Cybersecurity: Concerns in Competitive Gaming

The competitive gaming landscape is increasingly targeted by cybercriminals exploiting players’ ambitions for gaining an unfair advantage. While major esports tournaments, such as the CS2 PGL Major in Copenhagen, offer prize pools up to $1.25 million, the inclination to cheat extends beyond professional levels.

Cheating is prevalent in popular games like Fortnite, Apex Legends, and CS2, as well as in non-competitive titles like Minecraft and Roblox. This issue has highlighted the depths to which cheating has infiltrated competitive gaming, as evidenced by notable incidents within the industry.

Subscription Models of Cheat Development

The cheat development industry often operates through a subscription model, where premium cheats are rarely provided for free. Leading cheat providers charge ongoing fees for access to private builds and regular updates, which are designed to bypass game anti-cheat systems. These developers work with resellers who market and distribute cheats, creating a complex underground economy.

Many players who cannot afford premium cheats turn to free alternatives or cracked versions found on suspect forums or platforms like YouTube and GitHub. However, legitimate free cheats are typically lacking in features, slow to update, and quickly detected by anti-cheat systems, resulting in account bans.

Risks of Free Cheat Offerings

Many so-called “free” cheats contain malicious software. Downloads often include infostealers, Discord token grabbers, or Remote Access Trojans (RATs). Even when the cheat functions as expected, malware may operate in the background.

Traffer Teams: Organized Distribution Networks

Cybercriminals exploit platforms like YouTube to advertise free cheats, executors, or cracked versions. These videos guide users to download links that utilize services like Linkvertise, which lead users through advertisements and suspicious downloads before reaching file hosting sites like MediaFire or Meganz.

These operations are managed by “Traffer Teams,” groups that oversee the entire malware distribution process. According to Benjamin Brundage, CEO of Synthient, these teams recruit affiliates who spread malware through platforms such as YouTube and TikTok. Affiliates are compensated with a share of stolen data or direct payments for installations.

Security researcher Eric Parker identified a YouTube channel repeatedly uploading videos promoting free hacks with similar thumbnails, redirecting users to a Google Sites page controlled by a traffer team known as LyTeam. Parker’s analysis of a DLL file from this site revealed it as Lumma Stealer malware, known for capturing browser credentials and cryptocurrency wallets.

Protecting Against Gaming Malware

Awareness is key to protection against gaming malware. Avoid downloading files from untrusted sources. Use antivirus software to scan suspicious files, and consider testing them in virtual environments or through services like VirusTotal before executing them on your main system.

The appeal of free cheats often conceals significant risks, potentially compromising personal information and financial accounts. The cost of a supposed competitive edge may exceed any subscription fee.