Re: Mumbling about MP security
 

Oh, it's quite possible to make a computer program without any security flaws - the tricky thing is <i>knowing</i> that there aren't any security flaws in it. :-p

Re: Mumbling about MP security
 

The methods of cheating discussed in this forum (with the exception of Taqwus) seem to focus on alteration of *data* files of the game in question, in two forms:

1. The machine on which the game was hosted was compromised and the fatherland file was edited to change game state. Than the modified, but structurally valid fatherland file was used the hosting Dominions 2 system generate the next turn

2. Either trn or 2h files were modified such that an illegal (but structurally valid) 2h file was returned to the server, which failed to detect the inconsistency in the game state.

Both of these methods assume that the hosting installation of Dominions was operating correctly on the input it was given (although it may be insufficiently paranoid).

If 1) is the true scenario than this clearly need not be the case, the attack would have had access to the executable, configuration information, and runtime state during hosting.

Even if the attacker does not have root access on the hosting server, there is the possibility of a remote exploit in Dominions, either through structurally invalid 2H files or attacks through the network connection.
In short, it may be that the server was coerced to generate invalid turn files, rather than failing to detect subtle modification of an otherwise valid input.

I won’t speculate further as to how this could be carried out.

Of course, the devs may have reason to rule these sorts of attacks out.

Re: Mumbling about MP security
 

OMG! I have figured it out! Stormbinder and Norfleet are the same person! You all fell for it suckers!!!!

Re: Mumbling about MP security
 

Is this thread about baseball?

Re: Mumbling about MP security
 

No this thread got started after a particularly ugly thread about cheating by a very prominent member of the forum got locked. The title is a sentence commonly used in the USA as a way to change the subject when the current subject is uncomfortable or for some reason taboo.

Re: So how \'bout those Mets?
 

Having just read this thread (after a few weeks off the forum), I must say I'm very surprised that, apparently, .2h (orders) files are not what (I believe it was Taqwus) suggested, ie, purely a list of orders to be compiled by the server, so they can be checked for consistency. If anything is trusted on the client and the .trn file (like gem/gold/whatever management), then this means someone can "hack" the easily accessed file (.trn files for his own nation) and cheat, with some trial and error (encrypting the .trn files would somewhat hamper this, though not prevent it).

Basic security - heck, I'd call it common sense, and always feel stupid for pointing this to my students - says, don't trust the client. The .trn files should not contain any information not available to the player "by the rules", either. Then, if it takes attacking the server to cheat, of course there are some people out there that will be able to do that, but (1) there will be fewer of them, (2) a security-conscious host will be able to at least add protection to his server, and (3) people with these kind of attack skills will probably have something better to do than cheat in some obscure TBS game http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif