PunkBuster
Encyclopedia
PunkBuster is a computer program
that is designed to detect software used for cheating in online games
. It does this by scanning the memory contents of the local machine. A computer identified as using cheats may be banned from connecting to protected servers. The aim of the program is to isolate cheaters and prevent them from disrupting legitimate games. PunkBuster is developed and published by Even Balance
, Inc.
to develop PunkBuster after his experience with cheaters on Team Fortress Classic
.
The first beta of PunkBuster was announced on September 21, 2000 for Half-Life. Valve Software
was at the time fighting a hard battle against cheating, which had been going on since the release of the game. The first game in which PunkBuster was integrated was id Software
's Return to Castle Wolfenstein
.
or Bioshock 2
) do not have a 64-bit version of PunkBuster. For this reason, 64 bit clients will not be able to play in PunkBuster enabled servers, unless they run the 32-bit client of the game.
PunkBuster does not allow Windows users without administrative accounts to connect to any games. Upon connecting to a game, the user will be immediately kicked for having insufficient OS privileges. Starting with PB client v1.700, a Windows service
with full administrative rights is used in complement with the ingame PunkBuster client, allowing updates without user rights elevation. However, some games might still require administrative rights before PunkBuster will function correctly.
Valve
's Steam overlay may cause PunkBuster enabled servers to kick the user, forcing the user to disable the service before starting the game. Even Balance refuses to fix the issue citing updates made to the overlay as the problem. According to a Valve employee, Valve has tried to reach out to Even Balance in the past to try to remedy the issue, but to no avail.
It is not possible to use Punkbuster-enabled Windows games under Wine
. Wine developers have stated that it would be necessary to hack in the system for Punkbuster to work properly. Even Balance refuses to provide a solution to the problem, stating that they will not alter their codebase to support Wine or Cedega or any other compatibility layer
.
(generated from the CD key
) or parts of the computer hardware are banned from PunkBuster enabled servers. Most cheats simply will get a detection, but cheats that interfere with PunkBuster's software could get a global GUID ban. This will disallow access to PunkBuster enabled servers for that particular game. However, GUID bans can be easily bypassed by obtaining a different GUID. Cheats which are even more interfering could end up getting the user banned from all PunkBuster enabled games by a hardware ban.
As of June 30, 2004, Even Balance
has incorporated the usage of unique hardware identifiers to permanently ban players from all PunkBuster enabled servers who raise a violation that corresponds to hacking or interfering with PunkBuster's normal operation and therefore violating the EULA.
Even Balance uses multiple private one-way hashes so that no serial number information for individual computers can be determined by admins or anyone else who may try to obtain this information from a hardware GUID.
PunkBuster only gives a hardware ban if memory scans show that a cheat that is known to circumvent or disrupt PunkBuster's normal operation or its facilities is activated.
As with previous PunkBuster GUID global bans, the new hardware GUID bans are permanent and will not be lifted. Even Balance
has not disclosed which hardware parts are used to ban players, but trial and error has shown that the hardware GUID is based on the serial numbers of all available hard drives but not the MAC address
es.
According to their EULA, Even Balance has the final say in matters of banning.
approach. On March 23, 2008, hackers published and implemented a proof of concept
exploit of PunkBuster's indiscriminate memory scanning. Because PunkBuster scans all of a machine's virtual memory, malicious users were able to cause mass false positives by transmitting text fragments from known cheat programs onto a high population IRC channel. When PunkBuster detected the text within user's IRC client text buffers, the users were banned. On March 25, 2008, Even Balance confirmed the existence of this exploit, and advised users not to run any other programs at the same time as PunkBuster protected games.
strikethrough.
"Licensee understands and agrees that the information that may be inspected and reported by PunkBuster software includes, but is not limited to, Licensee's Internet Protocol Address, devices and any files residing on the hard-drive and in the memory of the computer on which PunkBuster software is installed." "Further, Licensee consents to allow PunkBuster software to transfer actual screenshots taken of Licensee's computer during the operation of PunkBuster software for possible publication." "Licensee agrees that any harm or lack of privacy resulting from the installation and use of PunkBuster software is not as valuable to Licensee as the potential ability to play interactive online games with the benefits afforded by using PunkBuster software."
