Posted on February 11, 2023 at 8:38 PM

Warzone 2 streamer shows malicious actor using a DDoS attack to take the server offline

Hacks in the gaming industry have been rampant, with game developers looking for new ways to prevent these attacks that result in some players having an unfair advantage over others. Warzone 2 has not been spared from such attacks, with one streamer showing how a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack hindered his progress in the game.

Warzone 2 player targeted by a DDoS attack

The developers of Warzone 2 have been aggressively working on and improving the Ricochet anti-cheat system within the game. However, malicious coders have not been giving these game developers an easy time, and they have been working on improving malicious applications that allow cheaters to have an unfair advantage within the game.

The use of malicious applications to affect the progress of some gamers while aiding the progress of some was recently brought to the attention of the community. A Warzone 2 streamer uploaded a video where he was being targeted by malicious actors deploying malicious tactics.

The player, a Reddit user u/alexandremix, uploaded the video on the game’s sub-Reddit page. The video was 30 seconds long and showed him flying in a helicopter within the game, trying to reach a certain destination and pick the parts needed for the Nuke of the Champion’s Quest.

However, the incredible progress made by the player was disrupted because just as the chopper was about to land on the roof of a Stronghold, the entire progress within the game was frozen. The streamer appeared to be facing an extreme lag that hindered further progress in the player attaining his mission.

The video caused a massive outcry from the game’s Reddit community because it was evident that a network issue did not cause the lag. A malicious threat actor used third-party software to freeze the server, leading to the lobby being timed out. The Warzone 2 streamer detected the malicious activity, and in the video, he could be heard complaining about someone launching a DDoS attack on the server on purpose.

The streamer was an advanced stage of the game. For a player to participate in the Champion’s Quest, they are required to receive five consecutive wins within Warzone 2, which is no mean feat to achieve. Attaining five wins and later having a malicious actor trigger a fail can devastate a player and his team. In the video, the streamer and his teammates could be heard expressing their disappointment over the entire matter.

Players complain of similar issues

The Reddit post included comments from other players who said they had experienced similar issues. One of those who responded to the video said that they did not understand what was happening within the video. The streamer explained how the hackers conducted the malicious act.

He noted the hackers deploy malicious software that makes the champion squad freeze. The software also over-pings the server, severally leading to the entire lobby freeing. In just a few seconds, the players within the game receive messages informing them that they have been disconnected from the server or lost connection to the host.

The cyberattack seen in this video is similar to the DDoS attacks targeted at individuals or corporations. Such attacks lead to online websites crashing and becoming inaccessible. DDoS attacks can also target government institutions.

Another Reddit user noted that they had experienced a similar lag when they reached the last circle of a normal match. The user said they could not imagine what the streamer was going through, given that he had won five consecutive matches and was battling for the Champion’s Quest. The Reddit user appeared to be a regular player of Warzone 2 as he noted he had faced this issue nearly daily.

This hacking attack appears to have become increasingly popular over the past two weeks. Players complained that the lags triggered by malicious actors made the game unplayable. One of the commenters also noted that they had seen the software used to conduct such attacks being sold.

The other form of malicious software that threat actors are using is known as lag-switch. This software does not cause a time-out for the entire lobby. However, it can lead to one player on the receiving end getting around 100 to 150 ms ping, making the game unplayable.

These types of hacking attacks have become rampant within Warzone 2. The players are optimistic that a Season 2 update will solve most of the issues.