PATCH - Blizzard strikes back at WC3 hackers.

[Dr Super Good]

Blizzard has released a new patch to combat the crash hack that has rendered ranked melee unplayable.

Patch 1.24d

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Patch 1.24d
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FIXES

- Fixed a client crash related to queuing too many invalid build commands ("crash hack").

As people should be aware, earlier this month hackers released a tool which could be used to crash people from melee games and so earn free and unfair wins in ranked games. The crash used a long running fault, which many map makers may have encountered when triggering, to crash the game while their hack prevented them from crashing and so win by last man playing rules.

How this glitch worked...

The crash worked by abusing the finite stack size that the WC3 main thread had. Many people who map WC3 probably have noticed how triggers can only execute so much code in one batch before the execution stops whether or not the end of the code was reached. Getting too many operations to run at once will result in WC3 hitting its stack size limit and so prevent any further execution of actions.

The glitch that the hackers used to crash players was simply getting a unit to execute an order with a non positional exit and then que up approximately 10000 invalid build orders which will collapse instantly and so hit the main thread stack limit. When this stack limit is reached, the game crashes. The accompanying hack for this crash however made the cheater immune to the crash (by for example increasing the stack size) and then could be used to issue 1000s of invalid build orders to collapse instantly when ready. To get the orders to collapse, a building must be qued inside an existing building 1000s of times so they all the qued orders can collapse at the same time. This que is started by getting a unit to patrol or smart another unit in an order which only can finish when the unit dies and then, after queuing enough build orders, killing the followed unit so the builder tries to complete them. The hack helped here again by ordering buildings inside already built buildings which is impossible is normal WC3.

This patch prevents (or is said to) stack crash from occurring so melee ranked games should be playable again. However by fixing this bug they may have changed the mechanics behind certain systems of the game in a currently unknown way.

Currently I am unaware of how this fix was implemented so it may affect other parts of WC3 not directly related to the hack.

 

[Deaod]

Blizzard strikes back at WC3 hackers.

Should be: Blizzard fixes yet another embarrassing vulnerability.

 

[WherewolfTherewolf]

Should be: Blizzard fixes yet another embarrassing vulnerability.

Hey, you can't expect them to notice all possible hacks before release - yes, you'd expect them to find obvious ones but they may have gone without knowledge of this glitch for a while until someone complained about the hack.

 

[Craka_J]

Blizzard should fix crashing bugs when saving a map/campaign in the editor. That'd help me A LOT.

 

[MeKC]

Finally. - I got blood on my tooth every time a hacker crashed my warcraft.

Thx Blizzard

 

[RaijinSpark]

Atlast!! STFU Hackers!!

 

[Deolrin]

Yay, another useless patch for those who don't play(or at least don't play ranked melee matches).

 

[FrIkY]

How many 1.24 patches can they possibly make... that's really absurd.

 

[Pharaoh_]

Hah, they still think of Warcraft III at least. Plus, you guys, they don't get paid for this game anymore, why would they release something serious? The only serious one was the 1.24 and I'm pretty sure there will be another one, in 7 months.

 

[Solecompanysole]

lol I saw in an internet cafe near me a guy tryed to hack I loled and just reported him

 

[Tleno]

Hah, they still think of Warcraft III at least. Plus, you guys, they don't get paid for this game anymore, why would they release something serious? The only serious one was the 1.24 and I'm pretty sure there will be another one, in 7 months.

Currently it looks more like they had forgotten about the WC3 and remembered again only after that map virus thing...
Hey, its quite off-topic and idiotic question, but is that posible for Bllizard to make something that there would be no triger leaks anymore? You know, those "trigering unit/region" ones...

 

[MGCǂSpectre]

Atlast!! STFU Hackers!!

I wish I were so optimistic. Hackers may make a new version that does it again and Blizzard would counter too slowly coz hacks appear more often than patches.

I read lots of people complained of being dropped several times and this patch is finally a bnet improvement compared to the previous one. But there are the drophackers... I got drop hacked twice in a row in 1.24c.

 

[Narrat0r]

Finally. Now those r-tard hackers scratch their head saying: "omgwtf i not can crash maps imma stupid". Let's just hope they don't get some new hacktool.

 

[kevv2]

ever since the update i cant join games....

 

[Mulgrim]

never met one, and got to lvl 4 (or 6?)

 

[Tleno]

And I play only custom maps, so I don't care about these hackers!

 

[Boris_Spider]

To find the hackers (on US EAST) you need to play anything but RT 4v4 or RT 3v3. You'll get dropped when they no longer think victory is possible.

I don't think this is much of a strike though, there are more hacks then Blizzard will ever address, assuming it even could.

//\\oo//\\

 

[Vengeancekael]

Go blizzard!<3

 

[WherewolfTherewolf]

No if only they had a way to counter stupidity....

And I play only custom maps, so I don't care about these hackers!

Some custom maps do often receive hackers in them too. Battle Ships used to be a pretty popular game for hacking (they would make it reveal the whole map so they knew where everyone was). Many of these hacks can be countered but still it's not like custom games get no hackers at all.

