The WolfCTF portal
Portal: https://portal.wolfctf.com
Unlike CSC 472's Linux terminal, CSC 471's labs need an actual Windows environment: OllyDbg 2.0 for DLL injection and stack/CrackMe work. WolfCTF gives you that as a browser-based remote desktop (WebMKS console) — no VirtualBox, no downloading a Windows XP OVA image, no local install of anything. Use this course website for instructions and deadlines.
Sign in or register
- If you already have an account, sign in with your WolfCTF username and password. Your username may differ from your email address.
- If you have no account, use Register on the portal and your WCU email address. Complete the email verification step when the message arrives.
- If verification mail does not arrive, check Junk/Spam, then contact Dr. Chen with your school email and chosen username. Include the exact error or a screenshot. Do not send your password.
- After signing in, open Labs → CSC 471. If the course or a lab is missing, contact the instructor with your username.
Open your desktop
- Choose Lab 1 (OllyDbg and DLL Injection) or Lab 2 (Stack, Stack Frame & CrackMe) from the course schedule, or use the buttons above.
- Click Start Desktop. The first boot after a fresh clone takes about a minute — give it a moment before the console connects.
- You now have a full Windows XP desktop in your browser tab: mouse and keyboard work as on any remote desktop. OllyDbg and this week's lab files should already be on the machine — if they are not, stop and message the instructor rather than trying to improvise a fix, since this is a shared template every student clones from.
- Follow the lab instructions in the left-hand panel of the WolfCTF page.
A modern desktop browser is recommended for readable disassembly and screenshots. No VirtualBox, VPN, or local OllyDbg install is required for this WolfCTF workflow.
Persistent, not reset-on-demand
Lab 1 and Lab 2 are separate desktops — starting Lab 2 does not touch anything you did in Lab 1, and vice versa. But within a single lab, your desktop is yours for the whole course: it is the same machine every time you connect, and nothing you leave on it disappears between sessions. There is intentionally no self-service "reset" button here (unlike the CSC 472 Linux labs) — if your desktop gets into a bad state, message the instructor instead of trying to fix it yourself.
Save evidence as you work
Take screenshots as you go — OllyDbg's register/stack panes, the CPU window at key breakpoints, and anything else your lab handout asks for. Copy anything you need for your report out of the VM and onto your own computer/document; do not assume the desktop itself is a substitute for your write-up.
Use the console's reconnect control if the connection drops — your desktop keeps running in the background even while you are disconnected, so reconnecting picks up right where you left off.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | What to check |
|---|---|
| Invalid credentials | Use the WolfCTF username, not automatically your email. Check spelling/case and contact Dr. Chen if a reset is needed. |
| No verification email | Check Junk/Spam and the registration email address. Send Dr. Chen your school email and username for account help. |
| CSC 471 or a lab is missing | Confirm you are signed into the correct account. Report your username and the missing course/lab. |
| Desktop stays black / won't connect | Wait a minute after Start Desktop turns green (first boot is slow), then try reconnect. Report the visible error and when it occurred. |
| OllyDbg or lab files missing | Do not try to reinstall or work around it yourself — this is a shared template every student's desktop is cloned from. Message the instructor with your username and the lab name. |
For help, include CSC 471, your username, the lab name, the exact error, and what you were doing when it happened. Do not include passwords or session tokens.
Finish your report
Follow the report format described in How to write a lab report and submit per the current instructions on the CSC 471 course page. Using the WolfCTF desktop is not itself a report submission.