There’s a lot of work that goes into Valve’s Anti-Cheat System, otherwise known as VAC, and for good reason – take CS:GO (Counter-Strike: Global Offensive) for example.
VAC, as the name describes, is Valve’s attempt at reducing hackers and cheaters within the online space.
It works by detecting the signatures associated with a variety of cheats, hacks as well as any unwarranted modifications to a game’s executable files or dynamic libraries, banning players found to be in use of them.
Like any signature detection system, however, it’s open to zero day exploits – that is, hacks that haven’t been reported or discovered.
That’s why there are still so many cheaters present in the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive community, and why a few of its players have resorted to a method of vigilantism.
In fact, a redditer by the name of AndroidL recently got more than 3,000 hackers VAC banned by distributing a few hacks created in such a way that they would be detected by VAC.
“Over the course of two weeks I’ve released three different fake “multihacks”. Essentially they edit your view angles to those that should be impossible to get and constantly gives infinite ammo/health. The hacks also do a few other things that ensure a VAC ban would be received.”
In total, AndroidL reports that his hacks had been downloaded more than 5,500+ times, many of which were linked to a large spike in VAC bans.
Best of all, AdroidL screenshot a lot of those banned, many of whom had hilarious replies:
We have very little sympathy for those banned legitimately. If you’re willing to cheat, then you need to accept the possible consequences.
So, we’re sorry whomever you are, but no one owes you $10.
Cheating and hacking is more than a lazy cop-out, it absolutely wrecks a game’s community. Good riddance.
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This is why I can’t really play PC games online… this happened on CS too. It just ruined my experience. Now I just play MMO’s….I could careless about Gold Farmers and people who farm bots. Sooner or later, they’ll get banned too…but it’s a different experience if they hacked PVP or Raiding.