Are all cheats marked as malware?

[George Builder]

/title
Alright, so say like I downloaded an add on for a game example like GMOD or any type of game at all and it includes a cheat in those folders. Would it be possible for myself to get falsely vac banned because there was an undetectable cheat that isn't marked as malware? I tried using the search engine on the forums and google but I can't find anything close to this sadly.

[The Giving One]

How can I ensure I don't get VAC banned?

To ensure your account does not get VAC banned, use only trusted machines to play on VAC-Secured servers. If you are not sure whether or not the machine you are using to connect to Steam may have cheats installed, do not play on VAC-Secured servers.

Use caution when installing any game modifications like scripts or custom skins, and only download custom content from trusted sources. Hackers may maliciously disguise their cheats to cause others to get banned.

https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=7849-RADZ-6869&l=english#avoidvac

[George Builder]

Thank you, The Giving One. Now I want this question to be answered ''Are all cheats marked as malware?''

[The Giving One]

No, not all cheats are going to be detectable as "malware" but some can come bundled with malware, possibly.

They might detect as malware but might not. There are many variables with the answer to that question.

What is being used to scan the modification with ?
Does the modification contain malicious code ?

Things like that.

[George Builder]

What about when you join different community servers wouldn't you get viruses from unpopular ones?

[George Builder]

I forgot to mention, wouldn't they be packaged with cheats too?

[The Giving One]

Originally posted by Erjon:

What about when you join different community servers wouldn't you get viruses from unpopular ones?

Even if that is the case, that does not cause a VAC ban.

You can't get a VAC ban from joining any server. That is a myth.

The security of our computer systems and accounts are 100% our responsibility, though.

Even if a VAC ban is applied by mistake, it will be removed automatically. Yes, it is possible to get incorrectly VAC banned, but it is extremely rare to have that happen.

VAC bans are permanent, non-negotiable, and cannot be removed by Steam Support.

If a VAC ban is determined to have been issued incorrectly, it will automatically be removed.

https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=7849-RADZ-6869

I am not an expert on cyber security, so maybe someone else will post and better answer your questions, if I have not.

[Silicon Vampire]

Originally posted by Erjon:

What about when you join different community servers wouldn't you get viruses from unpopular ones?

no. If that were the case, every account would get a ban eventually. You can not download malicious files through the server.

Originally posted by Erjon:

I forgot to mention, wouldn't they be packaged with cheats too?

As always, use self-downloaded files at your own risk.

[George Builder]

Thank you for replying The Giving One and Silicon, I know this sounds a bit unrelated but what about if you're joining different servers on different games you could get a virus/cheats? (For example, the game i'm playing right now can have servers installed with viruses) that's my last question and then this case is closed.

[The Giving One]

If you are simply joining servers, no, you are not downloading anything, so you can't get viruses. Viruses do not cause VAC bans anyway. This is what causes a VAC ban :
https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=7849-RADZ-6869&l=english#whatisvac

The VAC system reliably detects cheats using their cheat signatures. Any third-party modifications to a game designed to give one player an advantage over another is classified as a cheat or hack and will trigger a VAC ban. This includes modifications to a game's core executable files and dynamic link libraries.

If you purposefully go to a cheat download source, and download cheats yourself, that can definitely cause a VAC ban.

Originally posted by Erjon:

(For example, the game i'm playing right now can have servers installed with viruses) that's my last question and then this case is closed.

How do you know the server has infections on it ?
Not sure how you can know that for sure, and even if it does, you can't get a VAC ban from that.

[VaLiuM]

All the required files or filetypes are usually hardcoded in the game to some extent, so adding a virus or cheats will probably do nothing at all, since the game doesn't understand what to do with these files and they never become active, like with maps being downloaded onto the PC, which a lot of games support.

[George Builder]

Originally posted by Erjon:

(For example, the game i'm playing right now can have servers installed with viruses) that's my last question and then this case is closed.

How do you know the server has infections on it ?
Not sure how you can know that for sure, and even if it does, you can't get a VAC ban from that. [/quote]
Well, I've spoke to the game dev that if it's possible to get an add-on packaged with viruses while you're in the loading section while you're in the server making you download add-ons to join in, he said yes. But not all servers are infected with viruses in the game i was playing (has nothing to do with valve games), but some.

[The Giving One]

Originally posted by Erjon:

Well, I've spoke to the game dev that if it's possible to get an add-on packaged with viruses while you're in the loading section while you're in the server making you download add-ons to join in, he said yes. But not all servers are infected with viruses in the game i was playing (has nothing to do with valve games), but some.

Ok, the key word there is "download". If you have to download anything, I can only suggest that you do so at your own risk. Not to be rude about that developer or game, but that's my take.

[George Builder]

Originally posted by The Giving One:

Originally posted by Erjon:

Well, I've spoke to the game dev that if it's possible to get an add-on packaged with viruses while you're in the loading section while you're in the server making you download add-ons to join in, he said yes. But not all servers are infected with viruses in the game i was playing (has nothing to do with valve games), but some.

Ok, the key word there is "download". If you have to download anything, I can only suggest that you do so at your own risk. Not to be rude about that developer or game, but that's my take.

No problem if you don't believe about the part where i said ''developer'' but the game doesn't require you to download anything outside from the game, just downloading required files while you're loading in someones server.

[The Giving One]

Originally posted by Erjon:

No problem if you don't believe about the part where i said ''developer'' but the game doesn't require you to download anything outside from the game, just downloading required files while you're loading in someones server.

Yes, that all sounds fine, and it probably "is" fine, but I can't know for sure, so my answer has to be neutral in that regard.

I would probably download the files if they were required for the game, but if they were required for you to be able to join someone's private server FOR that game ? Then no, absolutely not.

I would find another server that was official.

[VaLiuM]

one time i made an addon that filled all of the default folders with huge amounts of spam files with random extensions and names in the background without lagging the game, slowly and silently filling up the harddrive

https://forum.blockland.us/index.php?topic=301772.msg9210989#msg9210989

That's probably the nastiest one you could get.