World of Warcraft Is Spyware!

By oddcrap
in Back Page News

 Share

Recommended Posts

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.

Rootkit Blog

Link to comment
https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/383859-world-of-warcraft-is-spyware/
Share on other sites
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.
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

  • Posts

    • TerraMaster F2-425 Pro review: a low-powered Intel NAS that ships with AI (OpenClaw)

      By Steven P. · Posted

      I agree, especially if it is cloud sourced, like this one is.. but I wouldn't say no to a local AI assistant similar to the Zettlab one which would be really helpful with my large Photos library, but also to perform tasks like installing Docker apps rather than me having to do it via Docker Compose, but I don't think we're quite there yet. Synology Photos is somewhat AI, you can ask it to search for certain people (if you have tagged them and it will attempt to match similar photos to the person) and if you put a search term in for "cars" for example, it will show you all photos with a car.
    • Google Pixel 11 series: Here's what to expect

      By macoman · Posted

      I doubt that Google will keep the same price... it may go up from that list published.
    • Sennheiser's audiophile grade HD 600 hits lowest ever price on Amazon Prime Day 2026

      By hellowalkman · Posted

      Sennheiser's audiophile grade HD 600 hits lowest ever price on Amazon Prime Day 2026 by Sayan Sen If you are in the market for high-quality audiophile-grade over-ear headphones then Sennheiser's HD 600 are a great choice for sure, especially today on Prime Day 2026 as the product has hit its lowest ever price (purchase link under the specs table down below). The Sennheiser HD 600 has long been regarded as a reference headphone for listeners seeking a detailed and natural listening experience. It is an open-back design that is built around the idea of acoustic transparency which is essentially said to allow sound waves to move freely for a more spacious and accurate presentation by reducing turbulence and the type of distortion that can result from it. At the heart of the product is Sennheiser’s proprietary driver system featuring a 42 mm driver paired with a lightweight diaphragm and aluminum voice coils. The company says this design helps deliver fast response times and better articulate sound across the audible frequency range. Comfort and durability are also key aspects of the HD 600 as the headphones feature soft velour ear pads designed for extended listening sessions. The HD 600 comes with a detachable 3-meter cable, a 6.3 mm stereo connector, and a 3.5 mm adapter for compatibility with a wide range of audio equipment. The technical specs of the Sennheiser HD 600 are given in the table below: Specification Value Transducer Principle Dynamic, Open-Back Ear Coupling Circumaural (Over-Ear) Frequency Response 12 Hz – 40,500 Hz Sound Pressure Level (SPL) 97 dB (1 V) Impedance 300 Ω Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) < 0.1% (1 kHz, 1 V) Cable Length 3 m (9.8 ft) Connector 3.5 mm Stereo Jack Plug Included Adapter 6.3 mm (1/4") Stereo Jack Adapter Weight 260 g Magnetic Field Strength 1.8 mT Driver Size 42 mm Dynamic Driver Diaphragm Size 38 mm Get it at the link below: Sennheiser HD 600: $237.00 (Sold by Electronics Expo, Shipped by Amazon US) (Was: $449.95) Good to know This Amazon deal is U.S. specific, and not available in other regions unless specified. We only use first-party seller links (at the time of article publishing); ensure that you purchase from a first-party seller link only. Check out Today's Deals on Amazon | or our recent tech deals. Become a Prime member (for Students or SNAP) via Neowin Get Prime Access - Prime for half price (for qualifying Medicaid, EBT, SNAP) Subscribe to Prime Video, Audible Plus, Music Unlimited or Kindle Unlimited via Neowin As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases
    • The Microsoft Office feature that time forgot

      By cleverclogs · Posted

      woah
    • Creative Sound Blaster AE-X PCIe review: your headphones will love it

      By cleverclogs · Posted

      So the card is targeted at headphone users - so the review should be from someone that uses this - maybe I can review a card next time.

  • Recent Achievements

    • One Month Later
      timbobit earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • One Month Later
      nates earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Week One Done
      Almohandis earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Rookie
      dorf went up a rank
      Rookie
    • First Post
      mike_rumble earned a badge
      First Post

  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      476
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      170
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      104
    4. 4
      Michael Scrip
      88
    5. 5
      Steven P.
      70
    Show More

  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!