GAME INSTALLS ROOTKIT: "nProtect GameGuard"

[Roenie]

As per title.

// UPDATE #1:

I've been receiving too many friend invites because of this thread. I don't accept them because I have enough people to help IRL. Others just want to 'talk tech' and I appreciate it but I don't want to spend more time chatting on the internet. You get more out of spending that time on (finding) local friends and family IRL so I recommend doing that instead.

The devs have responded in this thread in post #213 (page 15-ish) saying they're working on providing an easy removal method. The devs also wrote: "There are cases where the nProtect program can be used for other games than UNDECEMBER. For this reason, this security module is not being automatically deleted." I understand and had already considered that. My stance on that: the uninstall process should ask the user to make the decision and to help them make the decision ideally provide a link to a webpage that the GameGuard developers should maintain that lists all games currently using GameGuard. The uninstall process should at least inform the user that it's leaving it behind and why it's doing that.

There's now a notice on the store page on the right side to inform you that the game incorporates nProtect GameGuard. They didn't mention adding that notice but I'm pretty sure that wasn't there earlier when I installed the demo. So that's two steps in the right direction.

Because the store page makes you aware and the devs are working on hopefully providing a removal tool, I'm happy if a moderator wants to lock this thread so it doesn't keep coming back to page 1.

I would still strongly suggest adding a notice at the time of installation if at all possible because a lot of people will overlook the tiny warning on the store page. Wanting a rootkit on your system or not is everybody's personal choice. So you should always be made aware before the installation so that people who don't want it can opt out. It shouldn't be installed silently as part of the installation process of something else. When I installed the demo I wasn't aware that GameGuard comes with it.

Being unaware that it installs in the first place is a more important problem than the one where it doesn't get uninstalled when you uninstall the game and doesn't tell you, even though that's also bad.
// end UPDATE #1

// UPDATE #2

Link to removal tool

Link to removal tool provided by developer can now be found in this Undecember news post:
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1549250/view/6456498378615365698

By sharing this link I am not responsible for whatever the removal tool does. It's probably made by the Korean company that makes GameGuard. I have not used it myself as I have already removed GameGuard using the manual process I described below.
// end UPDATE #2

nProtect GameGuard

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NProtect_GameGuard
Product page listing its features: https://gameguard.nprotect.com/en/index.html

This 'malware' will not be removed when you uninstall the game. In fact there is no uninstaller available to the public and there is no removal info on the website of the Korean company that creates it.

Notable sections of the Wikipedia page:

GameGuard hides the game application process, monitors the entire memory range, terminates applications defined by the game vendor and INCA Internet to be cheats (QIP for example[citation needed]), blocks certain calls to Direct X functions and Windows APIs, keylogs keyboard input[citation needed], and auto-updates itself to change as new possible threats surface.[1]

Since GameGuard essentially works like a rootkit,[2][6] players may experience unintended and potentially unwanted side effects. If set, GameGuard blocks any installation or activation of hardware and peripherals (e.g., a mouse) while the program is running. Since GameGuard monitors any changes in the computer's memory, it will cause performance issues when the protected game loads multiple or large resources all at once.[7]

Additionally, some versions of GameGuard had an unpatched privilege escalation bug, allowing any program to issue commands as if they were running under an Administrator account.[8]

GameGuard possesses a database on game hacks based on security references from more than 260 game clients. Some editions of GameGuard are now bundled with INCA Internet's Tachyon anti-virus/anti-spyware library, and others with nProtect Key Crypt, an anti-key-logger software that protects the keyboard input information.

