Are the CLAIMS about nProtect REAL?

[Doctor Destructor]

I was thinking about buying this game, but I found two highly voted reviews stating issues about nProtect and root level access for any computer. Some claim that company has been selling their users' information. I'm not sure 'bout it, so what is it? does it look shady?

This is one of the reviews:
"---------------------------
As many others have stated: this game requires nProtect Gameguard, which requires root level access. The company, nProtect, has several scandals in its history, including having its user data exploited, as well as not uninstalling when the game it was installed with was installed. If you google "nProtect uninstaill" or "nProtect issues" you will find forum posts discussing the vulnerabilities and difficulties associated with this product as far back as 2008.

Even ignoring the issues with potential privacy, nProtect is the main reason for all the crashes in this game.

If you trust this company with access to everything on your computer, disregard this. But I view this as functionally malware. This is a PVE exclusive game that for some reason needs an anticheat with stronger access to your system than PVP games I've played."

"---------------------------

The problem I have is that the game installs a ROOTKIT on your PC without them informing you. This ROOTKIT installs at the kernel level on Windows.

That was bad enough, but when my AV caught the ROOTKIT trying to access files outside the program file directory that had nothing to do with the game that I considered this an insider threat and major security issue. I immediately removed the game and requested a refund.

I cannot have some random company accessing files on my PC that do not belong to them. No telling if they are collecting personal data, or up to other nefarious things.

If you read the forums, the anti-cheat ROOTKIT is only designed to protect their micro transaction system but will randomly delete any files it considers a threat without notification or permission. I cannot have some random company accessing files on my PC that do not belong to them. No telling if they are collecting personal data, or up to other nefarious things.

[Speed Malus]

Most likely not, that is almost always the case.

[CEPHY]

GameGuard is indeed a root-kit anti-cheat, as in, kernel level. Absolute access to everything.

The devs claim that GG doesn't cause any issues - and while I haven't had any myself, some people claim they do. They also said it will uninstall along with the game, and stop running when the game stops.

As for the privacy matter, well... officially they only scan running aps for potential cheat software, but I wouldn't trust that one 100%.

So yeah, officially there's nothing to worry about. Unoffically? Double check your task manager lol

[BEEP!]

My problem is it's the bottom of the barrel anticheat it doesn't stop much of anything it doesn't even stop the free tool cheat engine which has had a workaround for half a decade at this point & it doesn’t even stop free game trainer's like almost any other anticheat does actually stop hell EAC is better in basically every single way & it's less intrusive on your PC.

[Mara Jadewind]

So does vaccination.

[Mr_Pennywise]

https://www.pushtotalk.gg/p/the-gamers-do-not-understand-anti-cheat

[Hand's Hermit Permit]

It gives kernel access. However if they managed to get epicly destroyed in a hack that pumped out a virus to everyone running that anti-cheat they would be completely finished as a company and nobody would do business with them again.

[Quill]

Originally posted by FluffyHereWego:

This is worth reading from an industry expert.
https://forums.malwarebytes.com/topic/24934-nprotect-gameguard-rootkit-threat/

Don't they say this about EVERY kernel level Anti Cheat

Which is basically all of them?

[Silverlight]

No. In fact in recent years I've become at least partially certain that a lot of people saying this stuff are just cheaters mad it isnt easy.

Notice how they always ask for Anti cheats that have known and easy exploits

[Quill]

Originally posted by Silverlight:

No. In fact in recent years I've become at least partially certain that a lot of people saying this stuff are just cheaters mad it isnt easy.

Notice how they always ask for Anti cheats that have known and easy exploits

All Anti Cheats are bypassable

I played the Battlefield 2042 Beta and Cheat makers had cheats active on the Beta before it even went offline

It's more about if it's worth the effort to constantly update bypasses to keep cheats active. Only those with a large dedicated team making paid monthly subscription mods can make them bypass

And if it's too much effort they won't keep it up

Like on Battlefield 2042 where you don't hear much about Hacks being on it after the Full game released

[Charmander]

Game Guard nProtect was used for MapleStory back in the day. Wasn't that a shady 2000s mmo? I heard people getting keylogged all the time.

[FluffyHereWego]

Originally posted by Quill:

Originally posted by FluffyHereWego:

This is worth reading from an industry expert.
https://forums.malwarebytes.com/topic/24934-nprotect-gameguard-rootkit-threat/

Don't they say this about EVERY kernel level Anti Cheat

Which is basically all of them?

Yes which means they all essentially have the potential for a malicious party to remote control your PC for any purpose. Which means the only thing left is whether you trust the company to produce a quality product. Put simply if nProtect were developed by Steam then maybe it would garner more trust. Also interestingly, the same company also produces the following:
nProtect Netizen
nProtect GameGuard
GameGuard Personal 2007
nProtect Anti-virus/Spyware 2007
nProtect Internet Security 2007
nProtect Enterprise
nProtect Scanner USB
Seems to me that they are using the same base architecture but load it with different scanning and control behaviors. I am not sure if countries like China does this already but this kind of technology would be very suitable to monitor and control any anti gov behavior as well.
Personally we are at a stage where we need a government agency/third party ethics group to audit the codes that has more access than the user, just like they do for food and medicine.

[(:)]

from my testing GG has problems it does not truly uninstall completely and has been found to be causing problems on PCs even bricking some, people who are mad at the facts will say "its just cheaters" to ignore the problems it has, its up to you in the end

[Silverlight]

Anyway, I'll add the obligatory "use Linux" comment.

The anti cheat doesn't seem to have as much access even with the valve passthrough.

[Koen]

I'm starting to get buzzword vibes any time someone says "kernel" or "root" like anyone actually knows wtf those words mean. It's like watching people argue about covid or politics and throwing words like "macromolecule" or some ♥♥♥♥

[Alpacalypse]

i had to take my popcorn out of the ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ microwave because it was gonna hack my house, it had kernel access