Kernel level Anti-Cheat has access to all the hardware and software on the computer. So if the Anti-Cheat is ever compromised through a vulnerability, then those hackers would have complete control over your system.
PSA: There is currently an RCE exploit being abused in @PlayApex. It is unsure whether it comes from the game or the actual anti-cheat (@TeddyEAC). I would advise against playing any games protected by EAC or any EA titles once they have fixed this or can comment.
Currently, the RCE is being abused to inject cheats into streamers machines, which means they have the capabilities to do whatever, like installing ransomware software locking up your entire PC.
Nearly every major anti cheat implementation is ring-0 access. If you have any game with EasyAntiCheat or BattlEye installed, you’ve also got one. This is of course not to say they aren’t a worrying thing, but they aren’t abnormal and HD2 certainly isn’t the only one to use it.
8 million people with a kernel level rootkit on their machines. WCGW?
I’m out of the loop about that. What is wrong with the game?
Kernel level Anti-Cheat has access to all the hardware and software on the computer. So if the Anti-Cheat is ever compromised through a vulnerability, then those hackers would have complete control over your system.
Source: https://twitter.com/AntiCheatPD/status/1769532511057584576
Nearly every major anti cheat implementation is ring-0 access. If you have any game with EasyAntiCheat or BattlEye installed, you’ve also got one. This is of course not to say they aren’t a worrying thing, but they aren’t abnormal and HD2 certainly isn’t the only one to use it.
Games with EAC:
• 7 Days to Die
• Absolver
• Albion Online
• Apex Legends
• Audition
• Audition Next Level
• Battlefield 2042
• Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2
• Beyond the Wire
• Black Clover: Quartet Knights
• Black Desert Online
• Blankos: Block Party
• Blazing Sails
• Bleeding Edge
• Block N Load
• Cabal Online
• Captain Tsubasa
• CardLife
• Chivalry 2
• Crossout
• CRSED: F.O.A.D.
• Darkfall: Rise of Agon
• Darwin Project
• Dauntless
• Dead by Daylight
• Deadside
• Dirty Bomb
• Dragon Ball FighterZ
• Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2
• Dreadnought
• Due Process
• Dying Light: Bad Blood
• Empyrion
• Enlisted
• Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout
• Fear the Wolves
• For Honor
• Fortnite Battle Royale
• Friday the 13th
• Gears 5
• H-Hour: World Elite
• Halo: The Master Chief Collection
• Heat
• Hell Let Loose
• Hood: Outlaws & Legends
• Hunt: Showdown
• Hurtworld
• Intruder
• iRacing
• Ironsight
• Jump Force
• Last Oasis
• Lost Ark
• M.A.R.S.
• Memories of Mars
• Miscreated
• Monstrum 2
• Naruto To Boruto: Shinobi Striker
• New GUNDAM Breaker
• New World
• One Punch Man
• Overstep
• Paladins
• Pandemic Express
• Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville
• Post Scriptum
• Predator: Hunting Grounds
• Quantum League
• Ragnarok
• Realm Royale
• Rec Room
• Reign of Kings
• RF Online
• Rising Storm 2: Vietnam
• Robocraft
• Rocket Arena
• Rogue Company
• Rust
• SCUM
• Sector’s Edge
• Smite
• Space Junkies
• Squad
• Star Wars: Squadrons
• Super Dragon Ball Heroes: World Mission
• Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris
• Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet
• Tales Runner
• Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands
• Tom Clancy’s The Division 2
• Trials Rising
• War Rock
• War Thunder
• Warhammer 40,000: Eternal Crusade
• Warhammer: Vermintide 2
• Watch Dogs 2
• Will To Live Online
• Wolf Team
• WolfTeam Turkey
• Worms Rumble
• XERA: Survival
• Yulgang TH
Should add Destiny 2 to that list.
Ya, that’s indeed a list of games to avoid if you care about security.