 

[Rui]

Nice to see them addressing a hack that, for what I can read here, had began to be used quite often.

 

[Tleno]

Hmmm... then I'm just lucky I've never met any hackers...

 

[Boris_Spider]

Hmmm... then I'm just lucky I've never met any hackers...

Yes you are. It sucks when you start games and your ally can't use his main building, or he gets booted, or you get booted. It's the main reason most RT 4v4 players don't bother with RT 2v2 and anything AT.

May the hackers catch an incurable computer virus and watch in horror as every component of their computers fry.

//\\òó//\\

 

[Dr Super Good]

Can someone confirm how exactly thys fixed the bug which was exploited? Did they change the order system so that orders can not be stacked up like they used to or did they change the actual stack size so the stack in wc3 is bigger. If the latter is the case then you should be able to execute more trigger code at the same time before the "oplimit" is reached as that I heard was stack related.

This patch works flawlessly on W7 64 bit with UK release version of WC3. Updated with no problem (next to reverting WE.exe versions for JNGP) and played multiple games yesterday with no problems what so ever.

Also this bug did affect custom games, and in all maps with buildings it could be used to crash the game. The hack however was made for melee and only had a point with ranked melee games as who cares if you win or lose a custom game, melee or otherwise.

Deaod, this is a news article and thus reflects the image of the site as it appears on the front page. Putting down blizzard for such a good game like WC3 is not very nice and I certainly would not sleep well if I did it. Yes these bugs should not exist in the first place to be exploited by hacks, but you must remember that the WC3 development team no longer works on WC3 (assigned different projects and I believe half of it is WoW other half SC2) so the patch team did an ok job at fixing this fault. Like the arbitry bytecode bug in custom maps, the stack size limit was an aspect of the WC3 the developers never realised could be abused to ruin peoples fun. Once it was discovered (and blizzard was informed), they fixed it so do not slag them off please.

ever since the update i cant join games....

kevv2, try reinstalling WC3 and expansion. To do this uninstall the game, use regedit to remove all regestery data WC3 used and then reinstall the game from scratch. Then update to the lattest offical patch and enjoy (should work). If it still errors try downloading the game from blizzard as that version comes largly prepatched (I hope) and as it is generic should be less buggy than the one on your disc.

 

[Maynard]

.... the game doesnt even run after downloading this patch. It will open and just become a black screen...
reinstalling now.

 

[kevv2]

Can someone confirm how exactly thys fixed the bug which was exploited? Did they change the order system so that orders can not be stacked up like they used to or did they change the actual stack size so the stack in wc3 is bigger. If the latter is the case then you should be able to execute more trigger code at the same time before the "oplimit" is reached as that I heard was stack related.

This patch works flawlessly on W7 64 bit with UK release version of WC3. Updated with no problem (next to reverting WE.exe versions for JNGP) and played multiple games yesterday with no problems what so ever.

Also this bug did affect custom games, and in all maps with buildings it could be used to crash the game. The hack however was made for melee and only had a point with ranked melee games as who cares if you win or lose a custom game, melee or otherwise.

Deaod, this is a news article and thus reflects the image of the site as it appears on the front page. Putting down blizzard for such a good game like WC3 is not very nice and I certainly would not sleep well if I did it. Yes these bugs should not exist in the first place to be exploited by hacks, but you must remember that the WC3 development team no longer works on WC3 (assigned different projects and I believe half of it is WoW other half SC2) so the patch team did an ok job at fixing this fault. Like the arbitry bytecode bug in custom maps, the stack size limit was an aspect of the WC3 the developers never realised could be abused to ruin peoples fun. Once it was discovered (and blizzard was informed), they fixed it so do not slag them off please.


kevv2, try reinstalling WC3 and expansion. To do this uninstall the game, use regedit to remove all regestery data WC3 used and then reinstall the game from scratch. Then update to the lattest offical patch and enjoy (should work). If it still errors try downloading the game from blizzard as that version comes largly prepatched (I hope) and as it is generic should be less buggy than the one on your disc.

did already, still cant join games

 

[MGCǂSpectre]

According to some guy you can manipulate the game with locals. Im not a programmer to know the depths of war3 engine, but the hack with which you can make phoenix instantly revive... just shows how PEOPLE know more about war3 engine than Blizzard ROFLCOPTORZ = = =

http://forums.battle.net/thread.html?topicId=22748754828&sid=3000&pageNo=2

One exploit fixed. Still another exists.

This next one isn't even technically a hack. I'll shorten it to this: I can run my own local code in ladder maps (where I can do things like select units, print data, and reveal the map) by modifying my melee preloader file. Fix this.

 

[Xarwin]

Let me get this straight.

Blizzard strikes back with their catapults to destroy the drophackers.
Yet, a backup army of maphackers has been detected and they forgot the calvary.

 

[Dr Super Good]

This next one isn't even technically a hack. I'll shorten it to this: I can run my own local code in ladder maps (where I can do things like select units, print data, and reveal the map) by modifying my melee preloader file. Fix this.

Too bad warden occasionally detects this and isntant bans you. Local code is not safe as that is why map hacks get detected.

