Global Bans for legit players?

[arkod 9]

I don't know if this has been said before but BattleEye scans your system for suspicious files/programs. You may have something like CheatEngine that you use to screw around in a single player game or somethig and you'll get banned from BattleEye even if you didn't use it on Arma2 ever.

I guess the "innocent" player who have been banned had some kind of program that BattleEye detects as dangerous and throws the ban Hammer.

BattlEye scans the game and the system in RAM and on HDD, mainly using generic methods that globally catch all cheats/hacks of one type (including private ones as far as possible).

More info about how BE works on its web: http://www.battleye.com/info.html

EDIT: IP ban is probably useless. A lot of people have dynamic IP, all they have to do is restart router to get new IP. Even if you have static IP you can use VPN to get new one.

Edited August 9, 2012 by Arkod

[Anton17 97]

Ya seriously. Ip ban the fuckers...all they do is chnage their cd key.

Then all they'd do is change their IP.

Don't you see?

[fish911503 136]

Turns out I was not banned, just happened to have something go corrupt in my dayz files earlier. So now I personally can't attest to being a victim of being banned this way, so who knows what the truth is,

But really, telling people not to come and tell their side of the story just because people who do cheat say the same thing?

That's like saying don't ever plead not guilty to a felony you didn't commit, because you know all those guilty jerks always say the same thing!

I mean you've got nothing to do at 2 am, so why are you so critical about how others are wasting their time discussing this? Perhaps people who were banned might want to discuss that in fitting topic like this?

Who's to say they haven't already contacted Battle Eye and tried to get this resolved? For some reason you enjoy inferring that all of your readers are all oblivious to every single fact you're stating.

There's simply no need for you act like a complete know-it-all and talk down to people about license agreements.

Not at all like saying that. It's like saying if your accused a felony you plead you're case in court not to the cops arresting you.

All I said was there no point in pleading your case HERE!!! I don't understand why you can't understand that. Submit your ban ID to BE if you've been banned.

How the fuck is anyone here supposed to know why you got banned????

Jesus christ. Idiots.

[Jemoeder 51]

Ya seriously. Ip ban the fuckers...all they do is chnage their cd key.

They steal keys ... Server admins check the logs for GUID's and edit them so that they can ignore BE on there OWN server and hacking the shit out of it ...

[D3nty 114]

From how BE have worded the bullet points on the support page i don't have much faith in them listening to any of us since Battleye software is faultless, so innocent or not all of us must have been branded "hackers".

I really do hope this mess gets sorted out and soon because i really want to get back to playing a Mod i really do love.

Yatta: I was half way between the north west airfield and the northeast airfield after logging in about 10 secs later i get a message pop up as i run out of some woods saying i was global banned. I had not changed any files or used scripts or any 3rd party programs to cheat ingame.

I know 100% that innocent people are being banned because i am one of them and i know most of you are sitting here reading this thinking we are just "butthurt hackers" that want to be unbanned and i must admit before this happened to me i thought the same when i saw posts like this.

I despise all hackers and my point of view is like this, I paid for the game so i could play DayZ 4 days ago why would i take all the fun out of the game by giving myself all the best items ingame then i wouldn't have anything to do. I paid for this game because i love the fact its open world and you need to go hunting for items and you really need to use your brain in some situations, The gear you find gives you a sense of achievement you worked for that pair of NVG's or that epic sniper rifle.

PlayZ: We are pleading our cases here because its the only place we can do apart from putting a ticket into BE, Its nice to talk with other people who is having the same problems as you are but you would understand this if it had happened to you lets just hope you don't get global banned.

[Nibl 3]

PlayZ: We are pleading our cases here because its the only place we can do apart from putting a ticket into BE, Its nice to talk with other people who is having the same problems as you are but you would understand this if it had happened to you lets just hope you don't get global banned.

Beans and Mountain Dew, take them.

