Gaming - A Relaxing Pastime Or Major Cyber Security Risk

Playing games is a fun pastime for some, a way of life for other people, and by many considered something niche and maybe even ‘nerdy’. But what if I told you that according to Statista, as many as 30% of adults in The United States played games between the years 2020 to 2022? Not only that, more than 50% were above the age of 18.

To many of these might be fairly surprising statistics, even when Covid-19 and lockdowns are considered, but regardless the fact remains that gaming is no longer a ‘niche’ hobby it would seem.

Okay, but why does this matter? Sure gaming can waste time sometimes but mostly it’s just a harmless relaxing activity right? Well maybe that was true once, but in the current climate cyber security risks and breaches are increasing in both sophistication and frequency at a rapid pace, and it looks like computer games are no exception to this.

Not only are more people working from home compared to pre-covid, they may even be playing games on their work computers.

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Controversy With Anti-Cheat Software

Whilst many gamer’s play to relax, many others like to play for competitive reasons, therefore in-game cheating is a serious problem amongst professional players. That’s where anti-cheat software like Riot’s Vanguard comes in - much to the frustration of their player base.

Whilst not the first event to draw criticism, Riot’s Vanguard anti-cheat software was one of the biggest controversies in gaming that drew cyber security risks to people’s attention. 

To understand why the software caused so many issues, let's explore what Vanguard actually is: Vanguard is Riot’s mandatory anti-cheat software that runs on computers at the kernel level.

For those of you out there who don’t know, Kernel-mode operation refers to a system-level operation where software, particularly device drivers, operates at the core level of an operating system and runs at Windows startup. 

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At this level, the software in question has direct access to the system's hardware and resources. If there are vulnerabilities in the code or design, attackers could exploit them to gain unauthorised access and control over the entire system.

Users have expressed worry about the software's level of access, fearing that it could be exploited or pose a security threat. Critics argue that such deep integration into the system raises privacy and security concerns. However, some have been quick to point out that many other games have already been using this method of anti-cheat for years.

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So How Much Of Vulnerability Is Anti-Cheat Really?

At this stage you may be wondering what all the fuss is about if so many people are already using this software already without issues. Unfortunately, it’s not always ‘without issues’. In 2022 Genshin Impact, a massive online game with approximately 50 million users, experienced an exploit with its kernel-level anti-cheat (mhyprot2.sys). 

“The driver is currently being abused by a ransomware actor to kill antivirus processes and services for mass-deploying ransomware.” Ryan Soliven and Hitomi Kimura, Incident Response Analysts at Trend Micro (source)

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This is especially worrying as it’s not just kids that play Genshin Impact. As of 2023 one source calculated that the average age of players was 28. Furthermore, the game is free to play and accessible on mobile phones. That means employees could potentially play Genshin Impact at work locations, connected to work Wi-Fi, on their breaks. 

To make matters worse League Of Legends (one of Riot’s games protected by kernel level anti-cheat) recently had some of its source code stolen by hackers. Not the most reassuring event considering the level of access Vanguard has.

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The Verdict - Are Games A Risk In The Modern Day?

Unfortunately, yes. The surge in remote work and hybrid arrangements has coincided with a concerning rise in global cyber risks, exacerbated by potential kernel-level vulnerabilities. This is particularly alarming given the prevalence of laptops marketed to cater to both gaming and professional tasks.

Notably, the gaming demographic extends beyond youths, with 30% of U.S. adults engaging in gaming activities between 2020 and 2022, over 50% of whom were above 18. Professionals using the same devices for work and leisure may inadvertently expose themselves to kernel-level vulnerabilities exploitable by threat actors.

While the decision ultimately lies with end users, companies must address the security implications. How can organisations effectively communicate the risks associated with shared work and gaming devices to their workforce? What proactive measures should companies implement to safeguard against evolving cyber threats in this dual-use device landscape?