CacheMeOutside Challenge Walkthrough

Cache Me Outside - TryHackMe Walkthrough#

Challenge Information#

Scenario#

Years after leaving the hacking scene, a retired hacker has unintentionally left traces of his identity scattered across the public internet.

The investigation begins with what appears to be a simple conversation screenshot. However, hidden inside the image is the first clue leading to multiple online profiles and publicly exposed information.

Our task is to:

• Identify the retired hacker
• Trace his online presence
• Correlate publicly available information
• Discover his contact details
• Determine his final location

Initial Investigation#

The challenge begins with a screenshot.

Careful inspection of the image reveals a public profile URL:

https://www.komoot.com/user/5667624959835

This becomes our starting point.

Komoot Profile Analysis#

Opening the Komoot profile reveals information associated with the account owner.

Further investigation eventually leads to another platform.

A linked GitHub profile is identified:

https://github.com/jiml33t

The username:

jiml33t

appears to be used consistently across platforms.

At this stage we have our primary OSINT target.

GitHub Enumeration#

The next step is reviewing the GitHub profile for exposed information.

Public repositories and commits often contain:

• Usernames
• Emails
• Metadata
• Historical account details

One useful technique is reviewing commit patches directly.

GitHub allows commit data to be viewed in patch format.

Example:

https://github.com/jiml33t/jiml33t/commit/7b2c8e0a540c36f2e09da5945066020621d6a059.patch

Reviewing the patch reveals author metadata.

Email Discovery#

Within the commit information, the email address becomes visible.

Recovered email:

[email protected]

This provides a verified contact point associated with the target.

Phone Number Enumeration#

The next challenge requires identifying the target’s phone number.

Using the recovered email address, a message is sent.

An automated response is returned.

Contents:

Good day,

I will be absent from the office while I prepare for a marathon.
You can contact my on my phone for anything urgent.

Best Regards,

JL
0x4A4C

JIM LEE

CYBERSECURITY CONSULTANT

[email protected]

L33T SECURITY
PENTESTING · RED TEAM · CONSULTING

The autoresponder provides additional confirmation that:

Jim Lee

is indeed the account owner.

The challenge answer can then be extracted from the contact details contained within the response.

Social Media Investigation#

To continue the investigation, attention shifts to the target’s social media activity.

A Threads profile is discovered:

https://www.threads.com/@jiml33t/post/DYCg8B1iMAl/media

The post contains an image.

At first glance, the image appears unrelated.

However, geolocation analysis often relies on:

• Architecture
• Street signs
• Public transport
• Road markings
• Language
• Urban infrastructure

Image Geolocation#

Analyzing the image reveals several geographical indicators.

Using image analysis and geolocation techniques, the location is identified as:

Timișoara
Romania

This significantly narrows the search area.

Tram Station Identification#

The challenge requires identifying the specific tram station visible in the image.

After comparing landmarks and transportation infrastructure within the city, the exact station is identified.

Recovered location:

Piața Gheorghe Domășneanu

This represents the final location required to complete the investigation.

Investigation Path#

Conversation Screenshot
          │
          ▼
Komoot Profile
          │
          ▼
GitHub Profile
          │
          ▼
Commit Patch Analysis
          │
          ▼
Email Discovery
          │
          ▼
Autoresponder Investigation
          │
          ▼
Phone Number Recovery
          │
          ▼
Threads Profile
          │
          ▼
Image Analysis
          │
          ▼
Timișoara, Romania
          │
          ▼
Piața Gheorghe Domășneanu

Key OSINT Techniques Used#

Profile Pivoting#

Moving from one platform to another using:

• Shared usernames
• Linked accounts
• Public references

GitHub Metadata Analysis#

Examining:

Commit History
Patch Files
Author Metadata

to recover exposed email addresses.

Email Intelligence#

Using known email addresses to:

• Verify ownership
• Trigger autoresponders
• Gather additional contact information

Social Media Analysis#

Reviewing public posts to identify:

• Travel locations
• Habits
• Interests
• Physical whereabouts

Geolocation#

Using image-based OSINT techniques to identify:

• Cities
• Public infrastructure
• Transportation hubs
• Precise locations

Final Answers#

Key Takeaways#

• Small pieces of publicly available information can often be chained together to reveal an individual’s identity.
• GitHub commit metadata remains one of the most common sources of accidental information disclosure.
• Public social media profiles frequently expose location data.
• Automated email responses can reveal valuable OSINT information.
• Username reuse across platforms significantly simplifies attribution efforts.
• Effective OSINT investigations rely heavily on correlation rather than a single source of information.

Challenge completed successfully.

Adapted from naval0505/TryHackMe—Writeups under MIT.