[nufcmickey 32]

If you aint done nothing wrong, Then argue your case, I mean they will have a way to check see if youve been using hacks or the like. I mean we all know that if someones innocent then you dont worry, well at least I dont. Bug the hell out of them on the phone, email etc etc. Like non stop.

Id even ask steam for a refund.

In fact Im sensing alot of hackers are extremely Hacked off right now, :P and they dont like it, They are regretting hacking and absolutely gutted they lost their Arma 2 key, so they making out they havnt hacked. Its very rare you get banned for doing nothing wrong. Just saying

Edited August 9, 2012 by nufcmickey

[Audio Rejectz 144]

It's just like what Microsoft did prior to forza 3 release..people thought they were safe and then a massive banwave, thousands of people banned at once for pirating/hacking and so on.

This is what has happened here, all these people thought they were getting away with it and the ban hammer has come down hard!

You all hacked and got caught, now go back to cod!

[DarkwaveDomina 1099]

Audio you're just being a tool at this point.

[suito 17]

hmm thinking steam would not refund .. but it realy sucks that a lot of people get banned .. btw i dont see any hacker crying that he get banned .. lol :D

[Audio Rejectz 144]

Ulfhed, maybe. But at least I'm not banned ;-) haha

[DarkwaveDomina 1099]

Neither am I.

[rekrul 91]

This might be long, but here's a post about why BE's bans are not likely to be false positives.

It seems to me that a lot of you people have no idea how neither Arma nor BE works. Arma has a very open platform and complex missions consists of considerable scripts. Mods, like Dayz, consists of several functions, modules, models, etc. There are also add-ons that can be added to the game.

Some of the missions scripts are executed server side and some are executed on the client side. Now with the last entry here, this is what opens up for hackers. BE has been fighting this for some years but there are some things where it cannot stop hackers as that would either cause false positives because of a poorly made mission (or mod) or it would seriously limit mission makers and mods (i.e. why BE has to be careful and why you still see hackers running around).

Now to the bans, there are some commands that the client never-ever should run. Like creating weapons, vehicles, etc. In a mission you're testing you might want to be able to teleport from one location to another, this is done in the mission and the script that executes this is ran by the server, not the client. You can run scripts on the client that has serverside effects which is what the hackers are doing. What commands you're allowed to do, and what you're not - I have no idea about but if you can do it in a mission, BE will allow it. I haven't bothered looking at how the hacks work as I play on passworded servers in A2 where hacking was rapant earlier. I do know that BE is checking these commands and it only triggers on commands that you're never ever supposed to send. This means that changing your config-file is never ever the reason for a ban. Nor is changing your skin.

Also, BE doesn't care about mods/addons, which means BE can't ban based on "hacked items" because BE doesn't know what items a mod allows/disallows. However, it will ban when you try to inject a code instructing the server to give you or someone else, or simply place it on the ground. If someone hacks an item in your backpack, BE doesn't care about you - it cares about who sent the commands.

Also I do believe that BE scans your script-folders for unique strings in illegal scripts which means that if you downloaded a hack to "see what it was", "see how it works because it will make me a better admin" or "learn how to fight it" you might be in trouble but this is PURE SPECULATION on my part. If you've DLed some "tools" or "maps" for A2 that was a program, you might "unknowingly" have download some cheats. Or maybe "your friend" did.

For those of you worried that a hacker may have injected harmful scripts to your client, don't worry as that's impossible. The hacker would have to change the mission/mod itself and compile it with the malicious script and then make the mission run the script from your PC which I find very, very strange. The downloading of the malicious script can only be done when joining (from lobby, you click ok and get the receiving mission file on a few kB) and not on the fly - and as I just said - only from a server that's running a malicious mission/mod.

Those who worry about the latest beta's - don't. They're already tested and approved by BE and they don't do anything except the server not allowing/listening to certain commands that there's no reason for running on client-side (but still allowed by BE as old and new server and client versions are supposed to work with each others on the beta stage).

