World of Warcraft Is Spyware!

By oddcrap
in Back Page News

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Grand Master

oddcrap

Posted
Posted

This software is known as the 'warden client'. It is downloaded on the fly from Blizzard's servers, and it runs about every 15 seconds and is designed to verify compliance with a EULA/TOS. Here is what it does, about every 15 seconds, to about 4.5 million people (500,000 of which are logged on at any given time). The warden dumps all the DLL's using a ToolHelp API call. It reads information from every DLL loaded in the 'world of warcraft' executable process space. No big deal. The warden then uses the GetWindowTextA function to read the window text in the titlebar of every window. These are windows that are not in the WoW process, but any program running on your computer. Now a Big Deal.

I watched the warden sniff down the email addresses of people I was communicating with on MSN, the URL of several websites that I had open at the time, and the names of all my running programs, including those that were minimized or in the toolbar. These strings can easily contain social security numbers or credit card numbers, for example, if I have Microsoft Excel or Quickbooks open w/ my personal finances at the time. From all this info Blizzard decides to ban you ... or not. For example, if you have a window titled 'WoW!Inmate' - regardless of what that window really does, it could result in a ban. If you can't believe it, make a dummy window that does nothing at all and name it this, then start WoW. It certainly will result in warden reporting you as a cheater.

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https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/383859-world-of-warcraft-is-spyware/
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Community Regular

Fuzzbling

Posted
Posted

I don't have a problem with this. It's in place to keep the hackers and not so legitimate people out of the game, and from ruining others gaming experiance. I have nothing to worry about, and you shouldn't either if your following the rules. Blizzard has already stated many times that they are not collecting personal info nor handing it out to anyone. Besides, if I am entering in credit card numbers and my social security number while playing a game over the internet, I should be rethinking my tactics and need some help in internet eddicate.

Grand Master

episode

Posted
Posted

1. This is about 3 months old.

2. Yes it is true.

3. You agree to it when you install the game and agree to the EULA/ToU.

4. It doesn't do anything that Punkbuster and similar anti-cheat programs does not do.

5. It doesn't record anything except for the window titles.

End thread.

Community Regular

Fuzzbling

Posted
Posted
1. This is about 3 months old.

2. Yes it is true.

3. You agree to it when you install the game and agree to the EULA/ToU.

4. It doesn't do anything that Punkbuster and similar anti-cheat programs does not do.

5. It doesn't record anything except for the window titles.

End thread.

586657426[/snapback]

Great point. It's prudent that all players read the EULA/ToU before playing the game, or any other game for that matter.

Grand Master

oddcrap

Posted
  • Author
Posted
1. This is about 3 months old.

2. Yes it is true.

3. You agree to it when you install the game and agree to the EULA/ToU.

4. It doesn't do anything that Punkbuster and similar anti-cheat programs does not do.

5. It doesn't record anything except for the window titles.

End thread.

586657426[/snapback]

1. No it's not, they released 1.8 TODAY. https://www.neowin.net/comments.php?category=gamers&id=30964

2. Well.. obviously?

3. You don't agree to them knowing anything personal about you.

4. I would think twice before saying that.

5. Go read the article completely.

The thread isn't getting closed.

Grand Master

Lexcyn

Posted
Posted

Umm ... this was released in the 1.5 patch, it's NOT new to the 1.8 patch.

And as an added point, when 1.5 came out, this was included in the EULA, so whoever clicked 'accept', you basically are allowing them to do this. (Which is everyone who wants to play the game.)

It's not all bad either. It's not as though Blizzard is sifting through all of this data. They have an automated process for checking hash numbers. If anyone honestly thinks they could store EVERYONE's data who plays this game, you are off your rocker. They simply check & compare hash values to known hacks ... that's all.

This is no worse than Punkbuster.

Grand Master

episode

Posted
Posted
1. No it's not, they released 1.8 TODAY. https://www.neowin.net/comments.php?category=gamers&id=30964

2. Well.. obviously?

3. You don't agree to them knowing anything personal about you.

4. I would think twice before saying that.

5. Go read the article completely.

The thread isn't getting closed.

586657442[/snapback]

1. No, it wasn't in the 1.8 patch. It was in 1.5. The article is wrong.

2. People were asking if it was true. I was confirming.

3. You agree to having your computer scanned. Read it.

4. Punkbuster does the exact same thing.

5. Again the article is wrong.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
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