The Embedded Capture the Flag (eCTF) is an embedded security competition run by MITRE that puts participants through the experience of trying to create a secure system and then learning from their mistakes. The main target is a real physical embedded device, which opens the scope of the challenge to include physical/proximal access attacks. The eCTF is a two-phase competition with attack and defense components. In the first phase, competitors design and implement a secure system based on a set of challenge requirements. The second phase involves analyzing and attacking the other teams’ designs.

In the 2025 eCTF, teams will design and implement a secure satellite TV system. The system must securely decode satellite TV data streams while protecting against unauthorized access to protected channels.

The eCTF is only open to active students.