And finally those rumors about injecting scripts to get rcon password and GUIDs doesn't mean you lose you're CD-key. That's why they're using GUIDs - it's a one-way hash that's can't be reverted back to your CD-key. There's a neglible chance that a key generator made your key, and BE bans double keys, but that is very tiny. If that is the case they'll see that the second key came from a completly different ISP and possible country and you might be heard.

TL;DR:

* BE bans on commands your sending to the server that you never ever will as a legit user

* BE can't catch the really clever hackers (now) due to the open structure of Arma

* Changing config or skins will not cause a ban

* Using the latest beta won't cause a ban

* Using hacked items won't cause a ban

* Being molested by a hacker won't cause a ban

* Hackers getting your GUID doesn't give him your CD-key

* BE MIGHT ban if you have 3rd party hacker software on your machine but not using it

Now to all you "But what if / about X!" sayers replying - think about this. Very, very few Arma2 players are running vanilla A2. They're running atleast one mod, usually multiple at the same time. BE doesn't care (or know) about mods/add-ons - it's just Arma2 to it. A2 players are running add-ons that give them rifles, vehicles, items, skins, modules, enhanced AI, functions, code that don't exist in the original game on mods that might significantly alter the game/gameplay, they use modified sound, skins, models - you name it, it's been made and used. And none of them has been caught by the latest BE update or complaining on the BIS forum.

PS! I can't say 100% that you're guilty, I find it very likely, but regardless - send a mail to BE with your ID and if they have false positives - they will correct it. I assume - as it hasn't happened so far...

Edit: I forgot to say that BE is working with the devs about some bigger changes that will make BE a lot more powerful and effective to catch hackers, so it will get even worse for hackers.

Edited August 9, 2012 by Rakrul

[fish911503 136]

PlayZ: We are pleading our cases here because its the only place we can do apart from putting a ticket into BE, Its nice to talk with other people who is having the same problems as you are but you would understand this if it had happened to you lets just hope you don't get global banned.

Ok then...I'll leave you all to cry on each others shoulders. I hope things get better for ya

[Riku.exe 5]

This is just rich. So far I have been on these forums for about three hours and all of these people talking about wrongful bans, all people have to say is "well you shouldn't have been cheating" are you serious? You sit there and gloat for not being banned and unconditionally state that every person who was banned is indeed a hacker. yeah there probably were actual hackers that were banned, but believe it or not there were also a lot of people who were legit players that were banned. I would love to see it happen to you and then you will be wearing all of these peoples shoes.

I personally believe it has something to do with the new patches that came out today and yesterday. I had no problems didn't do anything until I updated and this crap happens. I am definitely not buying the game again for 30 bucks with the risk of getting banned again for wrongful reasoning. Also reading battleye's so called "support" website, I am definitely discomforted in terms of their rules they have stated. They seem very aggressive and seem like they don't give a shit at all what you say if you were banned then you're a hacker they were right and you were wrong sort of thing.

[Disgraced 1123]

This might be long, but here's a post about why BE's bans are not likely to be false positives.

It seems to me that a lot of you people have no idea how neither Arma nor BE works. Arma has a very open platform and complex missions consists of considerable scripts. Mods, like Dayz, consists of several functions, modules, models, etc. There are also add-ons that can be added to the game.

Some of the missions scripts are executed server side and some are executed on the client side. Now with the last entry here, this is what opens up for hackers. BE has been fighting this for some years but there are some things where it cannot stop hackers as that would either cause false positives because of a poorly made mission (or mod) or it would seriously limit mission makers and mods (i.e. why BE has to be careful and why you still see hackers running around).

Now to the bans, there are some commands that the client never-ever should run. Like creating weapons, vehicles, etc. In a mission you're testing you might want to be able to teleport from one location to another, this is done in the mission and the script that executes this is ran by the server, not the client. You can run scripts on the client that has serverside effects which is what the hackers are doing. What commands you're allowed to do, and what you're not - I have no idea about but if you can do it in a mission, BE will allow it. I haven't bothered looking at how the hacks work as I play on passworded servers in A2 where hacking was rapant earlier. I do know that BE is checking these commands and it only triggers on commands that you're never ever supposed to send. This means that changing your config-file is never ever the reason for a ban. Nor is changing your skin.

