During my experience with Hack The Box's (HTB) learning modules, I have both positive and negative aspects to share about the learning path and websites.
To initiate the modules, users need "cubes," which are HTB's point system. Each module requires a specific number of cubes, making it ideal for those who want to test the platform before investing significant time or resources.
Once cubes are deployed into a learning module, they become locked. As users progress and answer questions, they earn additional cubes. Upon completing a module, all deployed cubes are returned. This feature encourages users to focus on one area until completion, rather than having multiple modules open simultaneously. Moreover, as more advanced modules require more cubes, users can continue their self-paced training without incurring significant costs.
The Learning Modules:
The core of the site lies within these learning modules and labs, which offer built-in VMs that users can connect to or "spawn." Free account users are limited to spawning one instance per day, with a duration of approximately 90-120 minutes. For unlimited access, paid versions are available for around $18/month or $490/year.
While I am hesitant about paying for their services due to concerns regarding the module's accuracy:
I have spent several hours questioning my understanding of the material and struggling with questions, only to discover that the answers provided were correct or that the questions lacked precision. After researching HTB's forum, I found similar complaints dating back to March 2021. This issue directly impacts the learning experience, wasting valuable VM time allotments and undermining the confidence gained from this platform.
Here is a link to a thread that goes back to March of 2021 and the issues still persists.
https://forum.hackthebox.com/t/need-help/3924
As a result, I am unwilling to invest money in this service until these issues are resolved. It is disheartening that this problem persists for so long without a solution
Enough HTB for today. Back to tinkering with Linux on a VM that I got set-up in the cloud.