This is a full, comprehensive tutorial on how to start game hacking. You don't need a full understanding on how Memory and Assembly works but it's good to have it while going into this.
Code examples will be provided.
This is for educational purposes only.
Introduction to Game Hacking
- Basic Terminology and Tools
- Reverse Engineering and Debugging
- Understanding Memory and Assembly
- Creating and Using Cheats
- Finding and Exploiting Vulnerabilities
- Advanced Techniques and Tricks
- Monetizing Your Skills: Building and Selling Cheats
- Skirting the Law: Avoiding Detection and Legal - Consequences
- Making a Career Out of Game Hacking.
Game hacking is all about taking control of a video game and bending it to your will! Whether you want to gain an unfair advantage, uncover hidden secrets, or add some custom flair, game hacking has something for everyone. To get started, you'll need a mix of technical skills and problem-solving ability. You'll be using tools like debuggers, disassemblers, and hex editors to understand how the game works, and then exploiting any weaknesses you find.
There are several different types of game hacking, including client-side hacking, server-side hacking, and online game hacking. Client-side hacking is about making modifications to the game client, such as changing graphics or adding new features. Server-side hacking involves attacking the game server to gain access to sensitive information or control over the game world. Online game hacking refers to cheating in multiplayer games to get ahead of other players.
Getting started with game hacking requires a solid understanding of computer systems and programming languages. Some hackers have a background in computer science or electrical engineering, while others are self-taught. The tools and techniques used in game hacking are constantly changing, so it's important to stay up-to-date and keep learning.
While game hacking can be a lot of fun, it's also illegal and unethical. Many games have anti-cheat measures in place to prevent hacking, and those caught can face serious consequences, including account bans and legal action. So be sure to understand the risks involved and act responsibly!
Before you get started with game hacking, you need to familiarize yourself with some key terms and tools.
Debuggers are software tools that let you examine and manipulate a game's memory and execution. They're great for finding bugs or vulnerabilities that you can exploit.
Disassemblers convert machine code into human-readable assembly language, allowing you to reverse engineer the game and figure out how it works.
Hex editors let you view and edit raw binary data in a game. This means you can change things like character stats or level layouts.
Scripting languages are programming languages designed specifically for game development. For example, Lua and Python. With these, you can automate boring tasks or make your own custom mods.
Reversing is all about decompiling, disassembling, or analyzing the code and data of a game to understand how it works. Once you know that, you can find vulnerabilities to exploit.
Cheating is when you use a game hack to gain an unfair advantage over other players. This might mean using exploits, bots, or other unfair methods.
It's important to understand the difference between ethical hacking and cheating. Ethical hacking involves finding and reporting vulnerabilities in a game to help improve its security. Cheating is just using those vulnerabilities for your own benefit.
Some of the best tools you can use for game hacking are as following;
Cheat Engine: A popular open-source tool that can be used to modify the values of game variables, such as health, ammo, or gold. It can also be used to create and run simple scripts.
OllyDbg: A powerful debugger that can be used to examine and modify the memory and execution of a game. It is often used by reverse engineers to understand how a game works.
x64dbg: An open-source debugger that is similar to OllyDbg. It supports both x86 and x64 architectures.
IDA Pro: A commercial disassembler that is widely used by reverse engineers. It has a wide range of features and is considered one of the best disassemblers available.
HxD: A free hex editor that can be used to modify game data. It is simple to use and has a wide range of features.
Reverse engineering and debugging are crucial steps in the game hacking process. They involve examining the game's code, data, and memory to understand how it works. This information can then be used to modify the game and create new functionality.
Suppose we want to reverse engineer a simple game that keeps track of a player's health. We can use Cheat Engine to do this by following these steps:
In this example we're going to be using the game 'Assault Cube', it's free, has no anti cheat and is offline. Perfect for us.
- Start by downloading and installing Cheat Engine.
- Open Cheat Engine and the game Assault Cube.
- In Cheat Engine, select the process for Assault Cube from the list of processes.
- Find the health value in the game by scanning for the current value of your health. To do this, go to the "Memory View" tab in Cheat Engine and click "New Scan."
- Change your health in the game, for example, by taking damage, then go back to Cheat Engine and click "Next Scan."
- Repeat this process until you have a small list of values that correspond to your health.
- Look for the value that changes consistently when you change your health in the game. This should be your health value.
- Right-click on the value and select "Change value" to modify your health.
- Enter the new value for your health and click "OK."
- Test your changes in the game and enjoy your unlimited health.
I recommend checking out the full tutorial on cheat engine here.
- Memory Memory is a crucial component of a computer system, as it is responsible for storing data and allowing it to be easily retrieved. Understanding how memory works is essential for game hacking and reverse engineering.
Memory is divided into a series of bytes, which can be thought of as tiny storage units. Each byte is assigned a unique memory address, allowing data to be easily retrieved and manipulated. Memory can be divided into several segments, including the stack, heap, and data segments. The stack is used for temporary storage, such as function call frames, while the heap is used for dynamic memory allocation. The data segment stores global and static variables.
Memory can be accessed and manipulated through a variety of programming languages and tools. In game hacking, the use of a memory editor, such as Cheat Engine or OllyDBG, is often necessary to modify game data stored in memory. These tools allow you to search for and modify specific values in memory, such as health points, ammo count, or other game variables.
