Syed Zubyl N - Blog

KalmarCTF 2025 Write-up: nix-build as a service

Syed Zubyl N — Wed, 12 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This is a write-up of the “nix-build as a service” challenge from KalmarCTF 2025, a sequel to last year’s “Reproducible Pwning”</a> challenge. To get to the solution, we will take a peek behind the curtain into how Nix derivations work internally.

Installing Collabora Online on Nextcloud with NixOS

Syed Zubyl N — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In this post we will take a look at how to setup Collabora Online</a> on a Nextcloud instance using NixOS, resulting in a compelling self-hosted alternative to Google Docs/Sheets/Slides/Drawings.

Migrating Immich from Docker to NixOS

Syed Zubyl N — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This is a quick post on how I migrated my Immich deployment from Docker to a native NixOS module, and how you can do the same.

openECSC 2024 Round 2 Write-up: GoSweeper

Syed Zubyl N — Sat, 04 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This is a write-up of the “GoSweeper” challenge from Round 2 of openECSC 2024. This challenge gives us a glimpse of side channels on the web, which allow us to infer information which we otherwise would not have access to.

KalmarCTF 2024 Write-up: Reproducible Pwning

Syed Zubyl N — Tue, 19 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This is a write-up of the “Reproducible Pwning” challenge from KalmarCTF 2024. This challenge takes us through the inner workings of Nix and a very interesting privilege escalation that has made me change my own NixOS configuration.

From IST to KTH: How I Ended Up Studying Abroad in Sweden

Syed Zubyl N — Sun, 14 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000

A little over a year ago, due to my own interests but also some peer pressure from my friends and family, I started thinking about the possibility of studying abroad, either for the whole master’s, or only for one or two semesters. This is the story of all the twists and turns in my journey to end up studying in the MSc Cybersecurity at KTH</a>, in Sweden.

Welcome to my blog!

Syed Zubyl N — Tue, 12 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Hello world, welcome to my little corner of the internet!
This post marks the beginning of my blogging journey. You might be thinking: what will this blog be about?