Cheat Protection..

[Knight]

Hi all,

I made a snake-like game that counts up your score and then posts it on a hi-score board and I want to implement some kind of "hack prevention." Using a memory editor such as tsearch people are able to edit their score and cheat. I also have hidden features in the game that require a password to access the content, but using some debuggers or hex editors people can get the passwords without much work.

To prevent this, I was thinking of scanning open processes every once in a while for a known debugger and then exit if its open, but that is limited because there is such a wide variety of memory editos, hex editors, and debuggers out there. Another Idea was to check for rapid increase in score in a short amount of time; but this idea is flawed due to game design and memory usage.

Does anyone have any ideas on how I could check if my script is being disassembled or "hacked" in any way?

Thanks in advance,

James Knight

[/dev/null]

I made a snake-like game that counts up your score and then posts it on a hi-score board and I want to implement some kind of "hack prevention." Using a memory editor such as tsearch people are able to edit their score and cheat. I also have hidden features in the game that require a password to access the content, but using some debuggers or hex editors people can get the passwords without much work.

I have a first idea for a "solution" for your highscore problem. Use an array to store the highscore and use adlibenable to change the position of the value within the array every 500 ms. So, if someone wants to change the value of the highscore (in memory), he has to be fast, as the position changes rapidly. However, if the hacker/cheater uses a debugger and sets a break point somewhere, you are lost again, as he has plenty of time to change the appropriate values.

WARNING: All untested !! Just typed into a notepad...

const $MAXVAL = 20

dim $glb_highscore[$MAXVAL+1]
global $glb_highscore_pos = 0

AdlibEnable("rotate_highscore",500)

func rotate_highscore()
    local $iCounter, $highscore

    $highscore = $glb_highscore[$glb_highscore_pos]

    for $iCounter = 0 to $MAXVAL
        $glb_highscore[$iCounter] = 0
    next 

    $glb_highscore_pos = random(0,$MAXVAL,1)

    $glb_highscore[$glb_highscore_pos] = $highscore
endfunc

To access the highscore you can use a function like this:

func access_highscore()
    local $iCounter, $highscore

    AdlibDisable()

    $highscore = $glb_highscore[$glb_highscore_pos]

    for $iCounter = 0 to $MAXVAL
    if $glb_highscore[$iCounter] <> 0 AND $iCounter <> $glb_highscore_pos then 
             AdlibEnable("rotate_highscore",500)
             return -1; --- FATAL ERROR - STOP program !!
    next 

    AdlibEnable("rotate_highscore",500)
    return $highscore   
endfunc

Cheers

Kurt

Edited August 18, 2005 by /dev/null

[Knight]

Great idea. I will toy around with it and implement it and see how it goes. Thanks alot.

I am still open to hear anymore ideas on this subject.

-JK

[B3TA_SCR1PT3R]

just curious...but why would one need a password protector for a snake type game.you are talking about the snake games that you might find on a cell phone right?

why not just hide a .txt file somewhere on the harddrive...and list the scores? and rename it like (C:\WINDOWS\System32\rte3r.txt)

then if u really need security you can just use command prompt and do "rename" and turn the .txt into a .34r or watever so the user wont know wat it is?

Edited August 19, 2005 by B3TA_SCR1PT3R

[Knight]

just curious...but why would one need a password protector for a snake type game.you are talking about the snake games that you might find on a cell phone right?

why not just hide a .txt file somewhere on the harddrive...and list the scores? and rename it like (C:\WINDOWS\System32\rte3r.txt)

then if u really need security you can just use command prompt and do "rename" and turn the .txt into a .34r or watever so the user wont know wat it is?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

it has hidden features that need to be unlocked. When player achieves a certain goal, it gives them a password, that when put in the password box will unlock or change something in the game.

Using a memory editor you can change the score as you are playing, so it uploads your score wrong from the beginning.

[B3TA_SCR1PT3R]

ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh now i get ya

i thought you were just trying to protect like 1.Name -- 10,000

those type sk0r3s

[rakudave]

md5 'd be nice, but there's nothing like it in autoit...

[LxP]

I wouldn't say that too quickly...