What's the current hacking status like in DayZ:SA?

[Caboose187 (DayZ) 3036]

I'm just trying to pull out ideas to stop people from installing a second Dayz and Steam account on the same PC, OS, or location.

Unless steam outright bans the hardware ID from even acquiring a new steam account this is never going to happen.

[Cpanther 221]

Not really, I don't know much about networks at all.

I'm just trying to pull out ideas to stop people from installing a second Dayz and Steam account on the same PC, OS, or location.

If possible it would greatly reduce hacking and not add any extra time into closing loopholes. It's the fastest way to reducing hacking since the same loopholes have been open in Dayz for over 2 years.

Think guys, think.

How about this.... In order to install Steam or Dayz..... your location within 500 feet accuracy must be registered. There has to be some kind of tracing program/software that will know your physical location that must be completed in order to install. This physical GPS location is then kept in the data base of Steam and Dayz. Once a piece of shit decides to hack and gets global banned......... When that person tries to install the game again, and the same GPS location comes up, they are not allowed to install the new copy of the game.

It would not prevent people with laptops who play anywhere but most people play this game on desktops.

You are welcome, someone who patents this idea will be a millionaire.

 

Well.. they could use the MAC Address.. which is unique for every computer, but that is a tricky one... i really want to see which company is going to be that brave.

[ChainReactor 922]

HTB, I know you're really passionate about this topic, and I can understand that to some extend. But you have to keep two things in mind:

 

1. If there would be an easy solution to get rid of hackers and cheaters, someone would have done it already. Sadly, people that want to hack invest a ridiculous ammount of effort ( and obviously money too ) just to troll other people in a video game without any benefit.

 

2. When you suggest ( or even just think about ) an idea to prevent hacking, you have to think how likely your idea is to catch false positives. Your IP-idea is highly likely to provide false positives for example, which is bad.

Edited September 11, 2014 by ChainReactor

[boneboys 7988]

Why should we believe you ? You have the same motives as they have... sell more copies of your hacker/duper/glitcher riddled game! Only difference between you and the hackers is that they actually can proof ( YouTube is full of DayZ SA hacker videos submitted by hacker or victims ) while you beating a dead horse since month telling us sweet nothings about the enormous ammout of bans that have been issued and with the next patch everything is fixed but infact nothing has changed since month apart that is getting worse and worse.

Another who did not read the memo...

[bubba42 9]

Not really, I don't know much about networks at all.

I'm just trying to pull out ideas to stop people from installing a second Dayz and Steam account on the same PC, OS, or location.

If possible it would greatly reduce hacking and not add any extra time into closing loopholes. It's the fastest way to reducing hacking since the same loopholes have been open in Dayz for over 2 years.

Think guys, think.

How about this.... In order to install Steam or Dayz..... your location within 500 feet accuracy must be registered. There has to be some kind of tracing program/software that will know your physical location that must be completed in order to install. This physical GPS location is then kept in the data base of Steam and Dayz. Once a piece of shit decides to hack and gets global banned......... When that person tries to install the game again, and the same GPS location comes up, they are not allowed to install the new copy of the game.

It would not prevent people with laptops who play anywhere but most people play this game on desktops.

You are welcome, someone who patents this idea will be a millionaire.

 

Now you are basically moving the hacking over to a device, it is so simple to alter GPS data, and worse yet, GPS signals themselves.  There are several devices on the market around 90 bucks that thwart GPS Signals and one device that costs around $200 bucks that will mimic GPS Signals to any GPS listening device within range.

[hothtimeblues 128]

Yeah, you are probably right. I'm just dreaming.

And hope you are having a good day, Caboose. I miss your Transformer avatar.

[WhiteZero 72]

How about this.... In order to install Steam or Dayz..... your location within 500 feet accuracy must be registered. There has to be some kind of tracing program/software that will know your physical location that must be completed in order to install. This physical GPS location is then kept in the data base of Steam and Dayz. Once a piece of shit decides to hack and gets global banned......... When that person tries to install the game again, and the same GPS location comes up, they are not allowed to install the new copy of the game.

It would not prevent people with laptops who play anywhere but most people play this game on desktops.

You are welcome, someone who patents this idea will be a millionaire.

Oh lawd, the uproar from this would be immense. "DayZ tracks players physical location!" You must be joking, as the privacy implications there are outrageous.

 

Not to mention you could just A) Login from a different location, B.) spoof your location or C) someone else playing the game in the house, who isn't cheating, also gets banned.

[bubba42 9]

Well.. they could use the MAC Address.. which is unique for every computer, but that is a tricky one... i really want to see which company is going to be that brave.

 

Real Hackers, not script kiddies, spoof MAC Addresses all the time.

[WhiteZero 72]

Well.. they could use the MAC Address.. which is unique for every computer, but that is a tricky one... i really want to see which company is going to be that brave.

MACs can be spoofed or just replace the NIC.

 

Anti-Hacking is a constant arms race that can't be won, only treated.

 

 

Real Hackers, not script kiddies, spoof MAC Addresses all the time.

 

There are plenty of programs/scripts out there to spoof MACs. Scriptkiddies can do it too...

