🔐 Getting Started with CyberChef: A Beginner's Guide

CyberChef is like a Swiss Army knife for data. It’s a free, web-based tool that helps you perform different operations like encoding, decoding, encryption, and data extraction — all in your browser.

Let’s dive into how to use CyberChef step by step, with simple explanations and practice tasks!

🚀 What is CyberChef?

CyberChef is a web-based tool designed to help with various cybersecurity and data transformation tasks. It uses recipes, which are a list of steps you apply to your data.

👨‍🏫 What You'll Learn:

What CyberChef is
How to use its interface
Common operations
How to build and use recipes

🌐 How to Access CyberChef

You can use CyberChef in two simple ways:

1. Online Access

Just open CyberChef in your browser – no installation needed.

2. Offline Access

Download the latest stable version from the official GitHub page. It works on both Windows and Linux.

🖥️ Navigating the CyberChef Interface

CyberChef has 4 main areas:

🔧 Operations

Find tools like Base64, ROT13, URL Encode, etc. Use the search bar or browse categories.

🧪 Recipe

Drag and drop operations here to create your recipe. You can:

Save, load, or clear recipes
Click BAKE! to process
Enable Auto Bake to process automatically

✍️ Input

Paste, type, or upload data here. You can:

Add new input tabs
Open a file or folder
Clear inputs or reset layout

📤 Output

See the result of your recipe here. You can:

Save the output
Copy it to clipboard
Replace input with output
Maximize the pane for easier viewing

🧠 The CyberChef Thought Process

Before jumping in, follow these 4 simple steps:

1. Set Your Goal

Ask: What do I want to achieve?

Example: “I found a strange string. I want to find out if it hides a secret message.”

2. Add Your Data

Paste or upload the gibberish string into the Input Area.

3. Choose Operations

Try tools like ROT13, Base64, or URL Decode under Encryption/Encoding.

4. Check the Output

Did you get what you wanted?

✅ Yes: You’re done!
❌ No: Go back and try a different method.

Repeat the cycle until you succeed!

🔬 Practice Makes Perfect

📥 Download the Task File

Click the Download Task Files button in the challenge room and open it in CyberChef using the input section.

🔍 Useful Operation Categories

1. Extractors

Operation	Description
Extract IP addresses	Finds all IPv4/IPv6 addresses
Extract URLs	Finds all links (http, https, etc.)
Extract email addresses	Finds emails like `example@domain.com`

Use these to quickly find useful data hidden in large text!

2. Date & Time

Operation	Description
From UNIX Timestamp	Converts timestamp to readable date
To UNIX Timestamp	Converts readable date to timestamp

UNIX Timestamp Example:
"Fri Sep 6 20:30:22 +04 2024" → 1725654622

3. Data Format / Base Encoding

Operation	Description	Example
From Base64	Decodes Base64 to normal text	`V2VsY...` → `Welcome...`
URL Decode	Turns `%2F`, `%3A`, etc., into `/`, `:`	`%3A` → `:`
From Base85	Decodes Base85	`BOu!...` → `hello world`
From Base58	Decodes Base58	`AXLU7qR` → `Thm58`
To Base62	Converts data to Base62 format	`Thm62` → `6NiRkOY`

🔠 How Base64 Encoding Works (Manual Breakdown)

Let’s convert “THM” to Base64 by hand:

Step 1: Convert to Binary

T = 01010100
H = 01001000
M = 01001101

Merged: 010101000100100001001101

Step 2: Split into 6-Bit Chunks

010101 → 21
000100 → 4
100001 → 33
001101 → 13

Step 3: Find Base64 Characters

From the Base64 index:

Decimal	Character
21	V
4	E
33	h
13	N

✅ THM → VEhN in Base64

🌐 Common URL Encoded Characters

Character	Encoded
`:`	`%3A`
`/`	`%2F`
`.`	`%2E`
`=`	`%3D`
`#`	`%23`

Use URL Decode to convert them back.

🧠 Practical Task

Download the task file.
Open it in CyberChef.
Use Extractors to answer the first two questions.
Try it without hints first — practice builds confidence!

That’s it! You’ve now got a strong understanding of how to use CyberChef effectively. Keep exploring, experimenting, and baking!

CyberChef: A Beginner's Guide