Activision has warned users that they may be the target of a cyber attack if they downloaded a particular Warzone cheat. The malware, disguised as a cheat, can be used to sabotage and take control of the user’s computer.
The Cheat Is Actually a Dropper
Upon discovering the harmful tool, Activision published a detailed report (PDF) about how the cheat was used to install malware.
Essentially, the cheat in question contained a dropper, a tool used to install other malware. Activision said that “Cod Dropper v0.1, can be customized to install other, more destructive, malware onto the targets’ machines.”
The malware is called a remote-access trojan (RAT) and it allows the perpetrator to take control of the target’s PC.
Activision’s report explains how the tool actually works.
The dropper, a .NET program, downloads and runs an “arbitrary executable.” To do so, it needs administrator privileges that unsuspecting users are willing to provide.
Unscrupulous criminals taking advantage of unscrupulous gamers? You reap what you sow cheaters! #Warzone https://t.co/OmfbYgaKxF
— Gen_Hammer (@Gen_Hammer) March 31, 2021
Furthermore, the whole attack works on the premise that users are voluntarily going to turn down their security measures. This is because video game cheats require programs such as antivirus and firewall to be disabled in order to work properly.
So, when a seemingly legit Warzone cheat asks users to do the same, no one suspects a thing.
The Warzone Cheat Was Extensively Advertised
Activision’s report also touches upon how the cheat in question was advertised across forums and YouTube.
The Call of Duty: Warzone cheat was first spotted on a “popular cheating site” and presented itself as a “new cod hack.” The website is monitored for fake cheats and subsequently, the post was removed a day later.
This did not stop the culprits as a video popped up on YouTube, explaining how the cheat works and instructions on how to install it. Naturally, the tutorial asked users to disable the antivirus as “avs can delete plugins from the cheat.”
From the video’s comment sections, it could be made out that users had actually downloaded the cheat.
On March 1, 2021, Activision’s team once again spotted the earlier removed post on the same forum.
Did Cheaters Get What They Deserve?
Call of Duty: Warzone is notorious for having a huge number of cheaters. They do ruin the game experience for everyone on the server.
But let’s not forget that the malware could have and maybe already has caused some tangible loss to people. The dropper can install malware that steals sensitive data such as credit card info and passwords.
Hopefully, Activision’s report will encourage users to learn more about cybersecurity and deter gamers from using these cheats altogether.