Some of the other threads worth reading with additonal info about GameGuard (GG):

GG opening browser on its own to download file to reinstall itself:
https://steamcommunity.com/app/1549250/discussions/0/3388420307306147309/

GG causing regular players to be unable to play:
https://steamcommunity.com/app/1549250/discussions/0/3388420307303552350/

Thread similar to the current thread you're reading:
https://steamcommunity.com/app/1549250/discussions/0/3388420307299415010/

Removing nProtect GameGuard

There is now a link to a removal tool more toward the top of this post. Look for the blue header: "Link to removal tool" in a section called UPDATE #2. The following is the manual removal process I described earlier:

Find and delete the main executable
Rootkits sometimes hide their main executable from being seen or deleted from within the operating system it's installed to, so just to be sure to not waste time trying to do it from within Windows I used linux to remove the executable after first trying to do it with a file manager program that crashed when I did. Possibly a coincidence. Reports from other users indicate that this particular rootkit doesn't hide or protect its executable file so you probably don't have to use linux but I'll explain the way I personally did it. I booted into linux (stored on a thumb drive) to find and delete GameMon.des that the game's installation process adds to the C:\Windows\SysWOW64 directory. Again reports from other users indicate you can probably see it and delete it from within Windows, so you can try that first.

If the nProtect GameGuard system service exists (see next paragraph) then the file gamemon.des will of course also exist even if you can't see it in File Explorer from within Windows in which case you can liveboot linux to find and delete the file. I briefly explained that process in this post: https://steamcommunity.com/app/1549250/discussions/0/3388420307302919948/?ctp=5#c3388420307306305282

If you can't find the executable, a useful trick is to go to the properties of the nProtect GameGuard system service to check what executable file path it points to. (WinKey+R --> services.msc) If the redirection between system32 and SysWOW64 causes confusion, read this post: https://steamcommunity.com/app/1549250/discussions/0/3388420307302919948/?ctp=25#c3487500856975883781

System service (optional)
After removing the main executable, the system service that points to it no longer functions. Delete the orphaned nProtect GameGuard service that remains in services.msc. To check if it's there: press WinKey+R and type services.msc. To remove the service, open a command prompt run as administrator, then enter the command: sc delete npggsvc. You may have to refresh the Services window with F5 to see the result.

Registry key (optional)
GameGuard creates a registry key called INCAInternet with various subkeys.
Press Windows-Key + R. type "regedit".
Search for (Ctrl+F, F3 to repeat) and delete that entire key. It should be here: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\INCAInternet

"gameMonitor" is added to several values in subkeys of HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SecurityManager\CapabilityClasses\ (see post #31 to #34 for why I crossed out the latter: these entries were not related to it.)

Learning about rootkit anti-cheat in general

The 1st video also covers the potential for system instability - big reason for me:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaL7owZmbEA
The 2nd video is more focused on the security risks, and covers what happened when the game Genshin Impact's rootkit anti-cheat was abused by a ransomware actor to disable antivirus software. (Do note that antivirus even when active is often inadequate to protect against ransomware.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PY41wMvwrLQ
Server side anti-cheat is a thing but it's not perfect either. It does help to write the game's code in a way that the client doesn't receive and send more data than it strictly needs so it can't manipulate it either, but there is no perfect solution and the more is done server side the more expensive it gets for the deverloper, hardware wise, to get the same server performance. Many multiplayer games employ client side anti-cheat, often a rookit, in an attempt to protect the developer's profits with the unfortunate side effect of making your PC less secure. I don't really play multiplayer games anymore especially not competitive ones so I can realistically avoid having any client side anti-cheat installed. This time though I was unaware that one was getting installed along with the demo.

General advice if you can't avoid anti-cheat rootkits

If you do important things with your system or store important documents and like to play multiplayer games so can't avoid client side anti-cheats, I recommend using a dedicated gaming/entertainment/web browsing PC (inherently insecure) and a 2nd PC or laptop to do everything else with. The entertainment PC should be in a different IP address range so it's not able to communicate with other devices on your home network, it only gets internet access. Even better for security is to use a managed network switch to create VLANs so you can "physically" leave the gaming PC out of your main VLAN. The 2nd PC typically doesn't have to be fast thus can be cheap but if you can't afford one or don't want one: another solution albeit not as secure, is to "dualboot": install another operating system onto your gaming PC so you can choose which one to boot into: your gaming/entertainment OS or your serious/home office OS. I like Linux for the latter but both can be Windows if you want. On the entertainment OS don't assign a drive letter to the storage where you keep your documents. The technical how-to of all this is beyond the scope of this thread, so Google is your friend.

