Path of Exile 2 recently faced a significant security breach, with a flaw that allowed attackers to compromise player accounts. The issue stemmed from a bug where password change events were logged as editable notes, rather than being recorded as unalterable audit events. This vulnerability allowed customer service personnel to accidentally delete these records, making it easier for hackers to take over accounts. The attackers were able to change account passwords and then erase the associated log entries, covering their tracks.
The security failure was compounded by the game’s log retention policy:
The security failure was compounded by the game’s log retention policy, which led to some logs being deleted during the critical period when the breach occurred. The development team discovered a gap in their logs from early November, and by the time they were able to investigate further, 66 affected accounts had already experienced the deletion of their password change logs. This missing information hampered the team’s efforts to fully understand the extent of the breach and identify all impacted accounts.
The developers admitted to significant mistakes and acknowledged the security weaknesses in the game’s backend. They openly stated that their handling of account security was inadequate, saying, “we totally fucked up here.” In response to the breach, the company introduced new security measures, including removing the ability to link Steam accounts to administrative accounts. These steps are aimed at preventing similar incidents in the future.
However, despite the breach and the impact on players, Grinding Gear Games has not announced plans to compensate affected users or restore any stolen items. The company has emphasized that once the items were stolen and the logs deleted, there was no way to recover them. As a result, many players are left without recourse after the security breach..
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