Computer program
A computer program is a sequence of instructions written to perform a specified task with a computer. A computer requires programs to function, typically executing the program's instructions in a central processor. The program has an executable form that the computer can use directly to execute...
that is designed to detect software used for cheating in online games
Cheating in online games
Cheating in online games is an activity that modifies the game experience to give one player an advantage over others. Depending on the game, different activities constitute cheating and it is either a matter of game policy or consensus opinion as to whether a particular activity is considered to...
. It does this by scanning the memory contents of the local machine. A computer identified as using cheats may be banned from connecting to protected servers. The aim of the program is to isolate cheaters and prevent them from disrupting legitimate games. PunkBuster is developed and published by Even Balance
Even Balance
Even Balance, Inc. is a software producer based in Austin, Texas, United States.The company is widely known from the anti-cheat program PunkBuster....
, Inc.
History
Tony Ray founded Even BalanceEven Balance
Even Balance, Inc. is a software producer based in Austin, Texas, United States.The company is widely known from the anti-cheat program PunkBuster....
to develop PunkBuster after his experience with cheaters on Team Fortress Classic
Team Fortress Classic
Team Fortress Classic, also known as Team Fortress 1.5 or simply TFC, is a team-based multiplayer first-person shooter video game developed by Valve Corporation. It is a remake of the Team Fortress modification for Quake. Team Fortress Classic was originally released for Windows on April 7, 1999 as...
.
The first beta of PunkBuster was announced on September 21, 2000 for Half-Life. Valve Software
Valve Corporation
Valve Corporation is an American video game development and digital distribution company based in Bellevue, Washington, United States...
was at the time fighting a hard battle against cheating, which had been going on since the release of the game. The first game in which PunkBuster was integrated was id Software
Id Software
Id Software is an American video game development company with its headquarters in Richardson, Texas. The company was founded in 1991 by four members of the computer company Softdisk: programmers John Carmack and John Romero, game designer Tom Hall, and artist Adrian Carmack...
's Return to Castle Wolfenstein
Return to Castle Wolfenstein
Return to Castle Wolfenstein is a first person shooter video game published by Activision and originally released on November 19, 2001 for Microsoft Windows. It was made available on Steam on August 3, 2007. The single player game was developed by Gray Matter Interactive and Nerve Software...
.
Published features
- Real-time scanning of memory, a feature also prominent in many spyware programs, by placing a PunkBuster Client on players' computers searching for known hacks/cheats using a built-in databaseDatabaseA database is an organized collection of data for one or more purposes, usually in digital form. The data are typically organized to model relevant aspects of reality , in a way that supports processes requiring this information...
. - Throttled two-tiered background auto-update system using multiple Internet Master Servers to provide end-user security ensuring that no false or corrupted updates can be installed on players' computers.
- Frequent status reports (encrypted) are sent to the PunkBuster Server by all players. When necessary, the PunkBuster Server raises a violation which (depending upon settings) will cause the offending player to be removed from the game and all other players to be informed of the violation.
- PunkBuster Admins can also manually remove players from the game for a specified number of minutes or permanently ban if desired.
- PunkBuster Servers can optionally be configured to randomly check player settings looking for known exploitsExploit (online gaming)An exploit, in video games, is the use of a bug or design flaw by a player to their advantage in a manner not intended by the game's designers. It is often colloquially abbreviated sploit. Exploits have been classified as a form of cheating; however, the precise determination of what is or is not...
of the game engine. - PunkBuster Servers can be configured to instruct clients to calculate partial MD5MD5The MD5 Message-Digest Algorithm is a widely used cryptographic hash function that produces a 128-bit hash value. Specified in RFC 1321, MD5 has been employed in a wide variety of security applications, and is also commonly used to check data integrity...
hashesCryptographic hash functionA cryptographic hash function is a deterministic procedure that takes an arbitrary block of data and returns a fixed-size bit string, the hash value, such that an accidental or intentional change to the data will change the hash value...
of files inside the game installation directory. The results are compared against a set configuration and differences logged, and optionally, the client removed from the server. - PunkBuster Admins can request actual screenshot samples from specific players and/or can configure the PB Server to randomly grab screenshot samples from players during gameplay. However, it is possible for a game hack to block screenshots (producing a black screenshot) or remove all visual features of a hack (cleaning the screenshot) to remain undetected, leaving the effectiveness of this feature diminished.