Clarifying my main concern

The user should always be aware of the installation because it's their computer, freedom of choice and all that. The main issue I personally have with rootkit anti-cheat isn't even that it reduces system security, even though that's very important (people don't care about security until it's too late), for me it's that whenever I have a problem with a PC or game I don't want to have additional variables to exclude in search of a possible cause. Especially programs that don't want you to know they're there so you're likely to not think about them. If an anti-cheat ever DOES cause an issue (even if unlikely) you'll spend way too much time eliminating every other possible cause first. And if a game you have an issue with won't start without the anti-cheat, you can't eliminate it as a possible cause at all. So while you stress test RAM, CPU, disable certain programs or overlays etc etc maybe even reinstall your OS you have this nagging voice in the back of your mind saying "what if it's actually the anti-cheat and I'm just wasting my time?"

[Lightning]

0 detections as well with MD

[Socky]

Also a sysadmin. I co-sign everything Roenie said. The fact that it's become routine and ordinary to give root access in order to play a video game is nuts, and it WILL lead to more exploits. GameGuard was already exploited once. Genshin Impact's was leveraged to deliver ransomware just a couple months ago. It will keep happening, and it will get more frequent, because nobody understands why they should care about security until it's too late.

[ibk]

Thank you for the PSA, I don't think nGuard was actually active since I ran it on Linux but I deleted the WINE prefix just in case.

Cheers!

[Zartanyen]

My pro Uninstaller didn't remove the files, restoring didn't fix it either so now looking at a complete reset with hard drive wipe.

Wish I would have seen this post before grabbing the demo to try out.

Pretty much garbage that they can get away with putting something like this on your PC without asking your permission to do so like they do with the Conan anti cheat that's like this.

Also not all people complaining about this type of thing are cheating or think the company is doing something nefarious in our systems, we simply don't want things in our PC that we have not given permission or authorization to be there when it comes to programs we or dowenload.

[GrandpaTrump]

引用自 Zartanyen：

My pro Uninstaller didn't remove the files, restoring didn't fix it either so now looking at a complete reset with hard drive wipe.

Lol, a hard drive wipe ain't gonna do ♥♥♥♥ with a rootkit (assuming its a Kernel level one)

[Red__Rev]

引用自 Socky：

Also a sysadmin. I co-sign everything Roenie said. The fact that it's become routine and ordinary to give root access in order to play a video game is nuts, and it WILL lead to more exploits. GameGuard was already exploited once. Genshin Impact's was leveraged to deliver ransomware just a couple months ago. It will keep happening, and it will get more frequent, because nobody understands why they should care about security until it's too late.

It's worth noting that installing Genshin Impact (packaged with it's anti-cheat from MiHoYo) is not how the malware was actually delivered.

The malware the attackers designed is packaged with the anti-cheat driver, since it's signed by Microsoft. You would have to actually download the malware itself in order for the ransomware attack to be successful. In this sense, this anti-cheat driver is one of many kernel-level drivers that the attackers could have used.

Whether you have or have had Genshin installed makes no difference.

Again, I'm not a fan of this trend in anti-cheat systems either. But this is actually a good example of how even if you choose to abstain from loading games that use these over privileged anti-cheat tool kits, you are still exposed to the ACTUAL threats of ransomware that come via vectors completely separate from running the games themselves.

Your grandma could get ransomwared by leveraging this driver, even if she's never seen or heard of genshin...but then again she probably wouldn't cause even the genshin driver based attack was targeted at enterprise.

[Red__Rev]

To add to the above, what is actually super interesting from a security researcher perspective, is that the attackers seemingly chose the genshin driver BECAUSE it has a valid signature. And craziest part is that since I last read about it, Microsoft still has not bothered to revoke the cert!

