Call of Duty cheaters hit by malware attack

It's no secret that Call of Duty has suffered a major cheating problem for years, and its modern era has been more easily defined by its faults than its successes.

The wins have been great for players as they returned to classic maps in Modern Warfare 3 and danced around in a souped-up Warzone experience, but kernel-level attempts to crack down on the franchise's cheaters haven't worked, with players still issuing warnings about hackers plaguing lobbies.

In an arguable case of karma, it looks like cheating could be about to be slowed by external forces. One cheat provider has been hit with a malware attack, leaving cheaters exposed and, in some cases, penniless.

Cheaters in Call of Duty and Overwatch have been struck with crypto-stealing malware

A new report from cybersecurity firm VX Underground reveals that a malware attack has targeted those seeking cheats in a series of games. The main title is Call of Duty, leaving some with their crypto wallets emptied.

"Over the past couple of days we have become aware of malware targeting gamers," the company said on Twitter. "More specifically, a currently unidentified Threat Actor is utilizing an infostealer to target individuals who cheat (Pay-to-Cheat) in video games."

The attack has come with a crypto-drain, meaning that many players with Electrum BTC wallets have had their crypto stolen in the process too. Players engaging with Call of Duty, WoW, Overwatch, Diablo and more have been affected.

It's a brutal twist of fate for people seeking to cheat in-game, and frustratingly, some stragglers who attempted to use the software to cut down on in-game latency.

ActiBlizz is reportedly working with cheat distributors

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In light of this news, VX Underground claims that the biggest company to host these cheaters has stepped up in an attempt to help put its gripes behind it. It states, "The scope of the impact is so large, and in a bizarre twist of fate, Activision Blizzard is coordinating with cheat providers to aid users impacted by the massive infostealer campaign."

It comes just days after we reported on Activision Blizzard hitting a major cheat provider with a cease and desist that saw it shut up shop. If true, working with cheat providers would be a remarkable step to protect players. You don't have to like cheaters, but they're a part of these games' communities, and we'd hate to be them right now.