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Misc42k · #4734

competition-request-normalization-smuggling

Lets your agent investigate how different systems interpret requests. It helps find bugs where how proxies and servers process data leads to vulnerabilities like request smuggling.

What it does

This tool helps understand how different parts of a computer system interpret the requests they receive. It investigates if there are differences in how paths, headers, or data are read, which can cause problems or unexpected behavior.

When to use it

  • ✓When you suspect a request is interpreted differently by an intermediary server and the final server.
  • ✓If a request seems to work in a test but fails in production due to small differences.
  • ✓To investigate how the system handles complex URL paths or ambiguous headers.

Example of what to ask your AI

“Analyze request interpretation differences between the proxy and backend server to identify path normalization gaps.”

Want more? Open the sections below.

How to use

The easiest way: copy the message below and paste it into Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or any AI. It reads the skill and follows the instructions.

Skill link

https://github.com/zhaoxuya520/reverse-skill/blob/main/CTF-Sandbox-Orchestrator/competition-request-normalization-smuggling/SKILL.md

Ready-to-paste message

Use this skill to help me: https://github.com/zhaoxuya520/reverse-skill/blob/main/CTF-Sandbox-Orchestrator/competition-request-normalization-smuggling/SKILL.md Read the SKILL.md file at that link and follow its instructions for my task.
How it works

The tool compares identical requests with minor changes to see where the interpretation shifts. It maps out each step a request takes, logging how each component processes it.

Installation

Easiest way: copy the skill link and paste it into Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor asking it to follow the instructions.

In the terminal (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor), in your project folder:

npx skills add zhaoxuya520/reverse-skill --skill competition-request-normalization-smuggling

Or download just the file:

curl -L https://raw.githubusercontent.com/zhaoxuya520/reverse-skill/main/CTF-Sandbox-Orchestrator/competition-request-normalization-smuggling/SKILL.md -o SKILL.md
Technical content (original SKILL.md)

Original text by the author, straight from GitHub.

Competition Request Normalization Smuggling

Use this skill only as a downstream specialization after $ctf-sandbox-orchestrator is already active and has established sandbox assumptions, node ownership, and evidence priorities. If that has not happened yet, return to $ctf-sandbox-orchestrator first.

Use this skill when request interpretation changes between proxy, middleware, and backend parser layers.

Reply in Simplified Chinese unless the user explicitly requests English.

Quick Start

  1. Map every parsing hop: client-facing proxy, gateway, app server, and downstream service.
  2. Record path normalization, header canonicalization, transfer framing, and host derivation at each hop.
  3. Capture one accepted baseline request and one differential request with minimal delta.
  4. Prove which hop interprets the request differently.
  5. Reproduce one minimal differential path that yields decisive behavior.

Workflow

1. Map Parse And Routing Boundaries

  • Record Host, forwarded headers, path decoding, slash collapsing, dot-segment handling, and case behavior.
  • Note Content-Length, Transfer-Encoding, chunk framing, and connection reuse behavior when relevant.
  • Keep edge parser and backend parser decisions side by side.

2. Prove Differential Interpretation

  • Build paired requests that differ in one canonicalization dimension only.
  • Capture proxy logs, backend logs, route match, and downstream request shape.
  • Show where route, auth scope, or body boundary diverges.

3. Reduce To Decisive Smuggling Chain

  • Compress to: crafted request -> parser differential across hops -> unintended routed request or hidden endpoint reach -> resulting effect.
  • State whether root cause is path normalization drift, header ambiguity, transfer framing differential, or host-derivation confusion.
  • If the chain becomes primarily runtime routing without framing tricks, hand off to runtime routing skill.

Read This Reference

  • Load references/request-normalization-smuggling.md for parse-differential checklist and evidence packaging.

What To Preserve

  • Raw request pairs, hop-by-hop interpretation, and final routed target
  • Exact normalization or framing delta that flips behavior
  • One minimal replayable differential request path
FAQ

What is request 'normalization'?

It's the process of standardizing or simplifying parts of a request, like URL paths, so the server can understand it consistently.

What is 'request smuggling'?

It's an attack technique where an attacker sends malicious requests that are interpreted differently by different servers, leading to unexpected behavior or access to restricted areas.

Do I need to understand networking to use this?

Not strictly necessary, but understanding basic concepts of how requests travel the internet (client, server, proxy) can help in understanding the results.

Details

Original description by the author

Internal downstream skill for ctf-sandbox-orchestrator. CTF-sandbox workflow for parser differentials, HTTP normalization gaps, ambiguous headers, path decoding drift, transfer-framing mismatches, and request smuggling routes. Use when the user asks to trace proxy and backend parse differences, conflicting path normalization, Host or forwarded-header ambiguity, CL/TE issues, or routing outcomes th

repo: zhaoxuya520/reverse-skill

Popularity

GitHub stars
42k
Ranking position
#4734
License
MIT
Updated
9/22/2026

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