Check Point researchers reveal vulnerabilities of hackers taking over Fortnite gamers' data
Check Point Software Technologies has shared details of vulnerabilities that could have affected any player of the hugely popular online battle game, Fortnite.
The game is popular on all gaming platforms, including Android, iOS, PC via Microsoft Windows and consoles such as Xbox One and PlayStation 4. In addition to casual players,
Fortnite is used by professional gamers who stream their sessions online and is popular with e-sports enthusiasts.
Researchers outlined the process in which an attacker could have potentially gained access to a user’s account through vulnerabilities discovered in Fortnite’s user login process. Due to three vulnerability flaws found in Epic Games’ web infrastructure, researchers were able to demonstrate the token-based authentication process used in conjunction with Single Sign-On (SSO) systems such as Facebook, Google and Xbox to steal the user’s access credentials and take over their account.
To fall victim to this attack, a player needs only to click on a crafted phishing link coming from an Epic Games domain, to make everything seem transparent, though sent by the attacker. Once clicked, the user’s Fortnite authentication token could be captured by the attacker without the user entering any login credentials. According to Check Point’s researchers, the potential vulnerability originated from flaws found in two of Epic Games’ sub-domains that were susceptible to a malicious redirect, allowing users’ legitimate authentication tokens to be intercepted by a hacker from the compromised sub-domain.
Oded Vanunu, Head of Products Vulnerability Research, Check Point, says, “Fortnite is one of the most popular games played mainly by kids. These flaws provided the ability for a massive invasion of privacy. Together with the vulnerabilities, we recently found in the platforms used by drone manufacturer DJI, show how susceptible cloud applications are to attacks and breaches. These platforms are being increasingly targeted by hackers because of the huge amounts of sensitive customer data they hold. Enforcing two-factor authentication could mitigate this account takeover vulnerability.”
Check Point has notified Epic Games of the vulnerability which has now been fixed. Check Point and Epic Games advise all users to remain vigilant whenever exchanging information digitally, and to practise safe cyber habits when engaging with others online. Users should also question the legitimacy of links to information seen on user’s forums and websites.
Organizations must perform thorough and regular hygiene checks on their IT infrastructure they have not left outdated and unused sites or access points online. In addition, it is a good practice to review any outdated website or sub-domains that may still be online though not in use.
In order to minimize the threat of falling victim to an attack that exploits vulnerabilities like this, users should enable two-factor authentication, ensuring that when logging into their account from a new device, the player would need to enter a security code sent to the account holder’s email addresses. It is also important that parents make their children aware of the threat of online fraud and warn them that cybercriminals will do anything to gain access to personal and financial details which may be held as part of a gamer’s online account.
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