Crackchester

The one and only cyber security society at The University of Manchester. Crackchester is a student led cyber-security society at the University of Manchester.

Our goal is to raise awareness an todays security issues and focus on providing knowledge not available through any course modules. We organise workshops and CTF's for everyone who might be interested regardless of their background. BEGINNERS ARE WELCOME! Join our Discord server: https://discord.gg/xkwZdYB

30/04/2026

Hey Everyone,
We’re very excited to announce our next Hackchester session: Hardware Hacking
Join us on the 6th of May from 15:00 to 17:00 for an introduction to the world of hardware security. We’ll be exploring firmware dumping, reversing and analysis, and common attack patterns used in real systems. Whether you’re new to hardware or already curious about how devices are broken down and understood, this session will give you a solid starting point.
There will be limited capacity for this session with around 10 to 12 spots available. We’ll be prioritising regular attendees. You can sign up using this form: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=B8tSwU5hu0qBivA1z6kad8WgaFl-dtBOnCurAGIdVYxUQlNHQ0dFSlVIMjVRRFROQUY1VkU1QU8yQS4u
Deadline to signup is Monday 4th May at 12:00pm
Location will be confirmed soon.
The session is going to be led by Sebastian Köhler.

29/04/2026

Hey Everyone,
Join us for our Annual General Meeting on 13th May from 15:00 to 17:00 in IT407, IT Building.
This is your chance to look back on everything Hackchester has achieved this year. We will be sharing highlights, key stats, and insights into what has gone on behind the scenes, along with a financial overview to keep things transparent.
There will also be time for questions, so if you have ever wondered how things run or want to have your say about the future of the society, this is the place to do it.
We will also be covering committee updates and giving you a chance to get involved in what comes next.
Whether you have been to every event or just joined recently, you are welcome. Come along, hear what we have been building, and celebrate the year with us.
See you there.

28/04/2026

Hey Everyone,
Join us for a relaxed hangout where you can bring along whatever you’re working on, whether that’s HTB seasonal machines, CTF challenges, or just curiosity. It’s a great chance to unwind, stay productive, and connect with like-minded people in the cyber security community.

Time: 15:00 - 17:00
Location: IT407, IT Building
Date: 29/05/2026
Feel free to come no matter your skill level and bring along a laptop if you can.

20/04/2026

Hey Everyone !
Ready to take your exploitation skills to the next level?
Join us for Binary Exploitation 2, where we’ll dive deeper into some of the most important concepts in modern binary exploitation:
Format string vulnerabilities
Return-Oriented Programming (ROP)
pwntools basics
Whether you joined our previous session or you’re looking to strengthen your foundations, this workshop is designed to give you practical, hands-on insight into real-world exploitation techniques.
Location: IT407, IT Building
Access via the bridge in Kilburn Building
Date: 22 April 2026
Time: 15:00 – 17:00

31/03/2026

Hey Everyone,
Hackchester is very excited to announce that voting for the 2026/27 Hackchester Committee is now open. It is now your turn to have your say in who leads the society next year and helps shape our events, workshops, and future direction. Make your vote count.
Voting Opens: 31 March, 12:00
Voting Closes: 3 April, 21:00
Vote Here: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/CGP1SJntYc

25/03/2026

Hey Everyone,

Hackchester is pleased to announce that the nominations for next year’s committee are up! If you want to take part in what we do and carry the society further with your contributions and active interest then this is the time. You don’t have to be studying computer science or any related major; the only thing you need is interest in cybersecurity. Just make sure that you get your free membership from the Student Union before nominating yourself! When the nomination period ends on March 30’th, there will be a 4 day voting period where all University of Manchester students can vote for next year’s committee based on your manifesto. Excited to see all of you apply! Form Link: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/3W7t8ZmN9m

23/03/2026

Hey Everyone,
Need a break from university? Come unwind with us at our relaxed cybersecurity chill session this week!
Whether you’re brand new or already deep into cyber, this is a great chance to hang out, chat, and explore new interests in a welcoming environment.
Date: 25 March 2026
Time: 15:00 – 17:00
Location: IT407, IT Building
No prior experience needed at all, bringing along a working Virtual Machine would however be in your favour.

16/03/2026

Hey Everyone,
Hackchester is excited to invite you for a practical session introducing the fundamentals of prompt engineering and how prompts can be manipulated or secured in AI systems. We are going to be trying out the Gandalf AI Challenge and testing different ways to get the password.
Date: 18 March 2026
Time: 15:00 – 17:00
Location: IT407, IT Building
Access through the bridge located in the Kilburn Building.

10/03/2026

Hey Everyone,
Hackchester is back with another hands-on session this week. Join us for Over The Wire: Leviathan, which covers basic reverse engineering and privilege escalation.
This session is totally beginner-friendly as the challenges progress from easy to hard and we will also be present to help you out if you ever feel stuck.
Date: 11/03/2026
Time: 15:00 – 17:00
Location: IT407, IT Building
Access is through the bridge located in Kilburn Building.
P.S. Bringing a working Virtual Machine is advised.

03/03/2026

Hey Everyone,
Join us for “Breaking Crypto the Simple Way”, a beginner-friendly introduction to cryptography hosted by Hackchester!
We are going to follow a room on TryHackMe exploring different cryptographic flaws and use tools like Hashcat and John the Ripper.
Date: 04/03/2026
Time: 13:00 – 15:00
Location: Nancy Rothwell 3A.071
Please beware of the time and location change !!!
P.S. Bringing a working Virtual Machine is advised.

25/02/2026

Hey Everyone!
Hackchester is excited to announce an event that’s a little different from our usual weekly workshops! This time, we’re hosting a student-led cybersecurity talk!
Join us for “Wargames and CTFs: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Terminal. ”, where Wren will walk us through their experience with wargames, CTFs, and in general cybersecurity.
Date: Thursday 26th February
Time: 15:00–16:00
Location: Uni Place, Room 4.211

About Wren
Bio: Wren is a second-year Computer Science student at the University of Manchester and an administrator for OverTheWire Wargames. Last summer, they completed a Pen-Testing internship at Novacoast, and they’re excited to continue developing their experience in cybersecurity.

Address

Kilburn Building, Oxford Road
Manchester
M139PL

Website

https://crackchester.cc/

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