Edited September 11, 2014 by WhiteZero

[bubba42 9]

 

There are plenty of programs/scripts out there to spoof MACs. Scriptkiddies can do it too...

 

You are correct, I shouldn't have been so quick to answer.  You get my beans.

[hothtimeblues 128]

Now you are basically moving the hacking over to a device, it is so simple to alter GPS data, and worse yet, GPS signals themselves. There are several devices on the market around 90 bucks that thwart GPS Signals and one device that costs around $200 bucks that will mimic GPS Signals to any GPS listening device within range.

Darn, then I'm out of ideas. But I still think there must be a very direct way where Steam talks to our network provider (I mean figuratively), and gets the GPS location based only on the data that our network provider like Brighthouse, ect. gives. In other words, Steam/Valve is not asking our PC or OS about the GPS Location. Steam/Valve is only pulling the location data directly from our network provider. That would be much harder to fake and deflect.

[Cpanther 221]

Real Hackers, not script kiddies, spoof MAC Addresses all the time.

Well.. Script Kiddies are the "real" problem, but....this MAC address thing have been suggested before, and i believe is a tricky one to do, from a "legal" perspective.

[hothtimeblues 128]

Oh lawd, the uproar from this would be immense. "DayZ tracks players physical location!" You must be joking, as the privacy implications there are outrageous.

Not to mention you could just A) Login from a different location, B.) spoof your location or C) someone else playing the game in the house, who isn't cheating, also gets banned.

What do you mean? Every app that is dowloaded thousands of times a day asks people to give their location and they say yes. Also, the GPS locations can remain encrypted on the servers of Steam. No human has to see an actual GPS location. A very simple software code can be written that simply has Steam search the encrypted GPS locations for a match when the script kiddies try to but the game a second time.

Let's think outside the box and provide answers.

[WhiteZero 72]

Darn, then I'm out of ideas.

 

There are people whose job it is, every day, to think of and develop features to combat hacking. Chances are that no one here could suggest something that these guys haven't already tried or are already doing, if its even feasible.

[WhiteZero 72]

What do you mean? Every app that is dowloaded thousands of times a day asks people to give their location and they say yes. Also, the GPS locations can remain encrypted on the servers of Steam. No human has to see an actual GPS location. A very simple software code can be written that simply has Steam search the encrypted GPS locations for a match when the script kiddies try to but the game a second time.

Let's think outside the box and provide answers.

Unless its on your phone, those apps don't have access to GPS... because no one's PC has GPS built in. They are using your network identification to get a rough idea where you are located. Not at all useful for what you suggested.

[Caboose187 (DayZ) 3036]

Hardware ID would be one of the better ways to go.  Yes, I understand a lot of the hackers have multiple PC's but eventually they will get nailed and have to run out and get new hardware.  

[WhiteZero 72]

Hardware ID would be one of the better ways to go.  Yes, I understand a lot of the hackers have multiple PC's but eventually they will get nailed and have to run out and get new hardware.  

Depends on the Hardware ID method. Most of the time it's done by kind of "hashing" a hardware snapshot of your PC. Various parts of that can be changed or spoofed on the fly. For example

[Caboose187 (DayZ) 3036]

Depends on the Hardware ID method. Most of the time it's done by kind of "hashing" a hardware snapshot of your PC. Various parts of that can be changed or spoofed on the fly. For example

Oh for sure, I'm talking more on CPU ID.

[WhiteZero 72]

Oh for sure, I'm talking more on CPU ID.

I don't think the CPU has a unique ID visible to software. Hasn't been since the Pentium III

[tsandrey 379]

@bubba42 There is no such thing as "fixing" a hack. There is no such thing as stopping ESP's. BE can ban the paid hacks, but they will update in a few days and keep on hacking. Then BE will ban them again, but they will update again and again. That's just how it works. The only difference is that BE does a much better job at it than other anti-cheats.

 

The engine is supposed to "patch" the cheats so it's impossible to make them (even tho that's impossible for ESP), not the anti-cheats. By the way, why do you only talk shit to BE, not VAC?

Edited September 11, 2014 by TSAndrey

[bubba42 9]

My company stopped using Hardware ID's for mobile security software, they are easily duplicated, but even worse, easily hacked.  Firmware "facking" ( or hacking the firmware to change things including HID's ) is available on most PC components, sadly.

[bubba42 9]

@bubba42 There is no such thing as "fixing" a hack. There is no such thing as stopping ESP's. BE can ban the paid hacks, but they will update in a few days and keep on hacking. Then BE will ban them again, but they will update again and again. That's just how it works. The only difference is that BE does a much better job at it than other anti-cheats.

 

The engine is supposed to "patch" the cheats so it's impossible to make them (even tho that's impossible for ESP), not the anti-cheats. By the way, why do you only talk shit to BE, not VAC?

 

I call BS.  ESP's have been successfully stopped in many games in the past.  Quake 2 suffered from ESP hacks in its early days, but id Software took a proactive approach and put code in to detect ESP and shut it down completely.  No, it didn't stop all the hacking, but it did stop the most egregious method.  Even Valve themselves have dealt, successfully in Half Life with ESP.

