can a steam account be hacked via a product key

[waltera]

Self explanitory. Can a steam account be hacked if someone finds a product key associated with that account?

[Chompman]

No as the cd-key cannot be reused and has no use beyond that.

The only thing they can do with it is use the "retrieve account" option and enter that key and the owner of the game will get an email associated with this cd-key but only they will see it.

[ReBoot]

For starters, hacked: not at all. "Hacked" isn't a universal catch-all umbrella term, it's got a meaning. No.

The better question is whether an account can be hijacked or stolen.

In theory, yes. But not the way you paint it. By randomly finding a key, no. By providing actual proof of ownership, that is by providing the physical slip of paper on which the key is printed, maybe yes. If that slip of paper exists in the first place of course and only if the owner doesn't have any proof of ownership by themselves.

So you may want to refrain from redeeming keys from shady sources.

[waltera]

Originally posted by ReBoot:

For starters, hacked: not at all. "Hacked" isn't a universal catch-all umbrella term, it's got a meaning. No.

The better question is whether an account can be hijacked or stolen.

In theory, yes. But not the way you paint it. By randomly finding a key, no. By providing actual proof of ownership, that is by providing the physical slip of paper on which the key is printed, maybe yes. If that slip of paper exists in the first place of course and only if the owner doesn't have any proof of ownership by themselves.

So you may want to refrain from redeeming keys from shady sources.

what about a picture of the steam key?

[waltera]

Originally posted by Chompman:

No as the cd-key cannot be reused and has no use beyond that.

The only thing they can do with it is use the "retrieve account" option and enter that key and the owner of the game will get an email associated with this cd-key but only they will see it.

I see

[ReBoot]

Originally posted by waltera:

Originally posted by ReBoot:

For starters, hacked: not at all. "Hacked" isn't a universal catch-all umbrella term, it's got a meaning. No.

The better question is whether an account can be hijacked or stolen.

In theory, yes. But not the way you paint it. By randomly finding a key, no. By providing actual proof of ownership, that is by providing the physical slip of paper on which the key is printed, maybe yes. If that slip of paper exists in the first place of course and only if the owner doesn't have any proof of ownership by themselves.

So you may want to refrain from redeeming keys from shady sources.

what about a picture of the steam key?

If that picture is of the physical slip of paper where the key is printed, maybe yes. Still, support requires to write the ticket# onto that slip of paper.

If that's just the key that has been rendered to a picture, not photographed, then no. Unless you got some mad Photoshop skillz, I guess.

[waltera]

Originally posted by ReBoot:

Originally posted by waltera:

what about a picture of the steam key?

If that picture is of the physical slip of paper where the key is printed, maybe yes. Still, support requires to write the ticket# onto that slip of paper.

If that's just the key that has been rendered to a picture, not photographed, then no. Unless you got some mad Photoshop skillz, I guess.

I mean a screenshot of the key in game

[ReBoot]

Originally posted by waltera:

Originally posted by ReBoot:

If that picture is of the physical slip of paper where the key is printed, maybe yes. Still, support requires to write the ticket# onto that slip of paper.

If that's just the key that has been rendered to a picture, not photographed, then no. Unless you got some mad Photoshop skillz, I guess.

I mean a screenshot of the key in game

Well, I've said more than once that you'd need a picture of the physical slip of paper to HIJACK (not hack) the account.
Is a screenshot of the key in game a picture of the physical slip of paper?

[waltera]

Originally posted by ReBoot:

Originally posted by waltera:

I mean a screenshot of the key in game

Well, I've said more than once that you'd need a picture of the physical slip of paper to HIJACK (not hack) the account.
Is a screenshot of the key in game a picture of the physical slip of paper?

no

[ReBoot]

Originally posted by waltera:

Originally posted by ReBoot:

Well, I've said more than once that you'd need a picture of the physical slip of paper to HIJACK (not hack) the account.
Is a screenshot of the key in game a picture of the physical slip of paper?

no

Well, now you've just answered your question.

[Chompman]

Originally posted by ReBoot:

Originally posted by waltera:

I mean a screenshot of the key in game

Well, I've said more than once that you'd need a picture of the physical slip of paper to HIJACK (not hack) the account.
Is a screenshot of the key in game a picture of the physical slip of paper?

Steam will require much more then a single picture of a cd-key like that.

[J4MESOX4D]

Originally posted by waltera:

Originally posted by ReBoot:

If that picture is of the physical slip of paper where the key is printed, maybe yes. Still, support requires to write the ticket# onto that slip of paper.

If that's just the key that has been rendered to a picture, not photographed, then no. Unless you got some mad Photoshop skillz, I guess.

I mean a screenshot of the key in game

The only proof Steam will accept is a PHOTO of the key in its original physical form. Even with that, there has to be some indication that the account is hijacked and most of the time, Support will ask for further additional proof on top.

[ReBoot]

Originally posted by Chompman:

Originally posted by ReBoot:

Well, I've said more than once that you'd need a picture of the physical slip of paper to HIJACK (not hack) the account.
Is a screenshot of the key in game a picture of the physical slip of paper?

Steam will require much more then a single picture of a cd-key like that.

As I said previously

Originally posted by ReBoot:

Still, support requires to write the ticket# onto that slip of paper.

[Elucidator]

product keys can be generated, replicated, calculated, etc.
Would be weird if you only needed one product key to hijack an account.

[JPMcMillen]

All this is a good reason to keep track of any physical keys you may have and make sure to keep them safe, secure, and don't ever pass it on to someone else. Even to someone that wants the box as a collectible.

[ReBoot]

Originally posted by JPMcMillen:

All this is a good reason to keep track of any physical keys you may have and make sure to keep them safe, secure, and don't ever pass it on to someone else. Even to someone that wants the box as a collectible.

It's always possible to make the key unusable. Removing the sticker, redacting it with a felt pen...