An exploit in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War allows unauthorized persons to gain access to players’ IP addresses, multiple gamers revealed this week. This security issue reportedly affects all platforms.
Gamers on Reddit and other social media platforms have expressed concern about the security implications of the breach. Many, including YouTuber TheXclusiveAce, cautioned gamers to avoid playing Black Ops until this issue is fixed. According to TheXclusiveAce, a recently released tool allows anyone to obtain a player’s IP address.
Leaked IP addresses can be used to launch DDoS and other cyberattacks. It also allows threat actors to monitor an individual’s online traffic.
At the time of writing, Treyarch, the developer of this game, and Activision, its publisher, are yet to comment on the issue. Activision has been fraught with security incidents in recent months. The company fixed a similar issue affecting Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 in February.
Breach Can Expose Other Sensitive Data
According to multiple sources, threat actors can take advantage of the exploit to crash a player’s game. Hackers can also impersonate gamers, collect data about them, and even find their precise location.
Just days before this revelation, Activision shut down third-party COD “mods,” leaving gamers potentially vulnerable. Also, a cease and desist order was issued to SM2 and X Labs, creators of popular “fan clients” for older COD titles. This effectively terminates players’ access to a hacker-free environment and leaves only the older official servers, which popular streamer Modern Warzone has deemed unsafe.
It has been three years since COD Black Ops Cold War was released. Activision usually stops updating the security on COD servers as titles age. It remains to be seen if the company will release a patch for this issue.
How to Play Call of Duty Games Safely
If you choose to play Black Ops and other older Call of Duty games, it’s important to safeguard your privacy. We recommend using a VPN to mask your IP address and obfuscate your internet traffic. Read our guide to the best VPN for COD BO7 bot lobbies or Warzone VPNs to learn more about the benefits of a VPN and see our top picks.
We also recommend using an antivirus solution for real-time protection.