 

I'm not talking shit to anyone on this forum.  Not Sable, not BE, no one.  When Hicks and Co. state there is not a hacking problem in DayZ.  I believe it's time to really call them out including the 3rd party developer chosen to protect the game, again, who I continue to question their methods as the number of people with Youtube videos demonstrating hacking in DayZ is growing daily.  I experience hackers 4 to 5 times a week, I have over 1200 hours in the game and at least that much in the mod before it.  ESP and other hacks basically destroyed the mod and they will destroy DayZ, and, believe it or not, I want to see it become a huge success, and stick around for a long time.

 

BE says they are the best, but have yet to prove it, ask anyone who plays any ARMA Based game.  The one true hack that stands above the others in terms of behavior and widespread use is ESP.  It is a game killing hack for a simulated survival game.  Teleportation, assumed they've plugged that up finally in Exp, we'll see, and hacked Ammo, will gel resolved soon enough, those things are minor compared to the real elephant in the room, ESP.  This game will not, I repeat WILL NOT survive, if this is not addressed and quickly.

Edited September 11, 2014 by bubba42

[Vex_Vehix 436]

There's nothing more disappointing than being in a building with the door shut for 20+ minutes where it's IMPOSSIBLE to know you were there, have the server reboot, log back in, wait 5 minutes (still in the same room with the door shut, never having moved) and then hear "Survivor, drop you weapon." I was like, LOL, he's talking to someone else. Then I hear again, "Survivor, drop you weapon!" I ignore it again because it's impossible, the room I'm in doesn't even have windows to see me, there's NO WAY anyone can know I'm there. It's then that I see the door open and a guy head shots immediately. The nail in the coffin to knowing it was an ESP hacker - he even ridicules me, "Death by... well, Death By Machine gun I guess now!" My ingame name is DeathByCrowbar and there is no WAY with 20 people on a server he could know who he killed. Here's the list of players who were online at the time.

Time, server, etc of where it happened is:

"09/11/2014 12:45 AM" 

lastMPServer="66.55.137.111:2302";

lastMPServerName=".:In FOG We Trust, The Rest We Dust. Zero Admin Abuse:.";

 

They're still online, whoever it was.

Definitely wasn't one of our FOG members. We've been getting trolled in our server on a dailu basis by hackers, dupers, ghosters and your everyday jerkholes. Sad.

I mean, I understand it's still in Alpha, and cheaters will be dealt with in the near future, but holy shit their are a lot of losers pit there looking for every exploit they can find.

P.S. Thanks for visiting our server, please don't let morons discourse you from join it. We have multiple admins who can kick abusers, although it can be tough to pinpoint the hackers. At that point, we'll just restart the server until they stop coming back.

FOG!

[General Zod 1118]

How many times did I try explain that in this business you can't have transparency? I'm really sorry, it's not possible. Again, if you think that I don't care even though I participate in a discussion with the community, then so bet it.

Here is a current number for you: 25,321 (after 8 months). That number grew much more quickly in the beginning, since now most popular private hacks are constantly detected/down. Oh wait, I can't back that statement up, so I'll just shut up. :P

Spare me the self pity, with that so be it. 

The situation in this thread is simple, game is infested with cheats, only now you come up with numbers.

So when the game is over run with cheats and anti cheats measures seem to be failing, people are getting pissed off. And they will take it out on you, I might have been sceptical, but I tried to be objective on the matter.

But without any proof; either lower in game number of cheats or ban lists people do assume that nothing is being done. And you can say your : I'm sorry you can't have that, be it as it may, not possible. Polite excuses it only makes things worse.

I'm not going to judge you, hacking have always been a race between anti cheats and cheats. 

If you do your job and keep running than I'll cross my fingers for you, if you don't than there is nothing I can do and dayz will die. 

Edited September 11, 2014 by General Zod

[bubba42 9]

Spare me the self pity, with that so be it. 

The situation in this thread is simple, game is infested with cheats, only now you come up with numbers.

So when the game is over run with cheats and anti cheats measures seem to be failing, people are getting pissed off. And they will take it out on you, I might have been sceptical, but I tried to be objective on the matter.

But without any proof; either lower in game number of cheats or ban lists people do assume that nothing is being done. And you can say your : I'm sorry you can't have that, be it as it may, not possible. Polite excuses it only makes things worse.

I'm not going to judge you, hacking have always been a race between anti cheats and cheats. 

If you do your job and keep running than I'll cross my fingers for you, if you don't than there is nothing I can do and dayz will die. 

 

That was a little harsh, but essentially this post goes to prove my point about a lack of transparency and how it affects the community BE supposedly serves, givern the fact that the cheats are more egregious and numerous than ever, and the hackers are more transparent than BE, what other kind of response is even possible?  DayZ is probably the most high profile game BE has been involved with, and I am certain other gaming companies are going to think twice before discussing BE inclusion into their games if they can't get a handle on their biggest account right now.  I know if I were running a studio, I would be watching this like a hawk before negotiating with them, that's for damn sure.