- An optional "bad name" facility is provided so that PunkBuster Admins can prevent players from using offensive player names containing unwanted profanityProfanityProfanity is a show of disrespect, or a desecration or debasement of someone or something. Profanity can take the form of words, expressions, gestures, or other social behaviors that are socially constructed or interpreted as insulting, rude, vulgar, obscene, desecrating, or other forms.The...
or racial slurs. - Search functions are provided for PunkBuster Admins who wish to search player's keybindings and scripts for anything that may be known to exploit the game.
- The PunkBuster Player Power facility can be configured to allow players to self-administer game servers when the Server Administrator is not present entirely without the need for passwords, in which the players can call votes to have a player removed from the server for a certain amount of time.
- PunkBuster Servers have an optional built-in mini HTTPHypertext Transfer ProtocolThe Hypertext Transfer Protocol is a networking protocol for distributed, collaborative, hypermedia information systems. HTTP is the foundation of data communication for the World Wide Web....
web serverWeb serverWeb server can refer to either the hardware or the software that helps to deliver content that can be accessed through the Internet....
interface that allows the game server to be remotely administered via a web browserWeb browserA web browser is a software application for retrieving, presenting, and traversing information resources on the World Wide Web. An information resource is identified by a Uniform Resource Identifier and may be a web page, image, video, or other piece of content...
from anywhere over the Internet. - PunkBuster Admins can stream their server logs in real time to another location. Non-profit organizations like Anti-Cheat Inc, Airdale Ops Network, GGC Stream, PunksBusted, PBBans and AASA are examples of groups that use this feature to create shared banlists for their members.
- PunkBuster has initiated Punkbuster Hardware Bans, that bans hardware components upon detection of cheats that disrupt or circumvent PunkBuster's normal operation. These bans mean permanently banning players whose HD id matches the blacklist at Evenbalance. The cheater will have to buy new hardware to be able to play again.
Incompatibilities
Some games (like CrysisCrysis
Crysis is a science fiction first-person shooter video game developed by Crytek , published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows, and released in November 2007. It is the first game of a trilogy. A separate game entitled Crysis Warhead was released on September 12, 2008, and follows similar...
or Bioshock 2
BioShock 2
BioShock 2 is a first-person shooter video game developed by 2K Marin for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The sequel to the 2007 video game BioShock, it was released worldwide on February 9, 2010....
) do not have a 64-bit version of PunkBuster. For this reason, 64 bit clients will not be able to play in PunkBuster enabled servers, unless they run the 32-bit client of the game.
PunkBuster does not allow Windows users without administrative accounts to connect to any games. Upon connecting to a game, the user will be immediately kicked for having insufficient OS privileges. Starting with PB client v1.700, a Windows service
Windows Service
On Microsoft Windows operating systems, a Windows service is a long-running executable that performs specific functions and which is designed not to require user intervention. Windows services can be configured to start when the operating system is booted and run in the background as long as...
with full administrative rights is used in complement with the ingame PunkBuster client, allowing updates without user rights elevation. However, some games might still require administrative rights before PunkBuster will function correctly.
Valve
Valve Corporation
Valve Corporation is an American video game development and digital distribution company based in Bellevue, Washington, United States...
's Steam overlay may cause PunkBuster enabled servers to kick the user, forcing the user to disable the service before starting the game. Even Balance refuses to fix the issue citing updates made to the overlay as the problem. According to a Valve employee, Valve has tried to reach out to Even Balance in the past to try to remedy the issue, but to no avail.
It is not possible to use Punkbuster-enabled Windows games under Wine
Wine (software)
Wine is a free software application that aims to allow computer programs written for Microsoft Windows to run on Unix-like operating systems. Wine also provides a software library, known as Winelib, against which developers can compile Windows applications to help port them to Unix-like...
. Wine developers have stated that it would be necessary to hack in the system for Punkbuster to work properly. Even Balance refuses to provide a solution to the problem, stating that they will not alter their codebase to support Wine or Cedega or any other compatibility layer
Compatibility layer
A compatibility layer is a term that refers to components that allow for non-native support of components.In software engineering, a compatibility layer allows binaries for a legacy or foreign system to run on a host system. This translates system calls for the foreign system into native system...
.
Global GUID bans and Hardware bans
PunkBuster incorporates a system called global banning. Either the GUIDGlobally Unique Identifier
A globally unique identifier is a unique reference number used as an identifier in computer software. The term GUID also is used for Microsoft's implementation of the Universally unique identifier standard....
