Hackers have launched an alarming attack on players of the classic game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, infecting them with a self-spreading malware. Two separate analyses of the malicious software have brought this concerning development to light.
On June 26, a user raised the alarm on a Steam forum, warning other Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 players about hackers utilizing compromised lobbies and recommended running an antivirus.
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Further investigation revealed that the malware in question is present in the online repository VirusTotal. Another gamer, claiming to have analyzed the malware, noted its worm-like behavior based on various text strings found within the code.
A game industry insider, preferring to remain anonymous, agreed this assessment by confirming the presence of worm indicators in the malware.
When questioned about the situation, Activision spokesperson Neil Wood referred to an official tweet from the company’s Call of Duty updates Twitter account, vaguely acknowledging the malware issue.
In the last 24 hours, new detections directly targeting cheat developers at the source has led to over 14,000 account bans for cheating and hacking in Modern Warfare II and Warzone.
— Call of Duty Updates (@CODUpdates) July 28, 2023
The motive behind the hackers’ spread of this malware remains unclear. The malware’s worm nature allows it to automatically go through online lobbies, infecting one player after another.
This suggests that the hackers may have exploited one or multiple vulnerabilities in the game to execute their malicious code on other players’ computers.
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According to a website tracking online player counts, there were approximately 600 individuals playing the game at the time of writing. Despite efforts to reach out for comment, Valve, the company behind the Steam platform, has not responded to the situation.
While malware distribution via video games is not unheard of, it typically involves trojanized game installers or cheats. This new attack presents a concerning escalation with its worm-like capabilities, posing a serious threat to the gaming community.
