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How anti-cheats catch cheaters using memory heuristics

vmcall.blog

41–50 of 148 posts

Re: How anti-cheats catch cheaters using memory heuristics

#42

So those games put infrastructure in place for the server to execute arbitrary code on my machine? No, thanks.

You bought a game from them... you are already letting them run arbitrary code on your machine.

The original game code, as well as automatically installed updates can be vetted and compared to other installations. Any malware injected into either of them risks being exposed over time.

This allows the server to execute arbitrary, ephemeral code fragments on any client at any time, with no trace. If the server is ever compromised, so are all clients, instantly.

This is absolutely insane from a security POV. Just because I gave you a program once that you're using doesn't mean that you want to give me an SSH login to your machine.

Re: How anti-cheats catch cheaters using memory heuristics

#43

So those games put infrastructure in place for the server to execute arbitrary code on my machine? No, thanks.

Well sure, but the whole game itself is already executing whatever arbitrary code it wants.

The game is on disk, doesn't execute until I choose to, and only executes the code that is there, on disk, for me to see. Unless it has a front door like this built in, of course.

Re: How anti-cheats catch cheaters using memory heuristics

#44

Serious question for you gamers out there: Why would a person go to such great lengths to cheat at a video game? Is there a monetary incentive? Otherwise, it seems like a lot of effort just to increase one's standing on a leader board.

>is there monetary incentive?

esports? not sure how common it is these days to have someone cheating in a competition but I can tell you it happened quite a lot of times in the past, especially with FPS games.

Re: How anti-cheats catch cheaters using memory heuristics

#45

So those games put infrastructure in place for the server to execute arbitrary code on my machine? No, thanks.

The vast majority of gamers are running Windows, if you're running Windows you don't even own your OS. I think a game running some code on your machine is pretty low on the list of things you should worry about.

Re: How anti-cheats catch cheaters using memory heuristics

#46
Speaking in terms of fps games I believe it to be very easy for any human to detect aimbots when reviewing gameplay footage. Wallhacks are a bit trickier to detect, and probably requires longer reviews, but I'd estimate that above average players could quite accurately detect this hack as well. This leads me to believe this should be quite a good fit for machine learning, no? It just seems like a problem that lives in that space of "It's hard to define but I sure can tell when I see it" - which ML seems to excel in?

Re: How anti-cheats catch cheaters using memory heuristics

#47

Serious question for you gamers out there: Why would a person go to such great lengths to cheat at a video game? Is there a monetary incentive? Otherwise, it seems like a lot of effort just to increase one's standing on a leader board.

I'm speaking from the point of view of an offline gamer (I never play online). Some games make you take repetitive actions in order to advance in the game (perhaps to lengthen the life of the game, otherwise you'd finish it too soon). An example of this is repeating the same races over and over in order to win more cash so you can advance. This gets boring pretty quickly, so I cheat by adding me more cash without having to race the same event infinitely many times. Online play could have more incentives (prizes) for people higher on the leaderboard.

Re: How anti-cheats catch cheaters using memory heuristics

#48
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Playing by the rules favors those who the rules were set up to benefit. Are you poor, "ugly", unlucky, "stupid", uncoordinated? Cheating is your chance to win when our "just" society tells you you must lose. The transgression itself feels right and good.

No one forces, or even pressures, anyone to play multiplayer video games.

The more you say it's wrong, the more right it feels.

Re: How anti-cheats catch cheaters using memory heuristics

#49

Speaking in terms of fps games I believe it to be very easy for any human to detect aimbots when reviewing gameplay footage. Wallhacks are a bit trickier to detect, and probably requires longer reviews, but I'd estimate that above average players could quite accurately detect this hack as well. This leads me to believe this should be quite a good fit for machine learning, no? It just seems like a problem that lives i…

By that logic you could also use AI to create an undetectable aimbot that mimics a very good human player.

Re: How anti-cheats catch cheaters using memory heuristics

#50
post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No one forces, or even pressures, anyone to play multiplayer video games.

The more you say it's wrong, the more right it feels.

It’s petty justification for violation of the golden rule. Nothing deeper.
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