In the summer of 2024, I became a repo man for a day. I legally recovered a vehicle without any confrontation or repercussions.

In this talk, I describe the circumstances that led to this eventful day. I approached this problem like I do a capture the flag event or other ethical hacking activities: Identify the problem, gather information, analyze the clues, consult other professionals and take action.

I go into detail on the upfront planning work I did, how I was able to legally retake ownership of the vehicle and then physically take possession of the vehicle all while doing my best to avoid any confrontation. I also cover the measures I took to ensure that this process couldn’t be re-implemented as a counter attack on me.

I wrap up the talk with how my adversary could have prevented this and talk in general about good personal security behaviors.