Kernel level anti-cheats: Difference between revisions

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If a malicious actor was to discover a security issue in a kernel level anti-cheat significant enough to allow them to hijack the software, they would be able to directly execute code at its level of access, allowing them to bypass security measures put in place by the {{Wplink|operating system}} and {{Wplink|Antivirus software|anti-virus software}}.

This is not a purely hypothetical scenario; it has already taken place in an incident with the popular {{Wplink|Gacha game|gacha}} co-op adventure [[Genshin Impact|''Genshin Impact'']], where the game's anti-cheat ~~'''~~mhyprot2.sys''<~~nowiki~~/>' was hijacked by malicious actors to disable users' anti-virus software, with the intent of distributing {{Wplink|ransomware}}.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Soliven |first=Ryan |last2=Kimura |first2=Hitomi |date=2022-08-24 |title=Ransomware Actor Abuses Genshin Impact Anti-Cheat Driver to Kill Antivirus |url=https://www.trendmicro.com/en_us/research/22/h/ransomware-actor-abuses-genshin-impact-anti-cheat-driver-to-kill-antivirus.html |access-date=Aug 4, 2025 |website=Trend |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260208191733/https://www.trendmicro.com/en_us/research/22/h/ransomware-actor-abuses-genshin-impact-anti-cheat-driver-to-kill-antivirus.html |archive-date=8 Feb 2026}}</ref>

This is not a purely hypothetical scenario; it has already taken place in an incident with the popular {{Wplink|Gacha game|gacha}} co-op adventure [[Genshin Impact|''Genshin Impact'']], where the game's anti-cheat <code>mhyprot2.sys</code> was hijacked by malicious actors to disable users' anti-virus software, with the intent of distributing {{Wplink|ransomware}}.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Soliven |first=Ryan |last2=Kimura |first2=Hitomi |date=2022-08-24 |title=Ransomware Actor Abuses Genshin Impact Anti-Cheat Driver to Kill Antivirus |url=https://www.trendmicro.com/en_us/research/22/h/ransomware-actor-abuses-genshin-impact-anti-cheat-driver-to-kill-antivirus.html |access-date=Aug 4, 2025 |website=Trend |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260208191733/https://www.trendmicro.com/en_us/research/22/h/ransomware-actor-abuses-genshin-impact-anti-cheat-driver-to-kill-antivirus.html |archive-date=8 Feb 2026}}</ref>

Another perfect example is Hotta Studios' Tower of Fantasy game. Users have reported that the kernel-level anticheat 'ksophon_x64.sys' has caused [[wikipedia:Blue_screen_of_death|BSOD]] along with the DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION. This incident occurs when the game is uninstalled, launched, closed, or even running before the new publisher Perfect World Games. As of now, since the update by the company, the file doesn't appear to exist in System32/drivers.

Another perfect example is Hotta Studios' Tower of Fantasy game. Users have reported that the kernel-level anticheat <code>ksophon_x64.sys</code> has caused [[wikipedia:Blue_screen_of_death|BSOD]] along with the <code>DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION</code>. This incident occurs when the game is uninstalled, launched, closed, or even running before the new publisher Perfect World Games. As of now, since the update by the company, the file doesn't appear to exist in <code>System32/drivers</code>.

===Support issues===

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 If a malicious actor was to discover a security issue in a kernel level anti-cheat significant enough to allow them to hijack the software, they would be able to directly execute code at its level of access, allowing them to bypass security measures put in place by the {{Wplink|operating system}} and {{Wplink|Antivirus software|anti-virus software}}.
-This is not a purely hypothetical scenario; it has already taken place in an incident with the popular {{Wplink|Gacha game|gacha}} co-op adventure [[Genshin Impact|''Genshin Impact'']], where the game's anti-cheat '''mhyprot2.sys''<nowiki/>' was hijacked by malicious actors to disable users' anti-virus software, with the intent of distributing {{Wplink|ransomware}}.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Soliven |first=Ryan |last2=Kimura |first2=Hitomi |date=2022-08-24 |title=Ransomware Actor Abuses Genshin Impact Anti-Cheat Driver to Kill Antivirus |url=https://www.trendmicro.com/en_us/research/22/h/ransomware-actor-abuses-genshin-impact-anti-cheat-driver-to-kill-antivirus.html |access-date=Aug 4, 2025 |website=Trend |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260208191733/https://www.trendmicro.com/en_us/research/22/h/ransomware-actor-abuses-genshin-impact-anti-cheat-driver-to-kill-antivirus.html |archive-date=8 Feb 2026}}</ref>
+This is not a purely hypothetical scenario; it has already taken place in an incident with the popular {{Wplink|Gacha game|gacha}} co-op adventure [[Genshin Impact|''Genshin Impact'']], where the game's anti-cheat <code>mhyprot2.sys</code> was hijacked by malicious actors to disable users' anti-virus software, with the intent of distributing {{Wplink|ransomware}}.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Soliven |first=Ryan |last2=Kimura |first2=Hitomi |date=2022-08-24 |title=Ransomware Actor Abuses Genshin Impact Anti-Cheat Driver to Kill Antivirus |url=https://www.trendmicro.com/en_us/research/22/h/ransomware-actor-abuses-genshin-impact-anti-cheat-driver-to-kill-antivirus.html |access-date=Aug 4, 2025 |website=Trend |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260208191733/https://www.trendmicro.com/en_us/research/22/h/ransomware-actor-abuses-genshin-impact-anti-cheat-driver-to-kill-antivirus.html |archive-date=8 Feb 2026}}</ref>
-Another perfect example is Hotta Studios' Tower of Fantasy game. Users have reported that the kernel-level anticheat 'ksophon_x64.sys' has caused [[wikipedia:Blue_screen_of_death|BSOD]] along with the DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION. This incident occurs when the game is uninstalled, launched, closed, or even running before the new publisher Perfect World Games. As of now, since the update by the company, the file doesn't appear to exist in System32/drivers.
+Another perfect example is Hotta Studios' Tower of Fantasy game. Users have reported that the kernel-level anticheat <code>ksophon_x64.sys</code> has caused [[wikipedia:Blue_screen_of_death|BSOD]] along with the <code>DPC_WATCHDOG_VIOLATION</code>. This incident occurs when the game is uninstalled, launched, closed, or even running before the new publisher Perfect World Games. As of now, since the update by the company, the file doesn't appear to exist in <code>System32/drivers</code>.
 ===Support issues===