 

[Craka_J]

Too bad warden occasionally detects this and isntant bans you. Local code is not safe as that is why map hacks get detected.

How do you know so much about WarCraft III?!

 

[WherewolfTherewolf]

How do you know so much about WarCraft III?!

How come you know so little about Warcraft III?!

 

[Newuser]

Can someone confirm how exactly thys fixed the bug which was exploited? Did they change the order system so that orders can not be stacked up like they used to or did they change the actual stack size so the stack in wc3 is bigger. If the latter is the case then you should be able to execute more trigger code at the same time before the "oplimit" is reached as that I heard was stack related.

I don't know if this is what Blizzard did or not but after the exploit and hack discovered, people suggested capping the max amount of order queues to 20 instead of unlimited like it was.

Something I remember reading on the battle.net forums.

 

[CMarket]

How come you know so little about Warcraft III?!

Do you even know who you just tried to make fun of? Show some god damn respect, boy.

 

[WherewolfTherewolf]

Do you even know who you just tried to make fun of? Show some god damn respect, boy.

What, just because he's got tons of rep means he's exempt from jokes?

 

[kevv2]

anyone has a way to fix my thing... if i play Solo i have no problem but since the new patch as soon as i play a multyplayer game i get a WC3 crash - Fatal Error, i reinstalled 3 times

 

[Deaod]

Too bad warden occasionally detects this and isntant bans you. Local code is not safe as that is why map hacks get detected.

Too bad theres a difference between running JASS code (which is trusted by default), and running a maphack. Afaik, Azlier tested that exploit in ladder and never got banned.

 

[Dr Super Good]

Inorder to execute jass code you need to hack. However the hack may be possible offline from battlenet where you inject it into the cache of a melee map which will make it undetectable. Next to LoS it however does not provide any advantage as any non local code will cause you to be dropped.

 

[MGCǂSpectre]

I think Dr Super Good should go to work for Blizzard coz Blizzard don't know how hacking works.

 

[Xarwin]

You can't use JASS for hacking in ladder.
If executed locally it will only cause a desync.

 

[Dr Super Good]

Not if the code only affects the local client. Local code is used all the time for player specific effects like multiboards.

 

[Xarwin]

Hmm.. But it isn't really JASS that would be used, correct?

 

[Naim]

Why do they make those stupid War3 patches??? MAKE DIABLO3 OR STARCRAFT2!!!

 

[LordDz]

Why do they make those stupid War3 patches??? MAKE DIABLO3 OR STARCRAFT2!!!

Because people whine at them if they don't?

 

[Tleno]

Why do they make those stupid War3 patches??? MAKE DIABLO3 OR STARCRAFT2!!!

Becauce its same like beeing EA.

 

[Dr Super Good]

If you do not like them why join a site which supports their games...

 

[M_Vegeta]

i read all the topics : its very funny how Blizzard cant barely fix they own sh*t,

for me i had a lot time an error when i started wc3, i dont know wc3 engine but could it be possible that a certain program could run in your comp which is not related to wc3 but could be detected as an hack than making player unable to play game or idk ?

sometime i open wc3 and its give me error like i was using hacks XD....

Blizzard Should take some Hackers to make them work for them : arent they suposed to sent Hackers distribution in jail & closing hackers website would probably slow off the hackers works.... would be very cool XD :/

since blizzard work on d3, wow & sc2 there is no more support on Blizzard .......than i might move to sc2.... but now im thinking hackers probably already made hacks for it XD

 

[Dr Super Good]

Newest hack, the failed build hack. Where by buildings finish being built after being cancled due to an error with the building cancle system in WC3. Currently only doable with hacks or shaired control I believe.

 

[azlier]

I'm kinda late, eh?

>Too bad warden occasionally detects this and isntant bans you.

I thoroughly tested it in 20 games or so. No detections of any sort. Of course, every game ended in a desync if I did something wrong like issue an order targeting a supposedly invisible from across the map...

Besides, I thought Warden was supposed to look for third party stuff running in the background?

 

[Dr Super Good]

No, it only looks for thirdy part stuff manipulating WC3 however the hacks I think hack warden itself (so it breaks) or send orders from outside WC3 through the internet which affect the game.

All these hacks are is testing WC3s robustness to impossible input. They issue totally impossible orders which the actual HCI stops.

 

[Tleno]

No, it only looks for thirdy part stuff manipulating WC3 however the hacks I think hack warden itself (so it breaks) or send orders from outside WC3 through the internet which affect the game.

All these hacks are is testing WC3s robustness to impossible input. They issue totally impossible orders which the actual HCI stops.

Could you explain that a little simplier please?

 

[kevv2]

Here is how Warden works... from what ive seen Anti-Warden script doing...

Warden looks at the data of your WC3.exe and the Dlls, compares it with clean files, and if something isnt like it should be, it detects what it is (if its something minor i think it might overlook it, but im not sure on that) as i have seen lots of Warden Bypasses that work with a log and it sends fake WC3 data to Warden to simulate it being a legit version (which is why when WC3.exe updates a little bit like, a few arrays hacks stop working... because they dont send the right data anymore)