If the ZIP is purely an encrypted archive you need to "break" into:
: Instead of trying to "crack" a password, the attacker crafts a ZIP where the filenames contain directory traversal sequences (e.g., ../../../../var/www/shell.php ).
: When the server unzips the archive, it inadvertently overwrites a critical system file or place a web shell in a reachable directory, giving the attacker full control over the machine. 3. Brute Force & Known Plaintext
Hacking 101: Black Hat vs. White Hat vs. Gray Hat Hacking - Splunk
A Black Hat approach to a challenge like typically focuses on efficiency, exploitation of trust, and bypassing standard defenses rather than just "following the rules" of a CTF.
Before touching any tools, a Black Hat mindset starts with identifying what the system "believes" about the file.
Drainage Derbyshire