Activision Takes Call of Duty: WWII Offline After Hackers Exploit RCE Vulnerability

Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard in 2023 promised to bring a new era of harmony between PC and console gamers, but the latest incident involving the popular game Call of Duty: WWII has left millions of PC players reeling.

Call of Duty: WWII was released in 2017 and has been making its way onto Xbox and PC Game Pass, with Activision relying on Microsoft's tech giant to maintain its servers. However, when the game landed on Game Pass a few days ago, something went terribly wrong.

Gamers who tried to play the game for the first time were met with chaos across the PC sector, as hackers took advantage of an unpatched Remote Code Execution (RCE) exploit to gain control over millions of computers. The hackers used this vulnerability to launch a series of attacks, including Notepad pop-ups, PC shutdowns, and even displaying gay pornography on infected players' desktops.

RCE stands for remote code execution, a technique that allows bad actors to run malicious code on a computer without physically being present. This is a serious security risk, as it can lead to hackers taking control of a user's system and causing havoc. The fact that the exploit worked on PC but not consoles highlights the vulnerability of PC gamers.

Activision has introduced its "Ricochet" anti-cheat system in recent years, which has been improved upon with Ricochet 2 to make it harder for hackers to crack. However, without this level of protection, older games like COD: WWII are left exposed to hacking attempts.

The game's reliance on Peer-to-Peer (P2P) matchmaking also proved vulnerable to attack, as hackers exploited the connections between players to gain access to their computers. This method has been largely replaced by dedicated server models, which reduce vulnerability but still leave room for exploitation.

As a result of these attacks, Activision has taken Call of Duty: WWII offline from the Microsoft Store, although it remains available on Steam and PC Game Pass. Gamers are advised to avoid playing the game until this matter is resolved.

Several users have already been affected by the hacking attempts, with one streamer's desktop wallpaper being changed to show an Activision lawyer in real-time during a live broadcast. Another user revealed that they were kicked off their server and had "God Mode" enabled on their account.

The incident highlights the ongoing threat of hacking and the need for game developers to prioritize security updates and patches. With the help of Ricochet 2, Activision is likely working on a fix, but in the meantime, PC gamers are left vulnerable to these types of attacks.

Avoid Playing Call of Duty: WWII Until Further Notice

If you're a fan of Call of Duty: WWII and haven't already done so, it's best to avoid playing the game until Activision has patched the security vulnerability. The company will likely release an update soon, but in the meantime, the risk is too great.

Stay Safe Online

Gamers need to be vigilant about online threats and take steps to protect themselves. This includes keeping software up-to-date, using strong passwords, and being cautious when downloading files or interacting with unknown users.

We'll continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as more information becomes available.