OSCP Unfiltered Your 24-Hour Exam Blueprint
by

(A No-BS Guide to Passing on the First Try)

Passing the OSCP (Offensive Security Certified Professional) exam in 24 hours is brutal but doable—if you strategize like a pro. This guide cuts through the fluff and gives you a realistic, tactical plan to maximize every minute.

📌 Pre-Exam Checklist (Last 24 Hours)

1. Mindset & Logistics (1 Hour)

✅ Sleep First – Pulling an all-nighter? Bad idea. Get 6 hours of sleep before the exam starts.
✅ Setup Your Lab – Have Kali Linux ready (VM or bare metal), VPN config loaded, and two monitors (one for notes, one for hacking).
✅ Disable Distractions – Silence phone, block social media, and inform family/roommates you’re in “exam mode.”

2. Quick Recon on Weak Areas (2 Hours)

  • Revisit:
  • PrivEsc (Linux/Windows) – Know at least 3 methods for each.
  • Buffer Overflows – Practice the 5-step process (Fuzzing → EIP Control → Bad Chars → Shellcode → Exploit).
  • Web Exploits (SQLi, File Upload, RCE) – Run through 1-2 VulnHub/HTB machines for muscle memory.

⏳ The 24-Hour Battle Plan

Hour 0-4: Initial Enumeration & Low-Hanging Fruit

🔹 First 30 Mins:

  • Run AutoRecon (autorecon <IP>) or manual nmap -sV -sC -oA full_scan <IP>.
  • Check HTTP/HTTPS (Nikto, Gobuster, manual inspection).
  • SMB/NFS/FTP – Anonymous login?

🔹 Next 3.5 Hours:

  • Pound the easy stuff:
  • Default creds (admin:admin, guest:guest).
  • Public exploits (searchsploit, msfconsole).
  • Document everything – Even failed attempts.

Hour 4-8: Mid-Game (PrivEsc & Lateral Movement)

🔹 If stuck on initial foothold:

  • Try alternative ports (8080, 8443, 10000).
  • Check for hidden directories (/backup, /admin).

🔹 Once inside:

  • Linux PrivEsc Checklist:
  sudo -l  
  find / -perm -4000 2>/dev/null  
  crontab -l
  • Windows PrivEsc Checklist:
  whoami /priv  
  systeminfo | findstr /B /C:"OS Name" /C:"OS Version"

Hour 8-12: The Grind (Stuck? Pivot!)

🔹 If no progress:

  • Re-enumerate (linpeas, winpeas).
  • Check for misconfigurations:
  • SUID binaries
  • Writable services (/etc/systemd/system)
  • Unquoted service paths (Windows)

🔹 Still stuck?

  • Take a 10-minute break – Walk, hydrate, reset.
  • Ask for a hint (if absolutely necessary).

Hour 12-18: Full-Speed Exploitation

🔹 Goal: Own 3-4 machines (minimum for passing).
🔹 Prioritize:

  • Buffer Overflow (25 pts) – If available, do this first.
  • High-point machines (25 pts each) – Focus on these before low-point ones.

🔹 Documentation:

  • Screenshots of:
  • User flag (proof.txt).
  • Root flag (proof.txt).
  • Every exploit step (even if it fails).

Hour 18-24: Final Push & Report

🔹 Last 6 Hours:

  • If missing points: Go back to unfinished machines.
  • If confident: Start the report early (use Obsidian/Markdown for speed).

🔹 Report Structure (Must Include):

  1. Methodology (How you approached each machine).
  2. Proof of Exploitation (Screenshots + commands).
  3. Lessons Learned (What took the longest?).

🔹 Final 30 Mins:

  • Triple-check screenshots.
  • Submit PDF before time runs out!

💡 Brutal Truths (What Nobody Tells You)

✔ You WILL get stuck – Don’t panic. Move to another target.
✔ Buffer Overflow is a free 25 pts – If you practiced, this is easy money.
✔ Partial shells count – Even if you only get user, document it.
✔ The exam is mental endurance – Stay hydrated, eat snacks, and keep pushing.

🚀 Final Tip: The 10-Point Safety Net

If you’re short 5-10 points, check:

  • Did you miss a quick win? (Default creds, simple SQLi).
  • Did you fully enumerate? (Always run linpeas/winpeas).
  • Did you submit ALL flags? (Even partial access counts).

🎯 Passing Verdict

  • Minimum Passing: ~55-60 pts (varies).
  • Ideal Goal: 70+ pts (buffer overflow + 3 machines).

You’ve trained for this. Now execute.

🔥 Good luck, future OSCP 🔥

Leave a Comment