PB is going way out of line...

[DreamBoy]

Punkbuster anti cheat uploading personal info:

In the wake of the all the rootkit scandals, it seems that sony was not the only company not walking the straight and narrow. A group of reverse engineers recently debugged Punkbuster and found out that PB is actually uploading personal data to there servers. They are also actively scanning your harddrive, and uploading any "suspicious" .txt files

I knew they were actively scanning HD's for hacks and known hacked files but transfering files(.txt) that look in their eyes "suspicious" is way out of line. For example: if you have a home banking system on your pc that creates simpel code configuration files for security checks with banknumberinformation and passwords in it, and calls it 'configcodes.txt'. If PB thinks this file is suspicious, it would just upload it while this file hasn't anything to do with the game! This is a SERIOUS security flaw because they could just acces your personal data that isn't meaned for their knowledge. They are not only doing things what are illegal but they are also violating several privacy laws...

By this i can only encourage programmers in creating spoofers and cracks for PB for stopping their illegal actions. They are maybe allowed to mess with gamerelated data, but they don't have any business with personal data!! This is realy a serious problem... Report as many shitload of PB by as many Anti-spyware organisations because PB IS SPYWARE AND DOING ILLEGAL HANDLINGS TO YOUR PRIVACY. EULA agreed or not, they have to focus on gamerealed data, i('s just a game and don't have to put their nose into your real life personal data.

source: http://digg.com/technology/Punkbuster_anti_cheat_uploading_personal_info

[XDS]

Sounds pleasant. Too bad you have to agree to their license agreements before you can use it.

I read that whole thread. Wow, PB will probably be sued one way or another. But alot of the people in there are simply liers, or just idi otss. Who has all their business information, on the same computer you run your own business from? And who puts their CC and banking information on a .txt on their computer? Thats all RETARDED. And more than 90% of the people in there who claimed to have a child... could hardly even spell the damned paragraph.

off-topic: WHY DID YOU ALL FILTER OUT IDI OT?!?!?!?!

[BlackDove]

890234a73f290812ea9348bc13c42a34

Oops, I knew I shouldn't have posted my social security number on this site using the same code PB uses to encrypt data. Now my identity will be stolen!

PB does not transfer anything to it's Master Servers that isn't encrypted by a one-way hash. Take it from someone who knows the PB Client and not someone who spreads propaganda because they're threatened. MSX has proven to be untruthul in the past and suffered because of hacks in their community getting detected and people getting hardware bans. Also, imagine the lag PB would cause when uploading the contents of documents on your computer plus the bandwidth consumption on the PB servers.

The only way of someone viewing personal data is occasionally when the screenshot capturing code takes a screenshot outside of the game window. This has been shown dozens of times on PunksBusted and other sites. This can be prevented - don't run Excel or Word while playing a game...

Same old discussion, same ineffective anti-cheat, nothing new.

[mike5a2]

look, if you accept taht you will enable pb, then you will have to deal with it....their program, their rules

[bismic01]

look, if you accept taht you will enable pb, then you will have to deal with it....their program, their rules

exactly we have all agreed to their EULA or whatever so theirfore we must deal with them trying to beat us, but they are a private corporation working in this case for the US Army so i seriously doubt that they would access any "personal data" and if they did and it was abused/misused whatever they could and most probably would be sued the shit out of, but yeah my opioin lol,

Bis

and hey there will always be conspiracy thery's about everything so just move on

[No1uKnow]

good post black dove, reverend was spouting the same bullshit, PB IS SPYWARE OH NOES DONT PLAY PB

it justs shows pb is getting desperate to detect private hacks, which are the corner stones to any cheating community.

[InFeSt3d]

Yeah that is pretty unfair, yet i have served my sentence towards PB.
If it was SO bad wouldn't your anti virus go crazy?

[KizZamP-]

lol...pb is getting payed for their job,they wouldn't put spyware in it.

