DEF CON 33 - Playing Dirty w/o Cheating - Getting Banned for Fun - S Collins, M Muench, T Chothia

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✅ Optimized Summary (Final Version)

Getting banned without cheating is not only possible — it’s a real, documented threat in modern online gaming.

This research, conducted by academics at the University of Birmingham, reveals that even legitimate, non-cheating behaviors — such as memory injection, input simulation, and hardware manipulation — can trigger bans. These aren’t just edge cases; they’re actively used in real games like Overwatch 2, Apex Legends, and Fortnite.

Key Findings:

🔹 User-mode memory injection
We bypassed Overwatch 2's anti-che by building a custom "evil loader" that manually replicates the LoadLibrary API — injecting code into the game without calling the API. The game flagged this as suspicious and banned us, despite no cheating occurring.

🔹 Kernel-level exploits via outdated drivers
By loading vulnerable Intel drivers (pre-signed by Microsoft), we gained kernel-level access. When we injected code before launching Rainbow Six Siege, the anti-che detected abnormal kernel activity and banned us — proving that low-level system vulnerabilities can trigger bans even without gameplay cheating.

🔹 Macro-based input simulation
Automated mouse movements (e.g., "keyboard++") were flagged by Apex Legends for synthetic inputs and unnatural click timing. The anti-che system detected abnormal behavior — not actual cheati