(generated from the CD key
CD key
A product key, also known as a Software key, is a specific software-based key for a computer program. It certifies that the copy of the program is original. Activation is sometimes done offline by entering the key, or with software like Windows XP online activation is required to prevent multiple...
) or parts of the computer hardware are banned from PunkBuster enabled servers. Most cheats simply will get a detection, but cheats that interfere with PunkBuster's software could get a global GUID ban. This will disallow access to PunkBuster enabled servers for that particular game. However, GUID bans can be easily bypassed by obtaining a different GUID. Cheats which are even more interfering could end up getting the user banned from all PunkBuster enabled games by a hardware ban.
As of June 30, 2004, Even Balance
Even Balance
Even Balance, Inc. is a software producer based in Austin, Texas, United States.The company is widely known from the anti-cheat program PunkBuster....
has incorporated the usage of unique hardware identifiers to permanently ban players from all PunkBuster enabled servers who raise a violation that corresponds to hacking or interfering with PunkBuster's normal operation and therefore violating the EULA.
Even Balance uses multiple private one-way hashes so that no serial number information for individual computers can be determined by admins or anyone else who may try to obtain this information from a hardware GUID.
PunkBuster only gives a hardware ban if memory scans show that a cheat that is known to circumvent or disrupt PunkBuster's normal operation or its facilities is activated.
As with previous PunkBuster GUID global bans, the new hardware GUID bans are permanent and will not be lifted. Even Balance
Even Balance
Even Balance, Inc. is a software producer based in Austin, Texas, United States.The company is widely known from the anti-cheat program PunkBuster....
has not disclosed which hardware parts are used to ban players, but trial and error has shown that the hardware GUID is based on the serial numbers of all available hard drives but not the MAC address
MAC address
A Media Access Control address is a unique identifier assigned to network interfaces for communications on the physical network segment. MAC addresses are used for numerous network technologies and most IEEE 802 network technologies, including Ethernet...
es.
According to their EULA, Even Balance has the final say in matters of banning.
Attacks on PunkBuster
PunkBuster usually searches for known cheat program signatures as opposed to relying on a more heuristicHeuristic
Heuristic refers to experience-based techniques for problem solving, learning, and discovery. Heuristic methods are used to speed up the process of finding a satisfactory solution, where an exhaustive search is impractical...
approach. On March 23, 2008, hackers published and implemented a proof of concept
Proof of concept
A proof of concept or a proof of principle is a realization of a certain method or idea to demonstrate its feasibility, or a demonstration in principle, whose purpose is to verify that some concept or theory that has the potential of being used...
exploit of PunkBuster's indiscriminate memory scanning. Because PunkBuster scans all of a machine's virtual memory, malicious users were able to cause mass false positives by transmitting text fragments from known cheat programs onto a high population IRC channel. When PunkBuster detected the text within user's IRC client text buffers, the users were banned. On March 25, 2008, Even Balance confirmed the existence of this exploit, and advised users not to run any other programs at the same time as PunkBuster protected games.
Games using PunkBuster
Games with support dropped are marked withAll Points Bulletin- APB: Reloaded
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- America's ArmyAmerica's ArmyAmerica's Army is a series of video games and other media developed by the United States Army and released as a global public relations initiative to help with recruitment. America's Army was conceived by Colonel Casey Wardynski and is managed by the U.S...
-
Battlefield 1942Battlefield 1942Battlefield 1942 is a 3D World War II first-person shooter computer game developed by Swedish company Digital Illusions CE and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows and Apple Macintosh . The game can be played in singleplayer mode against the computer game AI or in multiplayer mode... - Battlefield 2Battlefield 2Battlefield 2 is a computer game by the Swedish developer Digital Illusions CE . During development, Trauma Studios contributed to the development of the game after it was acquired by DICE...
- Battlefield 2142Battlefield 2142Battlefield 2142 is a first-person shooter video game developed by Digital Illusions CE and produced by Electronic Arts . It is the fourth game in the Battlefield series...
- Battlefield 3Battlefield 3Battlefield 3 is a first-person shooter video game developed by EA Digital Illusions CE and published by Electronic Arts. The game was released in North America on October 25, 2011 and in Europe on October 28, 2011 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and EA Mobile confirmed a port for...
- Battlefield: Bad Company 2Battlefield: Bad Company 2Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is a first-person shooter video game developed by the Swedish firm EA Digital Illusions CE and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, iOS and Mac OS X systems. It is a direct sequel to Battlefield: Bad Company and is part of the...