[Mooree]

That site is probably just some lamer trying to cause sh*t. PB is a corporation and knows its privacy laws - the way the person who made that article at that site spells and talks, it looks like just a desperate copy and paster who said "oh noes!! this public hook got detected and now I'm banz0red and I'm too stupid to write a proper HW spoofer!"

besides, if they're uploading personal info anyway; if you don't have anything to hide, don't worry. Unless you have like, illegal porn and they sit there staring at it, I wouldn't be worried. 12 Million player logs, and you think they'll just look at every little text file?

please. Play on non-PB if you don't like it. I love challenging PB with a bot and seeing if I can get away with it :devious:

[[R]>>Killer]

You understand that PB searches your PC and whatever they find, they can upload to their server. This includes but is not limited to bank account or other financial information, healthcare information, family pictures, and anything else in your 'My Documents' folder. It can also search your Program Files folder to see what programs you have installed on your Computer and if they want, they can upload your programs to them.

ppf this sucks
first time saw it in EULa

ANTI PB FTW
:rambo:
just use pb hack :P
:bunny:

[mike5a2]

lol...pb is getting payed for their job,they wouldn't put spyware in it.
we arent talking aobut spyware but they could steal stuff such as bank statements and other strictly private stuff

[KizZamP-]

err lol,isn't that called spyware ?

[mike5a2]

hmmm, I think i misread what you said, or misinterpreted, I think of spyware as viruss, sorry for confused :x

[Ping_pong]

Well, they DONT need to download .txt files..

About "prevent this".

Man from work: "Hey sweety! i just got home!"
His wife: " OMG, dont use computer i'm busy with banking bills"
Man from work: "Aah i will minimize that for you i just want to play for 15 mins and then take a shower

PB; OGM! TXT FILES!! Upload it can contain a hack!

-.- I agree with the thread starter.

[a random guy]

it justs shows pb is getting desperate to detect private hacks, which are the corner stones to any cheating community.

just shows we r doing our job ;)

but on a mor serious note, they dont hav the right 2 upload our files and look at em

[mike5a2]

but on a mor serious note, they dont hav the right 2 upload our files and look at em
you sure about that? as far as I'm concerned, pb is allowed to search your entire computer, but i didnt realize this meant uploading my files

[KizZamP-]

@mike5a2 : lollerskeet,like i said,it would be considered spyware...and spyware = illegal...i bet that all game developers check their version of pb to make sure it doesn't have anything malicious in it.

[XDS]

lol...pb is getting payed for their job,they wouldn't put spyware in it.

Wow.... maybe you didn't know that people get paid for putting spyware on things? Why do you think warez sites have spyware and popups all over the place?

But I don't think PB is doing the same things that spyware would. But there are not that many .txt's on your computer, unless you're stupid and let them accumulate. I don't doubt they would take .txt files, but they probably have special places they scan for them. They wouldn't take them from the WINDOWS\ZoneAlarm\Logs or something like that.

And if you think of it, PB might take the logs from the system to see why people are getting kicked.

Now, that makes a little bit more sense, but I doubt they would be taking .txt's from random places. Which brings me to ... WHY WOULD YOU PUT PERSONAL INFORMATION IN A .TXT AND PUT IT IN YOU AA SYSTEM FOLDER.

I don't know if anything I said is true, but if they truly are taking .txt files, then they definitely wouldn't grab them from everywhere on a computer.

And they aren't installing other programs like spyware, like trojans or keyloggers. So they really can't be classified as spyware. We all agreed to this shit. So oh well. PB IS, IN NO WAY MALICIOUS.

And for all of you with important information... get Stegano's Safe or something. That would take care of all of that. Stop crying.

