Call of Duty: WWII Pulled from PC Game Pass After Remote Hacking Exploit Discovered
In a shocking turn of events, Call of Duty: WWII has been pulled offline from PC Game Pass just days after its arrival on the popular gaming platform. The sudden removal follows a surge of reports from the gaming community about a critical security vulnerability that allowed attackers to remotely take control of players' computers during online matches.
The issue surfaced almost immediately after the 2017 shooter was added to the Game Pass library at the end of June. While the game remains available on platforms like Steam and Battle.net, only the Microsoft Store and Game Pass versions have been affected by the takedown. Activision, the publisher behind the Call of Duty franchise, has offered few details about the nature of the problem.
The company's official statement simply noted that the game was "brought offline while we investigate reports of an issue." However, evidence shared by players and cybersecurity experts suggests that a remote code execution (RCE) exploit is the root cause. This RCE flaw reportedly enabled malicious actors to run unauthorized code on other players' PCs.
Victims described a range of disruptive incidents, including sudden pop-up messages, forced computer shutdowns, and desktop backgrounds replaced with explicit images. In some cases, attackers used Notepad to taunt players or displayed messages claiming ownership of the compromised system.
The Vulnerability: A Remote Code Execution Exploit
The vulnerability appears to be linked to the game's peer-to-peer networking system, where one player's machine can act as the server for a match. This setup, while efficient for matchmaking, exposes users to greater risk if security holes exist, as it allows direct communication between players' computers.
Gamers are going ballistic, with many taking to social media to share their experiences and warn others about the threat. The hashtag #GamerSecurity is trending on Twitter, with gamers sharing screenshots and clips of the pop-ups and other malicious activity.
A Call for Caution: A Warning from Cybersecurity Experts
Cybersecurity collectives have documented similar incidents, warning that the exploit could potentially be used for more serious attacks, such as deploying malware or stealing personal data. Players are advised to avoid launching the game on affected platforms until Activision provides further updates or a patch is released.
A Pattern of Vulnerabilities: A Concern for the Gaming Industry
Similar vulnerabilities have previously affected other high-profile games, sometimes resulting in months-long outages while developers worked on fixes. As a notable example, in early 2022, the Dark Souls franchise on PC was affected by a critical RCE vulnerability that allowed attackers to execute malicious code on other players' machines during online play.
Players are advised to be cautious when playing older multiplayer games, particularly those that utilize peer-to-peer networking and lack ongoing maintenance. The incident has reignited concerns about the security of these types of games, and it remains to be seen how Activision will resolve the issue or compensate affected users.
A Waiting Game: Will Call of Duty: WWII Return to PC Game Pass?
As of now, there is no timeline for when Call of Duty: WWII will return to PC Game Pass or the Microsoft Store. The incident has left many gamers wondering if they can trust the game on affected platforms, and how long they will have to wait for a fix.
The publisher has yet to announce any concrete steps toward resolving the issue or compensating affected users. Until further information is released, players are advised to exercise caution when playing Call of Duty: WWII on PC Game Pass or other affected platforms.