Does anyone know if there’s any sort of full disclosure either in the EULA or blizz policy where they describe how intrusive of a search I am allowing when I play wow?
I don’t think they’d disclose exactly how they’d monitor it but I’d imagine applications that process input from WoW into another source is probably likely.
Additionally applications that to access calls to WoW is probably something they can look at and determine what they are based on the program itself.
That’s actually a question I was wondering myself! I’m hoping that someone here can point to an official source, or knows enough about monitoring processes to researchify it for us.
I can see why they wouldn’t give details, I was looking more for what hardware does it scan, and by installing and using wow, have I allowed access to hardware, etc. that could then been be abused by a third party to hack me through.
The ban on key clone software got me thinking about this.
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Not that there is a lot of info, Blizzard’s anti-cheat software is called Warden.
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I doubt they’d officially reveal much of anything about how that works. If they did, it would just give people writing the offending programs an easier way to work around it.
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Theres a program called warden thats installed as part of the wow application. This is where they get the information from.
Its a closed system as its primary role is to monitor for hacks, though obviously it does other stuff as well like collect pc specs etc.
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Ohh well I mean they already do this using Warden. Warden checks for api calls to WoW (aka programs that scan/manipulate/read the wow client).
As far as I’m aware Warden can scan any open software with the caveat that program information is only used for detecting cheating programs.
I am just speculating like everyone else here but I imagine with the change the only thing they have done is added applications known for keystoke detection and distribution to the list of ‘bad applications’ and have it run a check to see if it’s reading from WoW
It used be called Warden(and still could be) and it is a application hook that is part of the launcher and WoW.exe. It came in vanilla world of warcraft, to detect bots and application like fishing bots ,speed and teleporting . It looks into the memory ,what running application and what application is trying access WoW.exe.
I sometimes launch wow with geforce-experience, and use it’s overlay to record and such, I hope that doesn’t trigger it.
master control program
https://i.imgur.com/hPHkUgO.gif
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the way you move around
the way you cast spells
over time averages are made
these averages are broken when other play your account
having multiple accounts doing the same thing creates a pattern as well.
the system collects data and if metrics are met a GM is notified. Most of it is automated. Outside of the wow window blizzard has no idea what programs are running,
The program is called Warden.
https://worldofwarcraft.fandom.com/et/wiki/Warden_(software)
Go to the EULA and search for Consent to Monitor
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Thanks that’s what I was looking for.
Wow there’s been lawsuits, and warden is considered ‘spyware’ by major privacy groups.
It’s definitely in the ToS somewhere. I’m pretty sure the the scanning is built into the Battle.net app.
Yes in the eula you agree to allow it to monitor your computer. There was a guy who created a program that could block some of warden’s activity, but blizz sued and won a 6 million dollar settlement.
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They have an invisible intern looking over your shoulder as you play.
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Back in the day I remember reading from a few separate sources that it would collect information on your web browsing while the bnet client was open to combat/ban gold buying when you could buy it from places other than the bnet store >.>
I had no idea that it was that controversial, give a man a hammer and all problems begin to resemble nails…
Yea, as people said, in Wrath they introduced Warden and monitors for banned programs operating on your PC, not necessarily even interacting with the game. That’s why people who had hacked programs on their computers and never used them got banned at various times throughout the years.
It does allow for like keyboard and mouse macros though, so there is still a very very basic level of automation that isn’t considering botting or hacking.