[kraigh98]

ok so you say we have all agreed to PB EULA rules and regualtions .. but what if PB decide to change the way they do there scanning and finding hacks .. we dont accept another terms and conditions again.. what if we agreed to there terms years ago .. playing one game but the way they do there scanning has changed .. have you agreed to there new and improved method or did you agree to the old method years ago when you first read and agreed to there not so improved method .. Where do you stand on that scenario !!! i guess if pb have changed there ways i guess the shit will most definately hit the fan :wcj:

when we always download updates we have to agree to the terms and conditions again dont we .. where are the new terms and conditions when punkbuster updates its software .. .under my freaking bed ,, i dont fink so

[Tobzy]

Alot of people are saying who cares if they are loading your txt files to their servers, they arent gunnna read them anyway? That might be true but the point IS that they are doing something illegal whether people are bothered by it or not, and it should be addressed. That like saying who cares if somebody steals some of ur shit, they arent gunna use it... If PB is downloading files outside of the game folder they are viewing files that are completely irrelevent to the game, and therefore illegal according to their EULA. someone Narc out PB, quick! ;)

[XDS]

Nope, not illegal. You agreed to the E to the U to the L to the A..... EULA...

[No1uKnow]

they dont hav the right 2 upload our files and look at em

if you click yes they do :O

get Stegano's Safe or something. That would take care of all of that. Stop crying.

/me smells hw bans soon for usage of this software

[XDS]

Nope, because if you use it, the drive you safe the info to DOESN'T EXIST until you enter the password. Its some tricked out software. You won't get a HW Ban.

[No1uKnow]

You won't get a HW Ban.

you missed what i was saying..... nice job.

I was actually being sarcastic in reguards to this ' pb is gonna steal ur info ' blasphemy, with that in mind I was implying punkbuster is going to get angry that your using this software to thwart their attempts to pilfer your personal info and documents....

got it?

[gil]

>>Killer']ppf this sucks
first time saw it in EULa

ANTI PB FTW
:rambo:
just use pb hack :P
:bunny:
I never seen that.
I'm pretty amazed that they did clarify that they can upload such a personal data to their servers.

Well, as said before. You don't have to play the game and you did agree to this EULA.

But,
PB does not transfer anything to it's Master Servers that isn't encrypted by a one-way hash.

I'd still don't like them to transfer my info, even if it's encrypted.
Anything can be broken :)

[XDS]

Well, supposedly Triple AES can't be broken. (NetGhost, something I use). Even by the FBI and all them.

[mike5a2]

@mike5a2 : lollerskeet,like i said,it would be considered spyware...and spyware = illegal...i bet that all game developers check their version of pb to make sure it doesn't have anything malicious in it.

Originally Posted by a random guy
they dont hav the right 2 upload our files and look at em


if you click yes they do :O

hmmm, thi is tough, I dont know who to believe...

[youzme]

Sounds pleasant. Too bad you have to agree to their license agreements before you can use it.

I read that whole thread. Wow, PB will probably be sued one way or another. But alot of the people in there are simply liers, or just idi otss. Who has all their business information, on the same computer you run your own business from? And who puts their CC and banking information on a .txt on their computer? Thats all RETARDED. And more than 90% of the people in there who claimed to have a child... could hardly even spell the damned paragraph.

off-topic: WHY DID YOU ALL FILTER OUT IDI OT?!?!?!?!

This is so true. It's really funny how many games we buy (particularly ones we play online and connect to the web for) that have these thesis-length agreements, and 99% of players just scroll to the bottom and hit "accept".

It would be pretty cool if some reputable site/source did an article on some of the most famous things we use like punkbuster/vac, maybe MMO agreements and other things like that and showed some stuff in agreements we skip through everyday that would make us say "oh damn, I thought I was just playing a game".

I'd laugh if PB had to lighten up on their methods.

[No1uKnow]

developers check their version of pb to make sure it doesn't have anything malicious in it.

LOL they do no such thing, its compeletly on pb's side, the "game developers" dont set up the updates.....

[mike5a2]

wait, so the game developers arent part of the PB team? I thought all PB developers were game developers, didnt game developers develop PB?

[KizZamP-]

no1 : well you got my point :P - the developers would notice if something suddenly happens,people complaining,etc.
mike5a2 : gamedevelopers != pb developers
Gamedevelopers = bug MAKERS
PB developers = bumhole makers

[mike5a2]

Gamedevelopers = bug MAKERS
PB developers = bumhole makers
lol, now why couldnt someone have posted that before :) it's so much easier to understand