Codemasters Hacked
- Categories: Games, News
- Date: Jun 11, 2011 02:48 JST
- Tags: Codemasters, Crime, Hacking, Internet, Technology, UK
Codemasters have reported the personal details of “tens of thousands” of users, including the usual identity theft essentials of names, addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth and passwords, but not payment details, have been made off with by hackers who penetrated one of its servers. It appears it took them a whole week to notice.
Codemasters reports its main site and online store were hacked on the 3rd of June, with unknown hackers making off with names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, passwords, gamer tags, IP addresses, order histories, and coupon details.
It eventually responded on the 10th of June by taking down its site and then emailing users, warning them to change all their passwords if they had used the same one elsewhere, and to beware of anyone asking them for personal information, a warning which might well apply to Codemasters as well it seems.
The only thing saving users from having their credit card details included in this data trove was the fact that payments were handled by an external processor.
At present they have taken the rather pathetic expedient of redirecting their domain to their Facebook page – “a new website will launch later in the year,” they say.
As usual, the hackers themselves remain unknown and given their probable sophistication are in all likelihood at close to zero risk of being caught.
Without massive reforms to the woefully inadequate legal sanctions available to users who have their personal details leaked by companies who evidently could not care less about the security of the data they hoard, it seems unlikely any incentive for long-term improvements in security exists.
Short of such reforms, it seems the only realistic recourse available to users is to provide as little genuine information as possible to those who can hardly be trusted with it – which sadly seems to cover most companies with an online presence.
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Getting hacked seems to be the latest craze/fad.
Oh the shenanigans.
I sense WORLD DOMINATION?
Finally, I thought it would be just Japanese companies. These hackers were not so racist after all. Now all we need is for them to hack American companies. Americans too proud that they are better, time to teach them a lesson.
now trending: hacking big companies
This is getting old.
This is a just punishment for fucking with Bohemia Interactive over the rights to use the name "Operation Flashpoint", a name which Codemasters have raped ever since.
ArmA 2 For The Win.
I'm kinda... tired of all these hacking news. It's like hacking big names is everyday life :\
Pffft, I was getting hacked way before it was cool.
Sounds like BPS is at it again.
Microsoft attacking again? XD lol
you know too much!!!!
this is the laughing man case all over again
now we need a hawt badass awesome purple hair cyborg with
philosophical dilemma moral to bringing the bad guys to justice!! :D
I vote for loli version, but please continue on.
PS - Still waiting for the third movie
LMAO I was talking to my brother the other day joking around about how Microsoft is the hacking group since they seem to have just kinda waddled off somewhere being quiet. Microhax
Who the hell/what the hell is Codemasters?
They make the best racing games for PC.
They used to make the best racing games for the PC.
*fixed*
They're also the developers of the free-to-play version of Lord of the Rings Online, as well as the FPS series Operation Flashpoint, specifically Dragon Rising and Red River.
New sport gets more and more popular...
It's kinda sad, CM do make some very nice games, hackers should be ashamed of this.
Whoever the hackers are, they probably have their hands on the master key to the entire World Wide Web. There's no other explanation.
Like children with a gun.
Kids with guns
Kids with guns
Taking over
They won't be long
They mesmerize, skeletize
Kids with guns
Kids with guns
Easy does it, easy does it, they got something to say no to
Ah crap...I registered on their forum a long time ago...can't remember if there was any personal details I put on there...
It must be the "cool" thing among companies now, to say we got hacked;
Code-san: Hi guys. I'm new here. Just got hacked last week.
SE-san: Hey there, welcome. I got hacked about a month ago. About 25 thousand and a few Canadians but no biggie.
Nin-san: That's nothing. I got hacked but its no big deal since I've no idea what I lost. It wasn't that bad for me, but I still can't tell you guys about it tho.
Sony-san: Oh yeah? Well, I got hacked repeatedly, not counting the other unknown successful hacking attempts at the moment, with over 100 million accounts leaked and I still don't know screwed am I or who penetrated me up in the first place. It was a little hard at first, but it got easier after the 3rd and 4th injections. In the end, they took everything I had and my network friends left me.
Which reminds me, I got some free stuff the other day.
Anyone want a copy?
360-san: That's because you keep wearing those skimpy clothes around everywhere, and you don't know how to say "No" properly. Of course you would get molested by everyone who passes you on the street. You have to know how to sell yourself out. *wink*
360's next on the list.
