# Challenge Name: Cat Me if You Can***## Challenge
The description (as can be found in CTFtime through [Cat Me if You Can](https://ctftime.org/task/25009)):> There's a flag hiding in plain sight, Our cat has been trying to get it for a while now, but it keeps escaping him at the last moment. Can you help him out?
No files were provided, only a `nc` command. This is typical of CTF challenges that are based on connecting to a server.
```~$ nc cha.hackpack.club 41708bash-5.1$ ls flag.txtbash-5.1$ cat flag.txthisssssscat: flag.txt```
The challenge starts with a shell already, and a file named `flag.txt` in the home directory. But I can't `cat` the file, which is strange. I expected "permission denied" or something similar.
***
## ExplorationI guessed maybe this was a phony file, and the actual file is elsewhere. Running `ls -R /` made me rule that out. Next, I wanted to view the file's permissions: 
```bash-5.1$ ls -l flag.txt-rw-rw-r-- 1 root root 31 Apr 14 12:24 flag.txt```So it's probably not a privilege escalation challenge.
***## Solution
I know that I can display the contents of a file without using `cat`, which is through `echo` and `bash`'s [Command Substitution](https://www.gnu.org/software/bash/manual/html_node/Command-Substitution.html).
```bash-5.1$ echo $(< flag.txt)flag{(^._.^)_m3ow_me0w_(^._.^)}bash-5.1$ ```
In fact, using `echo` was not needed:
```bash-5.1$ $(< flag.txt)bash: flag{(^._.^)_m3ow_me0w_(^._.^)}: command not found```
I love me some bashism.
I don't think this was the intended solution, but it worked :)