EA got hacked and games source code leaked including new game Battlefield 2042

[ryanjshaw]

Wow: "Source code is a version of computer software which is usually much easier to read and understand than the end version in a finished product, and could be used to reverse engineer parts of the product."

[dlkf]

I felt that this was well written. Do you have a better definition of source code that is:

- Accessible to the general public (it's a BBC article)

- One sentence long (you will lose readers if this becomes a cs101 lecture)

- Articulates why a source code leak matters

[aurbano]

> usually much easier to read and understand

They would be doing something seriously wrong if that wasn't always the case haha

[koheripbal]

I downvote comments like this, not because I disagree with them, but because they digress the conversation from what I think is more important - the hack itself.

Hope that's ok.

[bayindirh]

Oh really? Didn't know that! Wish we had this source code thingy available for the critical programs that we use everyday, so I can look to them and understand how they work.

[chtitux]

So where is the source code of this Perl script ?

[bserge]

Yeah, EA source code is probably much easier to understand than their end products.

[acallaghan]

All the BBC articles are meant for everyone to understand, they are not aimed at engineers, or CS grads (or even graduates of any kind, for that matter).

Did you really need to read what source code was again from the BBC? If you know already, great - but if you don't, why do you need to know what a compiler is?

It's similar to their general coverage of the covid vaccine - does everyone that reads an article about the vaccine really need to know the scientific debate, context, cohort data, vaccine action detail? Or just that the vaccine works & is safe?

[scrps]

I've always described source code to non-technical people as the recipe and ingredients, compiling as the baking, and the software as the bread loaf. Seems to land for most people.

[tus89]

I feel the "usually" might be ironic humor.

[NmAmDa]

isn't that what we call "well documented code following best coding practices" in our world ?

[kizer]

I know, right. They tried their best.

[mtrovo]

A really good time to get access to the loot box code and verify what exactly are the drop rates for items.

[BatteryMountain]

It probably comes from config/database, not hard-coded, so might not get it after all.

[ryathal]

I think it's Korea or China that requires the rates to be published, so they might be available somewhere already.

[Mindwipe]

One imagines that the source code just makes those variables, and they're configured server side as required.

[EricMausler]

If you find out, please update

[0xThiebaut]

I must be missing something but I don’t see any mention that the Battlefield 2042 source code got leaked, nor in this article nor from any other credible sources. There is a difference between the game engine and the game itself.

[novium]

Yeah, the source for the BBC article (VICE[0]) also just mentions that it included the source for Frostbite, not the entire game.

Edit: [0] is also a much better source than BBC in this case.

[0] https://www.vice.com/en/article/wx5xpx/hackers-steal-data-el...

[slezyr]

The title is incorrect in many ways. The source code is stolen, not leaked. Source codes of Frostbite + FIFA were stoles, not other titles.

[brink]

Hopefully this means we'll finally get dedicated servers from the community for these games.

I'd love to contribute to something like this.

[RGamma]

Moddable dedicated servers are the best. There's still active communities on e.g almost 20 years old CS:S and probably older games.

Of course not best for financials

[MIBMA]

I'm really interested to know more about the actual effect this will have on EA. Because other than the problems with potential cheats and bots, there are not much anyone can do. No one will use closed source engine for developing a game without permission. Maybe the only other problem for EA is if there are many exploits that can lead to a serious security implications.

[alpaca128]

I've heard Titanfall 1 and 2 multiplayer are basically unplayable for many people, as a hacker with knowledge about the game's internals managed to get such comprehensive access to the multiplayer servers that they can literally ban certain players (like streamers) independently of IP address or game account. And so far developers haven't been doing anything even though it's been going on for many months.

So the worst case scenario could be worse than just a few cheaters. Either way EA will endure it without problems because it's barely different than the average bad game launch.

[aardshark]

There probably shouldn't be such exploits, but there probably are.

I remember Quake 3 had a number of exploits that could allow a server owner to essentially run arbitrary code on clients machines.

As a newer game, probably Battlefield 2042 servers are entirely run by EA, so any exploitation will have to go through the server first.

[animal531]

At least now we can get Fifa 22-25 as soon as next month.

[rlayton2]

Easy. Just get a copy of Fifa 2021 and a sharpie.

[glouwbug]

A long time ago somewhere I read that the entire game's AI system ran through a function called kick_ball() or something like that

[layoric]

I wonder if some of the persistent cheaters like Tufi from Apex Legends have gotten hold of the source code, making it easier to find exploits.

https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-05-11-unbannable-ape...

[ZuLuuuuuu]

Is it known what kind of source code hosting solution EA is using that got hacked, and how it got hacked?

[agilob]

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27462952

[kizer]

Although I don't condone hacks like this of course, I think it would be amazing for someone to interpret the engineering and mechanics behind a title like FIFA for the rest of us; I'd look through the code myself though I'd imagine it would take a long time to make sense of it.

Same for Frostbite.

I'm just curious about the tech behind AAA games and it would be fascinating to explore the innards.

[abrawill]

You can pretty much do that with Unreal Engine which allows you access without relying on stolen goods...

[kizer]

Plus, this would be a goldmine for finding game exploits, and creating PC mods for all the Frostbite-powered games.

[arduinomancer]

There is literally no mention of 2042 in the article.

Where does it say battlefield 2042 was leaked?

All I see is Fifa and Frostbite (a game engine)

[whereistimbo]

Should I shed tears for them for getting hacked, or laugh to them because they are not taking security seriously?

[rplnt]

> because they are not taking security seriously?

I don't think is necessarily the case. You can take security seriously, but there are limits, and you have to balance the effort with the willingness of someone breaching your safeguards.

I would use a bicycle as an example. You can buy whatever lock you want, it can be broken by someone. The better the lock, the less people can get through it or are less inclined to do so anyway. You can pay a security guard to look after your bike, but at some point, if your bicycle is really valuable, one guard can be bribed (or killed), and so on, and so on.

In summary, just because they were "hacked" does not mean they are not taking security seriously.

[emilsedgh]

I'm inclined to laugh at them but honestly what does it even mean at this point to take security seriously?

It appears that the only companies capable of being secure are Google and Apple. Aside them everyone is getting hacked every other day.

[tyingq]

Thankfully, no ransom. That fire doesn't need more fuel.

[Tenoke]

How is stealing something better than stealing something + optionally offering to return it for money?

[Bancakes]

Capcom, CD Projekt Red, and now EA?

[markedathome]

Ubisoft and Crytek were also hacked last October

[TameAntelope]

Is it possible that corporations generally are getting so large that comprehensively securing their entire network is more or less untenable?

Maybe instead, individual business units (or even smaller) should be independently responsible for security.

[inDigiNeous]

You forgot Nintendo.

[swarnie_]

It couldn't happen to a more deserving company.. Well, maybe Ubisoft.

[NetOpWibby]

That actually happened in Watch Dogs 2. It was a funny tongue-in-cheek mission.

[dijit]

I worked for Ubisoft, curious why you think we’re worse than EA.

[martin_a]

Are these games any different than in name and textures?

Looks to me like it's all the same since Battlefield 3 and they only change the look.

But possibly I'm too ignorant and expect too much of major game releases.