Battle.net authentication woes tonight
by Adam Holisky 
Mar 22nd 2011 at 9:11PM
You're not alone.
Battle.net authentication servers are down, or at least very, very slow to respond. Blizzard is working on a fix, however, so it's only a matter of time until they come back up. We have heard reports, though, that people are able to get in occasionally.
WoW Service Alert
We're aware of an issue that is affecting our authentication servers, which may result in failed or slow login attempts. We're currently investigating the cause and will provide updates as they're available.
In the meantime, I invite you to do what I'm doing on Twitter: tweeting my useless authentication codes as the time goes by. Also, I invite you to enjoy the above image, made for us by Fox van Allen. Why? Because it's better than staring at the WoW login screen.
79589305.
Update 9:33 p.m. EDT: Blizzard has tweeted that the problem has been resolved. But you still get to enjoy that pic, so it's a win-win-win for you!
Filed under: News items
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
MarkoRagnos Mar 22nd 2011 9:19PM
145679
Henry Mar 22nd 2011 9:20PM
/highfive
Henry Mar 22nd 2011 9:19PM
89652414
Iirdan Mar 22nd 2011 9:25PM
444233
Iirdan Mar 22nd 2011 9:48PM
Simply in defiance of the hypocritical poster below this post:
671401
562429
987675
506760
115672
Alexran Mar 22nd 2011 9:25PM
Lol @ the people braindead enough to post their authentication codes. Do you know how the authenticator works? Tsk Tsk.
Henry Mar 22nd 2011 9:26PM
I don't post it until it's well gone and past.
Chris Anthony Mar 22nd 2011 9:27PM
Do you? Single codes are worthless, as are codes without a timestamp attached.
Henry Mar 22nd 2011 9:27PM
26321443
Alexran Mar 22nd 2011 9:28PM
@Henry, Good ;) You're one of the smartest ones here :)
razion Mar 22nd 2011 9:30PM
Do YOU know how an Authenticator works? I believe the code changes every time you use it, so you can't use a previously entered code to login twice. Thus, sharing a failed code is as safe as throwing out a key to your apartment where you just changed the lock mechanism to a new key.
Alexran Mar 22nd 2011 9:31PM
@Chris Anthony, I do. A well timed attack, provided Adam Holinsky is using the same personal email available through a few minutes of googling, and the password "klingondiplomat" I could've just f***ed all his sh*t up.
Alexran Mar 22nd 2011 9:33PM
Hmm ppl seem to believe the BS they read on some FAQ somewhere. Tuthfully, the authenticator code is valid for +60 seconds after generation. I've tried it numerous times. Have you?
jfofla Mar 22nd 2011 9:33PM
Do you?
A random code without the SN or an exact time window is worthless
wow Mar 22nd 2011 9:35PM
@Razion your assumption that the goal of someone looking at the codes is to gain temporary access to your account is false.
How about someone was able to say... figure out a magic number of your authenticator? That would allow them to make a code to access your account at will whenever they want?
IT doesn't take many codes, and I hear a prominent wow insider writer recently posted several of their codes on twitter... which has time stamps... booya?
jfofla Mar 22nd 2011 9:37PM
"Hmm ppl seem to believe the BS they read on some FAQ somewhere. Tuthfully, the authenticator code is valid for +60 seconds after generation. I've tried it numerous times. Have you?"
You sir are a liar.
30 seconds ONLY
Many times I don't get the code in fast enough, push the button at the back end of the 30 secs
DarkWalker Mar 22nd 2011 9:42PM
In theory, a long enough string of sequential codes could be used to guess the internal parameter of your authenticator; perhaps even as few as 10 codes.
In practice, unless there is some weakness in it's internal workings, you would need so much computational power to pull this feat, it's not even funny.
Anyway, I wouldn't post many codes. And never sequential ones.
Chris Anthony Mar 22nd 2011 9:50PM
I'm amused by all the faux-black-hatting by people whose hat's clearly never been darker than beige.
Alexran Mar 22nd 2011 9:52PM
@darkwalker
Yep. That's also a major concern. Hell, WW2 arguably was won because we cracked a german encryption system that was way more complex than the authenticators. Theoretically, knowing the time stamps (available by seeing when the comments were posted) and doing some tricky decryption algorithm magic, one can calculate future authenticator codes.
@jfofla 30 seconds doesn't eliminate the possibility of a well timed attack. I guess I'm really glad people like you aren't IT'ing at my place of work.
Alexran Mar 22nd 2011 9:54PM
@Chris Anthony
Pot calling the kettle beige?