Right, so my point is that hacking everyone playing the CTF or the infrastructure is similar to running rm. Using a zero day on a challenge to get a flag is often allowed and even seen as amusing.

> Right, so my point is that hacking everyone playing the CTF or the infrastructure is similar to running rm.

It’s really not. rm is destructive, hacking competitors or infra to collect flags isn’t.

If you hack the infra to get all the flags it's really pretty close to just nuking the competition then and there isn't it? What's the point for everyone else to continue after that?

Winning is not the same as nuking the competition.

> What's the point for everyone else to continue after that?

Fun? Second, third, fourth … place?

I’d imagine most CTF teams don’t go in expecting to win.

And how are the other teams supposed to know anyway?