Also, BE doesn't care about mods/addons, which means BE can't ban based on "hacked items" because BE doesn't know what items a mod allows/disallows. However, it will ban when you try to inject a code instructing the server to give you or someone else, or simply place it on the ground. If someone hacks an item in your backpack, BE doesn't care about you - it cares about who sent the commands.

Also I do believe that BE scans your script-folders for unique strings in illegal scripts which means that if you downloaded a hack to "see what it was", "see how it works because it will make me a better admin" or "learn how to fight it" you might be in trouble but this is PURE SPECULATION on my part. If you've DLed some "tools" or "maps" for A2 that was a program, you might "unknowingly" have download some cheats. Or maybe "your friend" did.

For those of you worried that a hacker may have injected harmful scripts to your client, don't worry as that's impossible. The hacker would have to change the mission/mod itself and compile it with the malicious script and then make the mission run the script from your PC which I find very, very strange. The downloading of the malicious script can only be done when joining (from lobby, you click ok and get the receiving mission file on a few kB) and not on the fly - and as I just said - only from a server that's running a malicious mission/mod.

Those who worry about the latest beta's - don't. They're already tested and approved by BE and they don't do anything except the server not allowing/listening to certain commands that there's no reason for running on client-side (but still allowed by BE as old and new server and client versions are supposed to work with each others on the beta stage).

And finally those rumors about injecting scripts to get rcon password and GUIDs doesn't mean you lose you're CD-key. That's why they're using GUIDs - it's a one-way hash that's can't be reverted back to your CD-key. There's a neglible chance that a key generator made your key, and BE bans double keys, but that is very tiny. If that is the case they'll see that the second key came from a completly different ISP and possible country and you might be heard.

TL;DR:

* BE bans on commands your sending to the server that you never ever will as a legit user

* BE can't catch the really clever hackers (now) due to the open structure of Arma

* Changing config or skins will not cause a ban

* Using the latest beta won't cause a ban

* Using hacked items won't cause a ban

* Being molested by a hacker won't cause a ban

* Hackers getting your GUID doesn't give him your CD-key

* BE MIGHT ban if you have 3rd party hacker software on your machine but not using it

Now to all you "But what if / about X!" sayers replying - think about this. Very, very few Arma2 players are running vanilla A2. They're running atleast one mod, usually multiple at the same time. BE doesn't care (or know) about mods/add-ons - it's just Arma2 to it. A2 players are running add-ons that give them rifles, vehicles, items, skins, modules, enhanced AI, functions, code that don't exist in the original game on mods that might significantly alter the game/gameplay, they use modified sound, skins, models - you name it, it's been made and used. And none of them has been caught by the latest BE update or complaining on the BIS forum.

PS! I can't say 100% that you're guilty, I find it very likely, but regardless - send a mail to BE with your ID and if they have false positives - they will correct it. I assume - as it hasn't happened so far...

Edit: I forgot to say that BE is working with the devs about some bigger changes that will make BE a lot more powerful and effective to catch hackers, so it will get even worse for hackers.

As a forum mod, it's my job to deal with forum rules, bad posts, upset users and the like.

I love it so far, bizarrely.

In that vein, I don't speak for battleye or the dayz dev team.

I must say, though, that this post seems cogent to me, as an individual who plays the game. I understand that there are those that may DISagree. But to my experience... I agree. You have some beans.

[DarkwaveDomina 1099]

There's also the slight possibility, maybe, that something BattlEye changed is in conflict with a pretty shaky (at the best of times) alpha of a mod? Just saying. DayZ is not ArmA2 and ArmA2 is not DayZ, none of us know what Rocket might have changed while modding the game that could be in conflict with BE.

