Loks like the new WOW patch installs a system monitor. Check the link below for more details:
http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/archives/004076.php
A snippet:
"According to Greg Hoglund, co-author of "Exploiting Software, How to Break Code," this hidden program opens every process on a gamer's computer, from email programs to privacy managers, and sniffs email addresses, website URLs open at the time of the scan, and the names of all running programs--whether or not those programs, emails, or websites could conceivably have anything to do with hacking..."
Anyone else seen this? Sounds like spyware to me. Talk about making honest people criminals....
Warden on WOW...
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CGMark
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Theres a rather large post over on CG about this. It looks for processes running yes, but only reports when it finds something that matches the list or ideals of a bot program, or hack.
As I said there. I have nothing to hide from them, and if it cuts down on bots, and hackers, then all the better for it.
As I said there. I have nothing to hide from them, and if it cuts down on bots, and hackers, then all the better for it.
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karapcik
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Okay, this will keep down casual cheaters. But I still don't like having my privacy rights trampled on. People bitch about Starforce but no complaints about this?
And, oh yeah , check out this new twist to the "warden" saga:
"Defeat WoW spyware using Sony's rootkit
Blizzard, makers of World of Warcraft, have deployed spyware to catch "cheaters." If you want to avoid the spyware, you can install Sony's rootkit DRM (just load a store-bought CD with Sony's DRM on it) and then use its cloaking capabilities to hide your WoW app:
World of Warcraft hackers have confirmed that the hiding capabilities of Sony BMG's content protection software can make tools made for cheating in the online world impossible to detect. The software--deemed a "rootkit" by many security experts--is shipped with tens of thousands of the record company's music titles.
Blizzard Entertainment, the maker of World of Warcraft, has created a controversial program that detects cheaters by scanning the processes that are running at the time the game is played. Called the Warden, the anti-cheating program cannot detect any files that are hidden with Sony BMG's content protection, which only requires that the hacker add the prefix "$sys$" to file names. "
Again, the hackers win and the rest of us lose our privacy rights....
And, oh yeah , check out this new twist to the "warden" saga:
"Defeat WoW spyware using Sony's rootkit
Blizzard, makers of World of Warcraft, have deployed spyware to catch "cheaters." If you want to avoid the spyware, you can install Sony's rootkit DRM (just load a store-bought CD with Sony's DRM on it) and then use its cloaking capabilities to hide your WoW app:
World of Warcraft hackers have confirmed that the hiding capabilities of Sony BMG's content protection software can make tools made for cheating in the online world impossible to detect. The software--deemed a "rootkit" by many security experts--is shipped with tens of thousands of the record company's music titles.
Blizzard Entertainment, the maker of World of Warcraft, has created a controversial program that detects cheaters by scanning the processes that are running at the time the game is played. Called the Warden, the anti-cheating program cannot detect any files that are hidden with Sony BMG's content protection, which only requires that the hacker add the prefix "$sys$" to file names. "
Again, the hackers win and the rest of us lose our privacy rights....
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Charlatan
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Given what it does, what are you concerned about? It scans running processes, does some sort of checksum, compares that to a list of known hacks, and if the values match, it transmats "I found something bad" back to Blizzard.karapcik wrote:Okay, this will keep down casual cheaters. But I still don't like having my privacy rights trampled on. People bitch about Starforce but no complaints about this?
You worried about Blizzard getting ahold of your credit card numbers? Your email address? The stuff you gave them when you created your account?
I don't get it.
I think it's a great idea, because people who hack and cheat make the game suck for everyone. And of course, if you have strong objections to it, you can vote with your pocketbook and not play the game. Completely your choice. But I don't think what they're doing is unreasonable and I welcome it if it gets rid of the freakin hacks and cheats.
When all is said and done, there's more said than done.
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CGMark
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karapcik
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I guess the point is this - Every corporation rushes to defend their digital rights, but too few are concerned with making sure your rights as a consumer are protected.
Sony, trying to protect their rights with their little root kit trick, has made it now near impossible to catch anyone hacking. Warden be damned. And this just doesn't go for Warden or for WOW - if someone can hide hack programs for a game just think what they now can do with a virus. The Root kit was designed not to be found with a virus checker (Sony worked with a number of of anti-virus companies to develop this thing so it wouldn't be found). Warden will have no hope at finding these things.
Talk about opening Pandora's box...
Sony, trying to protect their rights with their little root kit trick, has made it now near impossible to catch anyone hacking. Warden be damned. And this just doesn't go for Warden or for WOW - if someone can hide hack programs for a game just think what they now can do with a virus. The Root kit was designed not to be found with a virus checker (Sony worked with a number of of anti-virus companies to develop this thing so it wouldn't be found). Warden will have no hope at finding these things.
Talk about opening Pandora's box...
