Skip to main content

Beware of Steam malware - Valve upgrades security following threats, here's what we know

If you’re a Steam user, beware, as hackers have managed to deliver malware to gamers through the platform.

Multiple game developers have had their Valve accounts compromised recently, with the attackers using these accounts to update the games they were distributing through Steam, by adding malicious code. 

Valve has confirmed the news, contacting affected users via email, but has already taken steps to make sure something like this never happens again.

Extra friction

By the end of October 2023, developers will need to pass two-factor authentication (2FA) before being allowed to deliver the latest game update to the players. Unfortunately, the only way to pass 2FA will be via SMS, opening up the developers to SIM swapping. That being said, Steam partners will need to register a phone number with the platform soon enough. Those who don’t want to do that will have no other way to update their game.

Speaking to PC Gamer, Valve said the “extra friction” is a "necessary tradeoff for keeping Steam users safe and developers aware of any potential compromise to their account." 

If all of this sounds like overkill, it’s because this isn’t the first time Steam’s come under cybercriminal fire. Valve told the media that there’s been “an uptick in sophisticated attacks” against developer accounts recently. 

One of the developers whose account was compromised, the media report, is Benoît Freslon. On Twitter, he said that malware stole his browser access tokens, which gave the attackers temporary access to his Steam account, where he kept his game NanoWar: Cells VS Virus.

More from TechRadar Pro



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The latest Apple TV 4K test lets you watch four sports streams at once

Apple is trying something new with the latest beta version of tvOS 16.5: the option to watch up to four simultaneous streams at once. Right now it's limited to live sports streamed through the Apple TV app on the Apple TV 4K , specifically MLB Friday Night Baseball and the MLS Season Pass. A multi-view option was spotted in the tvOS software last month, but the code was hidden and not enabled. MacRumors reported that the feature would be enabled this weekend, and beta testers have since been able to use it. As yet multi-view hasn't been officially announced by Apple, but it's expected that tvOS 16.5 is going to be pushed out in its final form within the next month or so. WWDC 2023 is around the corner as well, when we should be hearing about the next major updates for Apple's various operating systems – including tvOS 17. How it works Over at 9to5Mac there's a hands-on demonstrating how the multi-view feature works, and it's pretty much as you would expe...
Post a Comment
Read more

Quantum computers are fast becoming cheaper and smaller — and they could be coming to a data center near you very soon

IonQ claims we’re closer to widespread enterprise quantum computing deployment as it lifted the lid on two rack-mounted models that can be deployed on-premises.   The startup has built the fourth-generation #AQ35 IonQ Forte Enterprise and fifth-generation #AQ64 IonQ Tempo, both of which are designed to be deployed in enterprise and government data centers. It’s also said it is deploying two quantum computers to the US Air Force.  While revealing these two models, IonQ co-founder and CTO Jungsang Kim said quantum computers are already in use by enterprises to churn through machine learning workloads. This, he added, suggests we’re much closer to readily available and affordable machines. Priming enterprises for a quantum future “We believe in the enterprise-grade quantum computing, which is where it can be something of value for enterprises, can happen in the next few years as we build powerful enough quantum computers that can actually do things that classical computers w...
Post a Comment
Read more

Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU could get cheaper with a new version – but don’t get your hopes up

Nvidia’s RTX 4080 is purportedly getting a new spin on the GPU which could reduce the cost, but any price reduction will likely be very minor, sadly, if it happens at all. Tom’s Hardware flagged up this rumor – and treat it with caution, as with anything from the ever-spinning mill – that originated from HKEPC (a tech site in Hong Kong), claiming that while the current RTX 4080 graphics card is built on the AD103-300 chip, Nvidia is going to use a slightly different GPU in the future, namely AD103-301. There’s now more evidence this is actually happening, Tom’s points out, courtesy of a graphics card maker, Galax, which under its RTX 4080 product details lists the GPU as ‘AD103-300/301’. Furthermore, VideoCardz , which also picked up on this, informs us that Gainward, another card maker, has also listed the updated GPU variant AD103-301 in its product specs. With two separate third-party graphics card makers mentioning this new spin on the GPU in their specs, it seems pret...
Post a Comment
Read more