Either way, I'm still hesitant to even launch the game until we hear from BattlEye or the DayZ staff.

Edited August 9, 2012 by Ulfhedjinn

[red_orchestra@msn.com 112]

So they're finally doing something about you dirty cheating types. Too bad OA keys only coast $15 :-/

[rekrul 91]

There's also the slight possibility, maybe, that something BattlEye changed is in conflict with a pretty shaky (at the best of times) alpha of a mod? Just saying. DayZ is not ArmA2 and ArmA2 is not DayZ, none of us know what Rocket might have changed while modding the game that could be in conflict with BE.

Either way, I'm still hesitant to even launch the game until we hear from BattlEye or the DayZ staff.

AFAIK Rocket works in BIS and the do's and don'ts are pretty well known for mission makers so it would seem very strange that a mod-maker is violating these "rules". Especially something that triggers BE. And double especially ;) if he works for BIS.

Edit: If you haven't downloaded any 3rd party arma software other than 6-shooter you have nothing to worry about. You would see a huge dip in players last 24h on the webpage if there was a problem. And a lot more threads than this one.

Edited August 9, 2012 by Rakrul

[suito 17]

TL;DR:

* BE bans on commands your sending to the server that you never ever will as a legit user

* BE can't catch the really clever hackers (now) due to the open structure of Arma

* Changing config or skins will not cause a ban

* Using the latest beta won't cause a ban

* Using hacked items won't cause a ban

* Being molested by a hacker won't cause a ban

* Hackers getting your GUID doesn't give him your CD-key

* BE MIGHT ban if you have 3rd party hacker software on your machine but not using it

Ok i allmost agree with your Post and it handle still more information as the whole topic. But small things we have to change:

At all, there is a way to change your GUID to whatever you want, its in a experimental stage but its possible, your CD-Key is even not given to BE, BE just get your GUID and also just bann this GUID.

BE also dont bann if u have tools like CheatEngine on your PC, as long u dont use it to change stuff in ARMA, its also possible to "inject" a other player and run code by them, dirty way and just a few guys can handle this.

But at all, i think some guys get banned wrong, i checked a few forums about this topic and i dont found such much persons who crying they get banned.

PS: i dont hack in game, i work as a testing engineer in my company, so iam natural intrested in this stuff.

[xeezy 27]

Some of the "thousands legit players" probably have been hackers, but some were actual legit players. A friend of mine who I know wouldn't hack for sure got banned. He got a response from Battleye pretty quick, saying something that didn't make much sense, like try to stop running all engines and something - can't remember.

Edited August 9, 2012 by xeezy

[random51 172]

I wonder how dumb a person has to be to believe it impossible for BE to come up with a false positive.

I wonder how dumb a person has to be to believe it impossible for a GUID to be mimicked.

We already know how fallible BE is, you'd have to be pretty dumb to believe it could only be fallible in one direction.

Be happy they appear to be trying to step up their game, don't automatically assume that everybody accused is guilty.

[txontirea@gmail.com 7]

No idea if there's any truth to this, as many people have said, they'll only believe it when it happens to them or a close friend, but it's worrying nonetheless. Paying for this game and then being locked out because of another douchebag, and then there is literally no support given? Yeah, not exactly endearing.

[rinsa 24]

When we'll have the official and legit version according to BattlEye or BIS or Rocket, we'll see who's laughing because almost all of these bans are for legit players

[TheWalkingDude (DayZ) 8]

I find it hard to believe everyone here and on other forums complaining about being banned are all scripters. It doesn't make sense - they know to contact BE about fixing it, so why would they care to post on random forums about it if they were hackers - noone knows they got banned so why advertise it. People are clearly annoyed by this and are venting, and I've seen enough reports on forums with people I have played with and are trusted within a small community of DayZ players who are either directly affected or know someone who is to believe there is something to this.

And regardless of whether BE's detection methods mean it is unlikely, it could be as simple as BE running a script of their own to mass ban offending GUIDs and having a bug in the script which is causing something like this.