Fix flag format (#16)

* modify: add pbctf{} along with flag content

* modify: flag hint updated

* update: discord server link

* fix: build issue

Author: DuttaNeel07

app/api/user/flag/route.ts

@@ -7,15 +7,15 @@ import crypto from "crypto";
 export const dynamic = 'force-dynamic';
 
 const FLAG_SECRET = process.env.FLAG_SECRET || "pbctf_default_secret_key_2026";
-const FLAG_PREFIX = process.env.FLAG_PREFIX || "pbctf";
+const FLAG_PREFIX ="pbctf";
 
 // Logic for generating the dynamic flag using hmac
 function generateFlag(sessionId: string): string {
   const hmac = crypto
     .createHmac("sha256", FLAG_SECRET)
     .update(sessionId)
     .digest("hex");
-  return `{${hmac.slice(0, 24)}}`;
+  return `${FLAG_PREFIX}{${hmac.slice(0, 24)}}`;
 }
 
 // GET /api/user/flag
@@ -73,9 +73,8 @@ export async function POST(request: NextRequest) {
     }
 
     const expectedFlag = generateFlag(authResult.user.uid);
-    const fullExpectedFlag = `${FLAG_PREFIX}${expectedFlag}`;
 
-    if (flag.trim() !== fullExpectedFlag) {
+    if (flag.trim() !== expectedFlag) {
       return NextResponse.json(
         { success: false, message: "Incorrect flag. Try again!" },
         { status: 400 }

components/registration/dashboard-container.tsx

@@ -891,7 +891,7 @@ export function DashboardContainer() {
             
             <div className="pt-[4px]">
               <a
-                href="https://discord.gg/kqNUEVGmXA"
+                href="https://discord.gg/Und8vHaw5a"
                 target="_blank"
                 rel="noopener noreferrer"
                 className="inline-flex items-center justify-center bg-[#22c55e] hover:bg-[#4ade80] text-white font-medium px-6 py-3 rounded-xl transition-all duration-200 shadow-[0_0_15px_rgba(34,197,94,0.4)] hover:shadow-[0_0_20px_rgba(34,197,94,0.6)]"
@@ -974,9 +974,7 @@ export function DashboardContainer() {
                     className="text-[14px] leading-[20px] text-[#22c55e] font-medium"
                     style={{ fontFamily: "var(--font-body)" }}
                   >
-                    💡 <span className="underline">CTF Hint</span>: The
-                    application may reveal more information than it chooses to
-                    display to the user.
+                    💡 <span className="underline">CTF Hint</span>: The browser receives more information than the interface chooses to present. Trace the flow of data.
                   </p>
                   <p
                     className="text-[13px] text-white/60 leading-[18px]"
@@ -1334,7 +1332,6 @@ export function DashboardContainer() {
 
       {/* Hidden Flag Container in DOM */}
       <div data-howdy={dynamicFlag} />
-
       {/* Faint hint at the bottom for inspect challenge */}
       {!hasSolvedChallenge && dynamicFlag && (
         <div className="text-[10px] text-white/5 select-all hover:text-white/20 transition-colors text-center mt-12 mb-6"></div>

components/ui/help-button.tsx

@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ export function HelpButton() {
 
                     <div className="flex justify-end pt-4">
                         <a
-                            href="https://discord.gg/kqNUEVGmXA"
+                            href="https://discord.gg/Und8vHaw5a"
                             target="_blank"
                             rel="noopener noreferrer"
                             className="inline-flex items-center justify-center bg-[var(--primary)] hover:brightness-110 text-white font-medium px-6 py-3 rounded-xl transition-all duration-200 w-full sm:w-auto shadow-[0_0_15px_rgba(34,197,94,0.4)] hover:shadow-[0_0_20px_rgba(34,197,94,0.6)]"

lib/db.ts

@@ -2,10 +2,6 @@ import mongoose from 'mongoose';
 
 const MONGODB_URI = process.env.MONGODB_URI;
 
-if (!MONGODB_URI) {
-    throw new Error('Please define the MONGODB_URI environment variable inside .env.local');
-}
-
 interface MongooseCache {
     conn: mongoose.Connection | null;
     promise: Promise<mongoose.Connection> | null;
@@ -22,6 +18,10 @@ if (!cached) {
 }
 
 async function dbConnect() {
+    if (!MONGODB_URI) {
+        throw new Error('Please define the MONGODB_URI environment variable inside .env.local');
+    }
+
     if (cached.conn) {
         return cached.conn;
     }