There is a growing concern for gamers about security. In previous years, the majority of malware distributed was through phishing sites and/or malicious links sent from an email account. Now, many users have been reporting that their information has been stolen after playing a game online. Hackers are specifically targeting multiplayer games.

In addition to having their data stolen from gamers who play online, hackers are able to extract the password from the game itself, which is saved onto your computer in text form. When you log into a game, login information is being sent over an unencrypted connection, making it easy for potential attackers to see your username and password.

Phishing Links Sent Through A Game

People who play video games online often trade cash and in-game items for real money, but sometimes they get scammed.

Some players might also use a game or service’s private messaging system to trade cash and in-game items for real money. Messages are commonly sent through a website where you can buy items, services, and digital downloads using fake emails. When the message is opened, malware infects their computer and sends the scammer real bank information or credit card information. Many players now ignore these messages because they often look suspicious.

Malware In An Illegal Download

There are many dangers to gamers, but the main one that has been on the rise is gaming malware. Games and online communities have become more accessible and popular due to easier internet access and free sites like Steam. This means hackers can take advantage of gamer’s enthusiasm and love for games

It’s a strategic move on the hacker’s part to make games popular and accessible because it is a way into people’s computers. Some hacks may not look harmful when you’re playing but in reality they are stealing from you gaming account. As long as you are aware of the dangers and what malware looks like, it is less likely to affect gamers in an unsafe way.

Security Holes In Legitimate Games

Gaming malware is becoming more and more common as time goes on, and has been shown to be particularly dangerous because it uses legitimate gaming software as its point of entry into a system. This can result in spyware or adware being installed on the user’s computer without their knowledge which can result in them being profiled or tracked by outside sources. This can be particularly dangerous for the military, which often likes to play games to relax and blow off steam during a long day at work. With this information in mind, it is important that users take necessary precautions when playing online games such as only downloading from reputable sites and scanning any software for viruses before installing them.

Exploits are often distributed as the payload of a Trojan horse, or bundled with legitimate software that is repackaged without the knowledge of the software company. In 2007, a variant of FlaxBane was bundled with the Half-Life server dedicated software and used automated program analysis techniques to discover and automatically exploit the security hole (McAfee).

In 2008, a variant of flaxbane was found bundled with various free online games. The malware would mail itself to all contacts in the user’s address book once installed. Recently, a version of FlaxBane was discovered that does not need administrator privileges to install on a target system. This allowed the malware to quietly install on a user’s machine and use an in-game chat program, which was available as part of the package, to communicate with a command and control server operated by hackers.

Threats Hidden In Modifications To Games

The mobile gaming industry is growing rapidly. However, like any technology, there are risks associated with mobile gaming. There is malware available to infect Android phones that allows hackers to take control of the phone and steal personal information stored on the device. It is also possible for fraudsters to commit in-app fraud by stealing game currency or creating game currency out of thin air using illegitimate methods. This could result in an unfair advantage for the fraudsters or even financial loss for the legitimate players.

Some modifications to existing games, such as new maps and skins, may also contain malware. It is not uncommon for hackers to sneak malicious code into code meant for modifying the game so that the player unknowingly installs malware on their computer when they download and install a seemingly innocent modification.

Keyloggers Used To Steal A User’s Profile

This is the most common form of malware for this specific industry. Keyloggers will record keystrokes made by an operator when using any system that requires entering passwords or other sensitive information. Once recorded, these can be used to access any account tied to that password, including online gaming accounts.

When most people think about malware on their computers, they worry about someone stealing the credit card information they use to make purchases on the internet. This is not one of those cases. These attackers do not care about your bank account or anything like that. They only want your game login information.

In order to make money, scammers will sell your login information on the black market. With this new found information, they can steal all of your virtual currency and in-game items, or use it as a gateway into someone else’s account. Unfortunately for you, you are often the one who is punished when your account gets hacked.

One of the largest targets for this type of malware is gaming forums. The attackers will wait until you make a post, and then they will use the keylogger to steal your credentials to login and reply to threads on your own account. As soon as someone who knows you sees that you have replied to your own post, they will know that your account has been compromised.

The dangers of gaming due to malware are not to be understated. This is a problem across all online communities, but it is especially prevalent in the gaming industry due to the fact that these games have both real world and virtual currency value attached to them. Stay tuned for more information about technology related content on Bayshore Interactive’s Blog.