I just hope the steam network is going to be safe :D
be the best and sell the rest!
Anonymous
06:30
i kind of want it to get hit hard... would love to get a few free games out of it.
Why are you smiling?
You know hacking's the latest thing when the first news you hear of a company is that it got hacked.
Companies being attention wh*res like that.
I actually got the letter, to which I reacted with; "Huh? I have an account with them? Aren't they dead?"
i kinda like their games: Dirt, Grid. (Operation Flashpoint was so-so)
It must be a "cool" thing to add Japanese honorifics while speaking English now...wait, what was that? That's just how fucking weaboos are? Oh, ok. Move along, then.
I checked my email this morning and had a letter from EPIC. Seems the Unreal forums were hax't too. Usernames, passwords, emails, the usual. At least they mentioned that their passwords were hashed.
Good. I really don't like codemasters all that much. They did a shitty job with RF Online while they had control over it.
I got the message
_____________________________________
Important information regarding your account
Dear valued Codemasters customer,
On Friday 3rd June, unauthorised entry was gained to our Codemasters.com website. As soon as the intrusion was detected, we immediately took codemasters.com and associated web services offline in order to prevent any further intrusion.
During the days since the attack we have conducted a thorough investigation in order to ascertain the extent and scope of the breach and have regrettably discovered that the intruder was able to gain access to the following:
Codemasters.com website
Access to the Codemasters corporate website and sub-domains.
DiRT 3 VIP code redemption page
Access to the DiRT 3 VIP code redemption page.
The Codemasters EStore
We believe the following have been compromised: Customer names and addresses, email addresses, telephone numbers, encrypted passwords and order history. Please note that no personal payment information was stored with Codemasters as we use external payment providers, meaning your payment details were not at risk from this intrusion.
Codemasters CodeM database
Members' names, usernames, screen names, email addresses, date of birth, encrypted passwords, newsletter preferences, any biographies entered by users, details of last site activity, IP addresses and Xbox Live Gamertags are all believed to have been compromised.
Whilst we do not have confirmation that any of this data was actually downloaded onto an external device, we have to assume that, as access was gained, all of these details were compromised and/or stolen.
The Codemasters.com website will remain offline for the foreseeable future with all Codemasters.com traffic re-directed to the Codemasters Facebook page instead. A new website will launch later in the year.
Advice
For your security, in the first instance we advise you to change any passwords you have associated with other Codemasters accounts. If you use the same login information for other sites, you should change that information too. Furthermore, be extra cautious of potential scams, via email, phone, or post that ask you for personal or sensitive information. Please note that Codemasters will never ask you for any payment data such as credit card numbers or bank account details, nor will Codemasters ask you for passwords or other personal identifying data. Be aware too of fraudulent emails that may outwardly appear to be from Codemasters with links inviting you to visit websites. The safest way to visit your favourite websites is always by typing in the address manually into the address bar of your browser.
Unfortunately, Codemasters is the latest victim in on-going targeted attacks against numerous game companies. We assure you that we are doing everything within our legal means to track down the perpetrators and take action to the full extent of the law.
We apologise for this incident and regret any inconvenience caused.
We are contacting all customers who may have been affected directly.
Should you have any concerns or wish to speak to a member of our Customer Services team, please email them at custservice@codemasters.com.
Dear Anonymous,
I didn't like codemaster as well solely because they screwed up RF Online (particularly the Mech downgrade -_-).
It's good to see others feeling the same :D
News flash: Epic Games (guys who made Gears of War and the Unreal Engine) has now also been hacked.
Someone's on a vendetta against game companies...
this is getting to the point that if you weren't being hacked, you nobody XD ...
Rofl these hackers are having too much fun with hacking fest right now XD God, I wonder what triggered them to hack these big companies in chain reaction.
That's probably because big companies tend to be total dicks.
where's the hacking of McDonald's and Walmart o n o
Eh, those leaks aren't as much of a big deal for individual users as people make them out to be. The sony users have a literally one in a million chance to have their details used in an identity theft.
...unless your name starts with A or Z, that is. In which case you should change it, because A and Z are shitty letters to start a name with.
Just as keikaku
This is getting pretty ridiculous.
I wonder if it's that "lulz security" group again?
>As usual, the hackers themselves remain unknown and given their probable sophistication are in all likelihood at close to zero risk of being caught.
Keep telling yourself that. I'm sure you and your friends are just too much for the puny FBI to ever catch. It's not like they do this for a living.