[Wykydtron]

yes, modern anti-cheat systems are cancer, yes its basically rootkit that can be abused not only by its creators. Yes its something we should never be forced to install. At the same time you may as well stop playing games as pretty much every game that uses any anti-cheat is installing rootkit.
Just never install it on your work PC, people were hacked because they had one of the popular anti-cheats installed before and it will happen in future, at the same time those are rare cases and usually accompanied by using some shady stuff in first place.
If you have Win11 installed you technically no longer own your PC it belongs to MS according to eula you signed and you worry about anti-cheat...

[LA7ERA1U5]

Thank you for the info. The fact that so many people are ok with invasive software like this emboldens companies to keep pushing the limits because they can get away with it. It's not only a security risk. Allowing these companies to gain more and more control over your PC, and what they can do with it, is a massive overreach and an attempted breach of personal freedom, whether they misuse it currently or not. It hiding in the background and being nearly impossible to remove is proof of that. It was specifically designed in such a shady way for a reason

[Lightning]

I'm sure they would have done something about it if someone wanted to, its been nearly 20 years since these anti cheats were actively being used

[nightelf]

Ok, I'll try to explain why do they need the root... It's preaty easy, bz stuff can manualy connect to you pc and verifiy if you use some cheats.... Or not... Without this, you couldn't ever find a cheats user.... Why? Bz all cheats usualy have more rights on the system, neither any normal game\software.
So the question is up to you... do you want to play it this way or not...
PS: Fast and easy solution for everyone who scared... Just use virtual box to play... This game is not so demanding and I belive could run on vb.

[GeneralClayman]

引用自 nightelf：

Ok, I'll try to explain why do they need the root... It's preaty easy, bz stuff can manualy connect to you pc and verifiy if you use some cheats.... Or not... Without this, you couldn't ever find a cheats user.... Why? Bz all cheats usualy have more rights on the system, neither any normal game\software.
So the question is up to you... do you want to play it this way or not...
PS: Fast and easy solution for everyone who scared... Just use virtual box to play... This game is not so demanding and I belive could run on vb.

On your suggestion, just look into setting up an actual virtual machine at that point because a Vbox is usually running on a virtual / ♥♥♥♥ GPU which cannot be assigned/ changed

[February]

引用自 Roenie：

You can give me jesters all you want - thanks for the free points, but I'm a systems and network administrator by trade, as well as a vendor trained specialist in corporate security solutions and this is NOT something you want installed on your computer.

Aside from all the potential problems with performance, stability and security it can cause as the Wikipedia article mentions, a rootkit effectively hands over complete control of your machine to the creator of the rootkit to do whatever they want IF they so choose. The creators are:
© INCA Internet Corporation. All rights reserved.
53, Magokjungang 14-ro, Gangseo-gu
Republic of Korea 07789
Do you know and trust the people behind that company?

On the wikipedia page you'll find a list of games that install this rootkit onto your machine. I strongly recommend that you avoid them. If you are not technically inclined and can't do what I did to remove it, the only way you're getting rid of it is to format your drive and reinstall Windows from scratch.

How do you intend to play the game if it installs this crap?

[Lightning]

The same way people have played the 20 year old games with it i would assume

[Subak]

The cheat makers and cheaters are to blame. Here's to hoping RICO puts some of them in federal pound-me-in-the-ass prison soon.

You want it better? Tell lawmakers to throw cheat makers under the ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ jail after fining them so hard they can't even sniff profit potential. Here's hoping this pans out...
https://www.thegamer.com/call-of-duty-cheat-hack-makers-racketeering-charges-activision/

You need rootkit cheat detection to detect rootkit cheaters... just how it is.

But I'm not saying the anti-cheats are good, even people thinking "oh nothing bad ever happened the 100 other times some game installed one" are naive and ignorant.

They'd never know if one of these things was responsible for skipping framerates or slow load times or crashing software or whatever else it might do they'd really rather it not.

"Just use Linux" is ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ equivalent to saying "just accept cheaters and cheat makers profiteering on making online gaming a ♥♥♥♥♥♥ experience," No. The answer there for anything anyone doesn't want overrun with Kali kids will just be to not let Linux people play if they don't similarly "compromise" their systems.