Blizzard's new spyware for WoW

battleaxe

Rejoice gaming fans, for the latest new "feature" of Blizzard Entertainment's smash hit multi-player online videogame World of Warcraft is here! No, it's not a new Sword of Destruction or Staff of Power - it's spyware! Yes, unbeknownst to many gamers, World of Warcraft now has an unwanted special feature - a hidden program called "Warden" that snoops gamers' computers looking for any "unauthorized third-party program" that "enables or facilitates cheating of any type."

According to Greg Hoglund, co-author of "Exploiting Software, How to Break Code," this hidden program opens every process on a gamer's computer, from email programs to privacy managers, and sniffs email addresses, website URLs open at the time of the scan, and the names of all running programs - whether or not those programs, emails, or websites could conceivably have anything to do with hacking.

Blizzard calls this an "anti-cheating system." We call it a massive invasion of privacy.

Text from article at Eff.org:
http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/archives/004076.php

Dremvek

Wow! This is inconceivable! 

Or perhaps it was beaten to death several months ago. Yes, they scan processes for cheats. No, they don't report anything back to the server unless a cheat was found.

If you don't trust Blizzard, don't play WoW. It's not that difficult to figure out. That should go for any software you install your computers.

If you are this concerned about privacy, perhaps you should actually READ those EULAs and TOS agreements, because you have to click accept any time there's a new patch. They aren't doing anything that you haven't given them permission to do.

Grunty

Only those who are cheating have anything to be concerned about.

*yawn*

Can I go back to sleep now.

rorrak

As far as I'm concerned its a good thing.
Third party programs that "assist" in play really spoil the level playing field for folks that dont cheat.

The police don't need a search warrent to search your home if you give them permission to. So long as the Eula tells you that it will happen and makes you click accept to progress then you have given them permission.

The only problem I have with this practice is that there is an up front fee for the game that you lose if you dont agree.

TigerRei

Probably best to read this before you all formulate your opinions:

http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.aspx?fn=blizzard-archive&t=33&p=1&tmp=1#post33

disstress

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Originally posted by battleaxe
Rejoice gaming fans, for the latest new "feature" of Blizzard Entertainment's smash hit multi-player online videogame World of Warcraft is here! No, it's not a new Sword of Destruction or Staff of Power - it's spyware! Yes, unbeknownst to many gamers, World of Warcraft now has an unwanted special feature - a hidden program called "Warden" that snoops gamers' computers looking for any "unauthorized third-party program" that "enables or facilitates cheating of any type."According to Greg Hoglund, co-author of "Exploiting Software, How to Break Code," this hidden program opens every process on a gamer's computer, from email programs to privacy managers, and sniffs email addresses, website URLs open at the time of the scan, and the names of all running programs - whether or not those programs, emails, or websites could conceivably have anything to do with hacking.Blizzard calls this an "anti-cheating system." We call it a massive invasion of privacy.
Text from article at Eff.org:
http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/archives/004076.php

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omg quick who has the tin foil to make enough hats for us?

omg noes

evil_oatmeal

Hmmm..... You might be blind, or dyslexic, or just plain ignorant, but there is a reason you have to click "accept" after hastily scrolling by all that text. The reason is that in the text Blizzard clearly states that by agreeing you accept that they go through your files with this "virus" or whatever you call it and look for third party software that does something "out of bounds" to the game. So maybe next time take a minute or two and read through that boring stuff that doesn't seem to be there for any apparent reason.