals

The toolkit wraps common SSH operations and provides simple commands for connecting to Bandit levels, executing remote commands, and managing credentials.

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Features

• Store level passwords locally
• Automatically generate usernames (bandit0, bandit1, etc.)
• Resolve Bandit server IP dynamically via DNS
• Launch SSH sessions with a single command
• Execute remote commands without opening an interactive session
• Support SSH private key authentication for key-based levels
• PowerShell parameter validation and error handling

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Requirements (Windows)

PowerShell

Developed using PowerShell 5.1, but should also work in Windows PowerShell 7.

PuTTY

This project relies on plink.exe, which is included with PuTTY.

Download PuTTY:

https://www.putty.org/

Verify installation:

plink -V

If PowerShell cannot find plink, add the PuTTY installation directory to your system PATH.

OpenSSH Client

Windows 10/11 typically includes OpenSSH.

Verify installation:

ssh -V

Requirements (Linux)

sshpass

connect and exec use sshpass to supply the password non-interactively.

installation:

sudo apt install sshpass

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Installation

Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/<your-username>/<repo-name>.git
cd <repo-name>

Import the script:

. .\bandit.ps1

The leading period is required to dot-source the script and make the functions available in the current session.

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Configuration

Modify the root path near the top of the script:

$root_path = "D:\personal\code\bandit_solver"

This directory stores:

bandit0-pw.txt
bandit1-pw.txt
bandit2-pw.txt
...
bandit14_sshkey_private.txt

These files are intentionally excluded from source control.

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Usage

Store a Password

record_pw 5 myPasswordHere

Creates:

bandit5-pw.txt

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Select a Level

setlevel 5

Output:

bandit5 using D:\...\bandit5-pw.txt

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Display Current Level

level

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Clear Session Variables

varclear

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Test Connection Settings

Displays the resolved server IP and login information without connecting.

test_connect

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Open Interactive SSH Session

connect

Equivalent to:

ssh bandit5@bandit.labs.overthewire.org -p 2220

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Execute a Remote Command

exec "ls -la"

Example:

exec "cat readme"

Useful when scripting level solutions or performing quick verification checks.

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SSH Key Authentication

Some Bandit levels require SSH key authentication.

Connect using:

ssh_connect 14

Supported levels:

14
17
26

The script verifies that the private key file exists before attempting connection.

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Function Reference

record_pw

Stores a password for a specific Bandit level.

Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Description
lvl	String	Bandit level
pw	String	Password

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setlevel

Configures the active level, username, and password file.

Parameters:

Parameter	Type
level	String

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level

Displays the current active level.

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varclear

Clears session variables.

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resolve_bandit_ip

Performs DNS resolution for:

bandit.labs.overthewire.org

Returns the current IP address.

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test_connect

Displays connection information without opening a session.

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connect

Opens an interactive SSH session using plink.

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exec

Executes a command remotely through SSH.

Parameters:

Parameter	Type
cmd_string	String

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ssh_connect

Connects using a private SSH key.

Parameters:

Parameter	Type
level	String

Valid values:

14
17
26

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Security Notes

This repository intentionally excludes:

• Password files
• SSH private keys
• Personal configuration files

Credentials are stored locally and should never be committed to source control.

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Learning Objectives

This project was built while completing the OverTheWire Bandit wargame:

https://overthewire.org/wargames/bandit/

The goal was to reduce repetitive administrative tasks and focus on solving the challenges themselves while gaining experience with:

• PowerShell automation
• SSH workflows
• Linux command-line environments
• Cybersecurity fundamentals
• Infrastructure scripting

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Future Improvements

Potential enhancements:

• Secure credential storage using gpg encrypted file
• Improved exception handling

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License

MIT License