Grand Theft Auto Online, the online multiplayer component of the famous video game Grand Theft Auto V, has lately been afflicted by security flaws, resulting in a number of users claiming account progress being reversed, as well as being expelled or barred from entering games on PC. According to Tez2, a Rockstar Games-focused account, the vulnerability enables a modder to remove another user’s rank and in-game money, fully reset their account’s progress, or even “corrupt” it to the point where they are essentially barred from online play.
The attack has been defined as “partial remote code execution,” with the possibility for hackers to make additional security-compromising advances. Speyedr, the creator of the custom GTA 5 firewall programme Guardian, says that modders employing the vulnerability are on the edge of remote code execution through GTA Online, which means hackers could remotely launch malware on PCs running the game.
Speyedr’s programme, Guardian, may be able to protect against the exploit, but the creator does not want users, particularly those who may not know how to properly instal it, to take the chance. Speyedr has pulled Guardian’s files from GitHub temporarily and advises gamers to avoid GTA Online until the problem is rectified.
The creator of Grand Theft Auto V, Rockstar Games, is allegedly aware of the problem and attempting to resolve it. The issue is eerily similar to the remote code execution vulnerability that forced Bandai Namco to shut down the Dark Souls series’ multiplayer servers for more than six months. We’ll keep you updated on the GTA Online narrative as it progresses.