how does punkbuster work

[soupman]

does it scan through your intier game? or just selected files

[gil]

There are various of opinions about that.
I'm not 100% sure myself because I already saw so many different posibilities.

But what's for sure.
They for sure scan the whole system folder of the America's Army folder game. I'm not sure about other games.

[Ping_pong]

PB Doesn't scan only the game folders, it even scans the root and desktop.
Every file that gets injected in the game will be scanned, if the file is just on you desktop (non injected/ in use) PB wont scan it.

[gil]

PB Doesn't scan only the game folders, it even scans the root and desktop.
Every file that gets injected in the game will be scanned, if the file is just on you desktop (non injected/ in use) PB wont scan it.
= They scan memory.

[Ping_pong]

Well yes and no, PB scans the file and where the file is located. (On Hard-Disk)

[drewpaul86]

pb also runs through the entire memory block. doesn't always do things tho.

[No1uKnow]

they use system api's to check hueristically ( spellcheck.exe anyone? ) if your cheating as well.

cvars and everything =)

[2FACETANNER]

PB Cannot scan everything, there is TOO many files.

PB Doesn't scan only the game folders, it even scans the root and desktop.
Every file that gets injected in the game will be scanned, if the file is just on you desktop (non injected/ in use) PB wont scan it.
Are you suggesting injecting a files from the desktop has a greater chance of success?

[drewpaul86]

PB Cannot scan everything, there is TOO many files.


Are you suggesting injecting a files from the desktop has a greater chance of success?


PB Can scan everything in ur memory because they do.

and he said if the files just sitting on ur desktop, not injected. then pb won't bother it.

[zachs06]

I did research and my own expiriments with punkbuster, punkbuster isnt nice anymore, i used spybot to find out that it was effing with nortons, i used nortons to find out that it was messing w/ SBSD. War Rock also contains potentialy dangerous code, so when nortons tries to fix that, PB gets pissed, i also found PB conecting to the internet as an IE clone. Using packet viewers(not editors :p) i found that "IE"(pB) was sending my files over to their server.

In short, War Rock has malware(did i spell this right), and PB is spyware with it's own EULA.


Chuck Noris' tears cure cancer...













But Chuck noris doesnt cry.

[Shu Qi]

Ok to start off its all in the disclaimer guys, when you install punkbuster. Its really long so I doubt many people have actually read the whole thing. From what i could see if there is any thing at all that is used to alter the game to give an advantage then they have your own permission to not only look through your entire computer to find it they also have your consent to keep you from playing online, if they find anything. To tell you the truth i thought long and hard about giving full access to my computer for somthing as abitrary as playing a video game.

[Ok3]

I agree with Shu Qi letting them access everything in your computer for a cheating in a game that is way to risky.

[archerkill30]

I think PB scans all running process and they have a list of process that pb has detected and it scans the process list for the name and if it finds that name you will get kicked but if u use rootkit and hide it for instance you wont get kicked because its not on the process list.

[flynch01]

Sorry but the way your describing it makes it sound like it can detect any cheat even if it hasnt seen ti before.

[Pwned Noob]

Maybe a noob question, but:
Is punkbuster integrated in the game's code?

[CARTMAN[owned]]

i agree with Shu

[drewpaul86]

Maybe a noob question, but:
Is punkbuster integrated in the game's code?

I'm not sure about every game, but they implement callback functions into fear which you can see in the fear sdk. most likely at the very least it is implemented for obtaining console commands.

[Pwned Noob]

I've checked that PB has two processes:
PnkBstrA.exe
PnkBstrB.exe
Both located in System32
Dont know exactly what they do, but, wouldnt it be possible to replace them with fake ones?

[deathscith]

the only way to find out pwned noob is to test... or you could open the .exe up with a decompiler (only has a small grasp on what he is talking about) and replace some of the code with say, nothing? but then again warrock has your punk buster update before you can even join a game, so you would probably have to do it ingame... that is, if your trying to do it to warrock.