In online game competitions, game plug-ins with new types of cheating functions such as "see-through", "self-aim", "automatic avoidance" and "infinite props" have made the game security environment increasingly complicated.
Recently, Tencent Security released the "2019 Game Security Report" (hereinafter referred to as the "report") that in 2019, whether it is PC games or mobile games, the confrontation with plug-in black products will remain fierce.
As the game's crackdown on external links became more and more severe, the black industry turned around to find another way, and derived new types of hidden cheating methods such as "bringing the boss", "watching the battle perspective" and "escorting".
According to the report, in 2019, the number of plug-ins that Tencent PC games hit as a whole increased by 19.9% over the previous year, with an increase of 5,003; the number of mobile game plug-ins in 2019 reached 4,955.
Under the crackdown, relatively speaking, the number of available functions of the plug-in was reduced, and a total of 883 functions were reduced.
Among them, "Flying" and "Escape" and other high-profile and malignant explicit plug-in functions have been greatly reduced, but non-dominant plug-in functions such as "Perspective" and "Simulation Button" are still in a situation of long-term continuous confrontation.
According to statistics from the security team of Tencent's Guardian Program, the actual sales scale of black game plug-in products in my country has exceeded RMB 2 billion per year, seriously jeopardizing the healthy development of the game industry.
Game plug-ins usually refer to plug-ins that implement cheating functions by tampering with the game client code, reading or modifying data during game running.
Tencent game security expert Lan Mu pointed out to the media including China Business News that game plug-ins will bring security risks to users' own account and system information, and game assets can be obtained by bypassing the restrictions of game rules through plug-in technology. Revenue will break the inherent balance of the game ecology.
Guo Xiaowei, the fourth-level supervisor of the Internet Security Brigade, Jiangyan Branch of the Public Security Bureau of Taizhou City, Jiangsu Province, pointed out that the production of game plug-ins is actually a kind of hacking.
Guo Xiaowei introduced that according to different infringement behaviors and infringement results, game plug-in behaviors are suspected of illegal operations, copyright infringement crimes, and illegal intrusion into computer information systems.
According to the judicial interpretations of the Supreme People’s Court and the Supreme People’s Court for handling such cases, those who provide more than 20 people who have specially used to invade programs and tools for illegally controlling computer information systems, or who have illegally gained more than 5,000 yuan, or caused economic losses of more than 10,000 yuan, can enter crime.
So, driven by psychological factors such as "unlimited items, obtaining the highest honor level in a short time, and the pleasure of crushing opponents", does the use of plug-ins by game players involve illegal and criminal behavior?
Wen Jue, a senior researcher at the Tencent Network Security and Crime Research Base, told China Business News that for users, from the perspective of personal profit-making and the degree of social intrusion has not directly risen to the need for criminal regulation. This is the country's overall level. On the principle of maintaining modest and restraining criminal regulation.
"Because game users or game service users and game service providers have signed norms or contracts for mutual compliance with normal game behaviors, through this contract behavior to restrain the other party, if the other party breaches the contract, we can prosecute through civil means "Wen Suo said.
Despite this, there are still criminals who "take the risk".
According to Du Yong, a security expert in the Tencent Guardian Program, in order to serve the needs of the online game plug-in market, criminal gangs have a clear division of labor, forming roles such as plug-in authors, "card-issuing platform" operators and users, and "net disk" and "plug-in programs". ”, “encrypted verification program” and other technical means constitute a black industry chain.
The renewal and iteration of plug-in technology has also boosted the development of the plug-in distribution system.
Du Yong pointed out that the online game plug-in supply chain includes four key links.
First, the plug-in author develops the plug-in through professional and tool-based technology; secondly, the "card issuing platform" as an intermediary provides 24-hour delivery services for the plug-in; third, the "free login to the online disk" allows both parties to the transaction to upload and download easily ; Finally, the "card secret verification platform" provides encryption protection for plug-in software and "guarantees" the proceeds of black production.
In June of this year, the National Copyright Administration, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Public Security, and the State Internet Information Office jointly launched the "Jianwang 2020" special action, which clearly pointed out the need to severely crack down on infringement and piracy such as online game private servers and plug-ins.
In June of the same year, the police in Taizhou City, Jiangsu Province, with the assistance of the security team of the Tencent Guardian Program, destroyed a huge League of Legends game plug-in group.
It is reported that the group produced and sold three game plug-in software, "Salted Duck Egg", "Dr. Lu" and "Dr. Genting Chess", providing players with multiple plug-in functions for League of Legends games.
In less than two years, illegal profits exceeded 20 million yuan.
The confrontation with the game plug-in is a long-term tug of war.
It is understood that since 2019, the security team of the Tencent Guardian Program has assisted the police in cracking 22 cases of illegal production of online game plug-ins, and arrested more than 180 suspects, with a total amount of 260 million yuan.
However, there are still many difficulties in cracking down on the production and sale of game plug-ins.
Guo Xiaowei pointed out that the complete plug-in industry chain involves multiple black industries, including technology, special supply, and service.
All kinds of illegal industries have a clear division of labor and are interlinked to form a closed-loop black industrial chain, which increases the difficulty of cracking down by the public security department.
At the same time, there are controversial and evidence-collecting dilemmas from judicial practice in cracking down on the production and sale of game plug-in cases.
Du Yong pointed out that to fundamentally solve the problem of online game plug-ins, it requires the joint efforts of all sectors of society to consciously resist online game plug-ins, and promptly report suspected use of plug-ins and plug-in advertisements.
At the same time, relevant regulatory authorities need to issue corresponding laws and regulations to severely crack down on the problem of game plug-ins from the bottom of the design.