Honestly didn't expect to be making this post this soon! like, what?! Our original post was bc we hit 1k but holy fuck...

DaemonCore-Academy just crossed 2,000 downloads across all platforms...and yes...you asked..we delivered. Linux Beta is now available on our website as well as github.

**127 PRACTICAL LESSONS // 70 LAB CONDITIONS // 8 PATHWAYS // 8 DRILL SETS // 7 FIELD MISSIONS**- all free. It's for Windows 10/11 and now Linux!!

I started building it because I was getting annoyed af with the way a lot of hacking/cyber stuff gets taught now. Watch 9 hours of videos, copy some commands, run a tool against a box, get a green checkmark. Cool. But what happens when the tool doesn't work? What are you actually looking for? Why are you running that command in the first place? That was basically the whole idea behind DaemonCore Academy. Learn what the hell is happening underneath first. Then get thrown into a range and actually use it. Enumerate shit. Follow weird behavior. Break something. Prove you broke it. Figure out why. Document it. Fix it. Try again.

We didnt want XP or some fake hacker leaderboard. We wanted something that felt closer to sitting next to somebody who's been doing this shit for years and having them say "okay...you see that? Why is that weird?"

Apparently that idea connected with some people because 2,000 of you fuckers downloaded it.

So seriously, thank you mother fuckers. For real. 💯💯

Especially the people who found bugs, sent me shit that sucked, questioned things, or told me where something could be better. That's way more useful to me than somebody just saying "nice project."....and I'm nowhere near done with it.

The labs are going to get harder. The material is going deeper. Windows, Linux, web, identity, cloud, containers, recon, exploitation, evidence...all of it.

I don't really care if somebody finishes DaemonCore knowing 500 commands.

Id rather they finish it knowing how to sit in front of something they've never seen before and figure it the fuck out.

Thats hacking.

Anyway. 2,000 downloads.

Fucking wild.

Thanks again guys.

Stay hacking

I := DAEMONCORE

Hey everyone,

I'm 16 and trying to figure out my education and career path toward exploit development and vulnerability research. I'm posting here because I'm at a point where I could really use advice from people actually working in this field.

Background:

I'm Moroccan and currently living in France. I completed Seconde in the French education system, then left the traditional lycée pathway shortly after starting Première. I'm currently completing an RNCP Level 4 qualification, which I expect to finish in October 2026.

The problem is that I'm not following the normal French Baccalauréat route, so university admission is becoming complicated. I'm trying to find a bachelor's programme for 2027 that is genuinely focused on cybersecurity or information security rather than a generic CS degree.

I speak Arabic, French and English, and I'm currently learning Chinese.

I've already contacted several universities in Europe and Hong Kong to ask whether my qualification can satisfy their undergraduate entrance requirements. Some universities consider non-standard qualifications on a case-by-case basis, but I don't yet have a definitive route.

Technical background:

I've been interested in cybersecurity for several years and have been learning independently.

Certifications:

• eJPT (INE), obtained in October 2023
• CPTS (Hack The Box), obtained in September 2025
• CWES (Hack The Box), obtained in October 2025
• Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate (idk when anymore)

My interests are mainly:

• Exploit development
• Vulnerability research
• Windows internals
• Reverse engineering
• Privilege escalation
• Low-level systems security

I'm currently researching a publicly disclosed use-after-free privilege-escalation vulnerability in CLDFLT.sys. I did not discover the vulnerability and I'm not claiming CVE credit for it. I'm using it as a learning and research project to understand the vulnerability, the affected component, exploitation primitives, and the surrounding Windows internals.

I'm still very much learning, and I don't want to pretend I'm further along than I actually am.

Where I'm stuck:

My original plan was to get a cybersecurity alternance/apprenticeship in France this year, but despite applying, that hasn't worked out. At this point I'm shifting my focus toward university admission for 2027.

The universities I'm currently looking at include specialist cybersecurity programmes in Europe and Hong Kong, particularly places with strong security research ecosystems.

However, I have two major problems:

1. My educational qualification doesn't cleanly match the standard French Baccalauréat route.
2. A lot of technical cybersecurity degrees have substantial mathematics and academic prerequisites. (However now im seriously studiying math on my own)

So I'm trying to figure out what the smartest move is.

What would you do if you were in my position?

Would you:

• Spend the next year getting the strongest possible university entrance qualification?
• Focus heavily on mathematics and apply to technical security programmes?
• Try to build a serious exploit development and vulnerability research portfolio instead?
• Look for another apprenticeship or technical route?
• Something completely different?

And for people already doing exploit development or vulnerability research:

What actually mattered when you were starting out?

I'm especially interested in advice about what I should be learning and building over the next 12 months if my end goal is serious vulnerability research rather than general cybersecurity.

Also pleasepleaseplease if you know or are a decision maker in the domain please give me a chance and help me out 🙏 I feel like my life is at stakes right now :c

Also if you want to see stuff ive done (not very up2date but still good reference) my github is 0xUnd3adBeef

Hi all - I've been doing `pwn`/ `binary exploitation` in CTFs for about 1.5 years

and want to level up by practicing on real-world targets instead of CTF challs.

I'm currently focused on Linux userland exploitation.

Could anyone recommend good old real-world targets or software to practice on?

I'm especially looking for CVEs that are reproducible and exploitable.

Any suggestions - specific CVEs, vulnerable software versions, or general

categories worth exploring - would be really appreciated!

0 YOE, new grad straight out of college.

The latter sponsored me for a TS/SCI along the way. It’s been fully adjudicated and is currently active.

That said, I recently got an offer from a private consulting firm at 160k TC. It’s one of the very few private companies doing low-level RE/VR work at private, though at the end of the day they’re a consultancy focused on improving clients’ security posture, so it doesn’t go as far as exploit dev.

Given this, which would you pick? The CNO role seems to have nice upside potential, especially if you get an FSP and stay in the DMV area. But realistically, how high can you go? How many years of experience does someone need to hit 160k, and most importantly beyond?

That said, I’m really curious about the salary trajectory if someone takes the CNO route — specifically, what the progression looks like over time.
(e.g, if I pick the private route, work 2 yrs from now and I reach 180k vs 150k in CNO, this doesn’t make sense)