Posts with tag ddos

Update 8:15 p.m. PST

The DDoS attacks continue. Blizzard is rolling out updates to the backend services at a breakneck pace right now, some of which are having unintended consequences and further complicating an already messy situation. However, it should be noted that this is to be expected when combating such a large scale attack. In no way is Blizzard responsible for the server outages on this scale -- responsibility rests with the script kiddies and bot net controllers.

It's hard to know just how big this attack is, but with the sustained issues it's causing, and the severity of response from Blizzard, it's safe to assume that it's big. Battle.net is a hardened internet service that has withstood onslaughts like this before. For it to fail at such a critical juncture is nothing but catastrophic for the short term, and could have serious long term implications. We have some idea, shown above, of just how global this attack is.

We'll update this post as the night continues, providing you with the latest. In the mean time -- we recommend you catch up on your lore, and not concern yourself with logging in.

Blizzard also issued the following updated statement at 8:00 pm PST this evening:

Blizzard Entertainment

Our top priority continues to be service issues impacting performance and long wait times on North American realms. We recently pushed a server change that caused disconnects, and as a result login services are heavily impacted as players attempt to (re)log in to the game. If you experience issues logging in, please be patient and wait a few minutes before trying again. We're continuing to work to address other stability and latency issues as well as make additional improvements in game performance.

source

Updated by Adam Holisky. Original post follows after the break.

A collection of ne'er–do–wellers that go by the name of Lizard Squad inflicted significant denial of service attacks to large online gaming networks over the weekend. These attacks brought to a halt World of Warcraft and the entire Battle.net system, PSN, League of Legends, and Path of Exile. Service to all networks has so far been restored.

The group also took things to a new level by issuing a bomb threat to Sony Online Entertainment's President John Smedley flight to San Diego. This, of course, triggers an FBI response and brings things to a whole new level of national security -- Sony is now not commenting any more due to the high level of the crime. Several people have said that claiming "national security" is an overreaction, however if this group really did manage to get an explosive device on to the executive's plane, then it means there are major holes in airport security.

It's likely that this group of script kiddies just didn't realize how incredibly dumb it is to make such a threat, and will soon find themselves facing terrorism charges, with the DDoS charges just an after thought.

One thing to keep in mind; your data in Blizzard's servers was never in any jeopardy. A DDoS attack is like turning on a thousand faucets in your bathtub all at once and watching the tub's drain not be able to handle the extra water flow. The tub is fine (as is your data), it's just completely useless until the faucets get turned off.

---

Given the recent hacking of major companies, could WoW be hacked? In an article posted today at Digital Spy, Lead Game Designer Tom Chilton replies that attempts have been made recently, but Blizzard came through unharmed.

While the question and answer doesn't specifically say LulzSec or Anonymous, I think it's safe to assume LulzSec is the group in question, given the recent high-profile attacks on U.S. government sites and other MMOs, like EVE Online.

Most of LulzSec's work has been focused on DDoS attacks and breaking into servers to create "lulz." During their most recent spree, rumors abounded that WoW was a target; however, nothing came of it. It would now appear nothing came of it thanks to Blizzard's security measures.

Tom Chilton

Several major gaming studios have fallen victim to hackers of late. What measure are Blizzard taking to ensure that WoW is not hit?

We have always tried to be as diligent as we possibly can when it comes to security. Certainly when hacking was going on with other companies recently there were numerous attempts against ourselves also. Fortunately, our security was good enough, so we didn't lose data or anything like that.

We always put a high priority on security, but that's not to say you can ever be impregnable. We're not resting on our laurels saying 'they can't get us'. It's always a possibility, and we take it very serious, but so far, so good.

source

---