GeoGuessr

Platform: hackerlab | Category: Misc | Type: Challenge | Difficulty: Easy | OS: Linux | Author: XESXOR | Date: 2025-12-25 | Status: Solved Techniques: Architectural feature analysis, Coordinate determination, Japanese text recognition, Visual landmark identification

Summary

Task: Determine coordinates from a Google Street View screenshot. Solution: Identified Japanese road signs indicating Koto district, located Kiba Park Bridge via Structurae database, extracted coordinates.

GeoGuessr — HackerLab

Description

Слышал о такой игре как GeoGuessr? Там еще по панораме улицы надо узнать локацию на карте мира. Мы сделали свою усложненную версию: у тебя есть фото и по нему надо узнать координаты места, где оно было сделано.

Формат флага: CODEBY{широта_долгота}, точность - три цифры после запятой. Пример: CODEBY{12.123_123.123}

Files: task.zip → geoint.png (Google Street View screenshot)

Analysis

Step 1: Initial Image Examination

The image is a Google Street View screenshot (visible "Google" watermark in the bottom right corner). ‍​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‍

Key features in the photo:

1. Cable-stayed bridge with a distinctive white concrete pylon tower
2. Japanese road signs — blue information signs
3. Text on signs: "江東区エリアマップ" (Koto City Area Map) — indicates Koto district (江東区), Tokyo
4. Information sign with letter "i"
5. Weeping willow on the left
6. Japanese traffic light with characteristic shape
7. Heavy traffic

Step 2: Checking EXIF Metadata

 bash read-only • copy allowed Copy
exiftool geoint.png

No coordinates in EXIF — this is a screenshot, not an original photo. ‍​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‍

Step 3: Location Identification

Based on the features identified:

• Country: Japan (Japanese characters, characteristic signs)
• City: Tokyo
• District: Koto (江東区) — directly indicated on the sign

Searching for cable-stayed bridges in Koto district led to Kiba Park Bridge (木場公園大橋) — a pedestrian/bicycle cable-stayed bridge in Kiba Park.

Bridge characteristics (Structurae):

• Type: Cable-stayed bridge with semi-fan system
• Pylon material: reinforced concrete (white concrete)
• Length: 250 m
• Completion: December 1991
• Function: Bicycle and pedestrian bridge ‍​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‍

Step 4: Determining Exact Coordinates

Bridge coordinates from Structurae: 35° 40' 33.77" N, 139° 48' 31.64" E

The shooting location is on Mitsume-dori Avenue (三ツ目通り), which passes under the bridge. The camera is pointing north, towards the bridge.

Converting to decimal degrees rounded to 3 decimal places:

• Latitude: 35.675
• Longitude: 139.807

Solution

1. Identify the country by visual features (Japanese signs, characters)
2. Read text on signs: "江東区" = Koto-ku (Tokyo district)
3. Find cable-stayed bridge in Koto district → Kiba Park Bridge
4. Get bridge coordinates from bridge database (Structurae)
5. Refine camera position on the road under the bridge
6. Round to 3 decimal places ‍​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‍

Useful Resources

• Structurae (structurae.net) — database of bridges and structures with coordinates
• Google Maps — location verification via Street View
• Wikipedia — information about landmarks
• Google Translate — translating text on signs ‍​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‍