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- Battlefield VietnamBattlefield VietnamBattlefield Vietnam is the second video game in Electronic Arts' Battlefield franchise after Battlefield 1942. The game was developed by the Swedish company Digital Illusions CE and published by Electronic Arts on March 15, 2004 in North America and days later in other parts of the world....
- Call of DutyCall of DutyCall of Duty is a first-person shooter video game developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision in 2003. It is the first game in a series with the same name. The game simulates the infantry and combined arms warfare of World War II. The game is based on the Quake III: Team Arena engine...
- Call of Duty 2Call of Duty 2Call of Duty 2 is a first-person shooter video game and the second installment in the critically acclaimed Call of Duty series. It was developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision. It was released on October 25, 2005 for Microsoft Windows and on November 22, 2005 as a launch game for the...
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-
CrysisCrysisCrysis is a science fiction first-person shooter video game developed by Crytek , published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows, and released in November 2007. It is the first game of a trilogy. A separate game entitled Crysis Warhead was released on September 12, 2008, and follows similar... -
Crysis Wars -
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Far CryFar CryFar Cry is a first-person shooter video game developed by Crytek Studios from Germany and published by Ubisoft on March 23, 2004, for Microsoft Windows. Far Cry sold 730,000 units within four months of release. It received positive reviews upon release... -
Far Cry 2Far Cry 2Far Cry 2 is an open world first-person shooter developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. It was released on October 21, 2008 in North America and on October 23, 2008 in Europe and Australia. It was made available on Steam on October 22, 2008... -
F.E.A.R. -
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Joint Operations: Typhoon RisingJoint Operations: Typhoon Rising-External links:* * * * * *... -
Joint Operations: Escalation -
Knight OnlineKnight OnlineKnight Online is an MMORPG developed by MGame Corporation.The original game is hosted by MGame in Korea, and requires players to enter their Korean resident registration numbers to register. There are two other official versions: is hosted in Japan, while is hosted in the United States. Some... - Medal of HonorMedal of Honor (2010 video game)Medal of Honor is a first-person shooter video game and remake to the original Medal of Honor. Developed by Danger Close, a team within the EA Los Angeles studio, and DICE, it is the twelfth installment in the Medal of Honor series and was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360...
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Prey -
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EULA Details
In PunkBuster's EULA, PunkBuster notes they may be considered invasive, and that they reserve the right to inspect someone's entire harddrive and all of their files:"Licensee understands and agrees that the information that may be inspected and reported by PunkBuster software includes, but is not limited to, Licensee's Internet Protocol Address, devices and any files residing on the hard-drive and in the memory of the computer on which PunkBuster software is installed." "Further, Licensee consents to allow PunkBuster software to transfer actual screenshots taken of Licensee's computer during the operation of PunkBuster software for possible publication." "Licensee agrees that any harm or lack of privacy resulting from the installation and use of PunkBuster software is not as valuable to Licensee as the potential ability to play interactive online games with the benefits afforded by using PunkBuster software."
See also
- Cheating in online gamesCheating in online gamesCheating in online games is an activity that modifies the game experience to give one player an advantage over others. Depending on the game, different activities constitute cheating and it is either a matter of game policy or consensus opinion as to whether a particular activity is considered to...
- DMW AnticheatDMW AnticheatDeveloping Multiplayer Worlds is a third-party anti-cheat application first released in January 2002 for Medal of Honor: Allied Assault which was released without an anti-cheat application...
- GameGuard (nProtect)
- HackshieldHackshieldHackShield is a set of anti-hack toolkits developed for MMOs. It is being used in games such as Combat Arms, Dragonica, MapleStory, Mabinogi, War Rock, Kal Online, Shot Online and Ace Online. Hackshield is developed by AhnLab Inc, a Korean security solutions company...
- Valve Anti-CheatValve Anti-CheatValve Anti-Cheat, abbreviated to VAC, is an anti-cheat solution developed by Valve Corporation as a component of the Steam game development platform.-History:...
- Warden
External links
- Official PunkBuster site
- UOForums.com - Interview with Punkbuster's Founder, Tony Ray.
- AntiCheat Inc AntiCheat Inc, Multi-Game Service & History Tool
- GGC-Stream.com GGC Stream Full PunkBuster Support Websites.
- PBBans.com PBBans - PunkBuster Support Community.