Hackers targeting players of old Call of Duty Game with malware worm

Hackers are deliberately infecting players of the classic Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 with a malicious worm that spreads automatically in online lobbies. Two independent analyses of the malware have confirmed this alarming development.

According to TechCrunch, the incident first came to public attention on June 26 when a concerned user took to a Steam forum to warn fellow players about the ongoing attacks. The player reported that hackers were using manipulated lobbies to carry out their assaults and urged others to protect themselves by running an antivirus scan. Upon further investigation, the malware in question was found to be available on the notorious malware repository, VirusTotal.

Another vigilant player, who goes by the same forum thread, claimed to have examined the malicious software in detail and identified it as a worm. The revelation was based on the discovery of specific text strings within the malware. To add credibility to these findings, a game industry insider verified the presence of these strings, effectively confirming the presence of a worm.

When approached for comment, a spokesperson for Activision, Neil Wood, referred to an official statement released via the company's Call of Duty updates Twitter account. In the tweet, the company vaguely acknowledged the malware's existence and announced the temporary suspension of multiplayer services for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009) on Steam, citing the need to investigate the reported issue.

Despite the prompt response from Activision, the motive behind the hackers' actions remains shrouded in mystery. The malware being classified as a worm indicates that it can propagate automatically from one infected player to another within online lobbies. This suggests that the hackers may have exploited one or multiple vulnerabilities in the game to deploy malicious code on unsuspecting players' computers.

It's worth noting that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, released by the gaming giant Activision in 2009, still boasts a small yet dedicated online community of players. At the time of reporting, approximately 600 individuals were actively participating in the game, as per a website that tracks online gaming activity.

Despite attempts to reach Valve, the company responsible for the Steam platform, no response has been received regarding the ongoing situation.

While malware distribution through video games is not unheard of, it usually involves trojanized game installers or cheats. In this case, the hackers' method of attack raises significant concerns about the potential exploitation of vulnerabilities within aging online gaming platforms.

Authorities and gamers alike are closely monitoring the situation, urging players to remain vigilant and exercise caution while participating in online lobbies to prevent further spread of the malware. Meanwhile, the gaming community anxiously awaits updates from Activision and Steam regarding the ongoing investigation and measures to safeguard their gaming experiences.