To effectively use a memory editor, you should have a basic understanding of data types and how they are stored in memory. Common data types include integers, floats, and strings. Integers are whole numbers, floats are numbers with decimal points, and strings are sequences of characters. Understanding how these data types are stored in memory and how they can be manipulated can greatly simplify the process of game hacking and cheating.
And remember, understanding memory is an ongoing process and requires constant learning and experimentation, but with enough practice and persistence, anyone can become a professional game hacker.
- Assembly Assembly language is a low-level programming language that gives you direct access to the underlying system. It is the language the computer uses to perform specific tasks and it is executed directly by the computer's hardware. By using assembly language, you can interact with and control the computer in a much more intimate way, compared to higher-level programming languages like C++ or Java.
Here's a simple intro to assembly, I've dumbed it down for beginners.
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Registers: These are small, fast storage units within the processor that hold data and perform operations. Assembly gives you instructions to manipulate the data in these registers.
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Instructions: Assembly is a set of instructions that tell the computer what to do, like moving data from one register to another, performing arithmetic operations, or jumping to a different part of the code.
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Addressing Modes: Assembly provides different ways to specify the location of data in memory. You can specify the location of data in different ways, such as by giving the specific memory address or by using a register to hold the address of the data.
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Assembler: This is a program that converts assembly instructions into machine code that the computer can execute.
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Debugger: A debugger is a program that lets you step through your assembly code and inspect the state of the processor and memory at each step.
This is the part all the skids have been searching for and yes, this does provide code examples.
Let's get started.
- Open Assault Cube and Cheat Engine.
- In Cheat Engine, select the process for Assault Cube.
- Find the current value for your health and freeze it.
- Take damage in the game until you die. The value for your health in Cheat Engine should now have changed.
- This new value is the offset for your health.
Next, we can write a C++ application to continuously write a maximum value to the health offset while the game is running. This can be done using a DLL file injected into the game process.
#include <Windows.h>
#include <iostream>
namespace AC_BasePlayer
{
constexpr DWORD BasePlayer = 0x00123456; //replace with the actual address of the base player
}
namespace AC_Health
{
constexpr DWORD Health = 0x00234567; //replace with the actual address of the health
}
DWORD processId;
HANDLE hProcess;
void GodMode()
{
int godmode = 100;
while (true)
{
WriteProcessMemory(hProcess, (BYTE*)processId + AC_BasePlayer::BasePlayer + AC_Health::Health, &godmode, sizeof(godmode), NULL);
Sleep(0);
}
}
BOOL APIENTRY DllMain(HMODULE hModule, DWORD ul_reason_for_call, LPVOID lpReserved)
{
switch (ul_reason_for_call)
{
case DLL_PROCESS_ATTACH:
processId = GetCurrentProcessId();
hProcess = OpenProcess(PROCESS_ALL_ACCESS, FALSE, processId);
CreateThread(NULL, 0, (LPTHREAD_START_ROUTINE)GodMode, NULL, 0, NULL);
break;
case DLL_PROCESS_DETACH:
break;
}
return TRUE;
}
You're probably wondering, how do I make this code work? Well that brings in DLL Injection. Let's get onto that.
What is DLL injection?
DLL injection is a technique where a DLL file is loaded into a running process. It allows you to extend the functionality of a process by adding new features, fixing bugs, or modifying its behavior.
Here's some code to make your own DLL injector;
#include <Windows.h>
#include <iostream>
int main()
{
DWORD processId = 0; // process id of target process
HANDLE processHandle = NULL; // handle to target process
LPVOID remoteMemory = NULL; // pointer to allocated memory in target process
HANDLE remoteThread = NULL; // handle to newly created remote thread
// Get process id of target process
processId = GetProcessId(L"notepad.exe");
// Open target process with all access
processHandle = OpenProcess(PROCESS_ALL_ACCESS, FALSE, processId);
if (!processHandle)
{
std::cout << "Failed to open process: " << GetLastError() << std::endl;
return 1;
}
// Allocate memory in target process
remoteMemory = VirtualAllocEx(processHandle, NULL, strlen(DLL_NAME) + 1, MEM_COMMIT, PAGE_READWRITE);
if (!remoteMemory)
{
std::cout << "Failed to allocate memory: " << GetLastError() << std::endl;
return 1;
}
// Write path of DLL to allocate memory
if (!WriteProcessMemory(processHandle, remoteMemory, (LPVOID)DLL_NAME, strlen(DLL_NAME) + 1, NULL))
{
std::cout << "Failed to write memory: " << GetLastError() << std::endl;
return 1;
}
// Create remote thread in target process that starts at LoadLibraryA
remoteThread = CreateRemoteThread(processHandle, NULL, 0, (LPTHREAD_START_ROUTINE)GetProcAddress(GetModuleHandle(L"kernel32.dll"), "LoadLibraryA"), remoteMemory, 0, NULL);
if (!remoteThread)
{
std::cout << "Failed to create remote thread: " << GetLastError() << std::endl;
return 1;
}
// Wait for remote thread to finish execution
WaitForSingleObject(remoteThread, INFINITE);
// Clean up resources
VirtualFreeEx(processHandle, remoteMemory, strlen(DLL_NAME) + 1, MEM_RELEASE);
CloseHandle(processHandle);
return 0;
}
This code uses the Windows API to perform DLL injection. The code opens a handle to the target process, allocates memory in the process, writes the path of the DLL to the memory, creates a remote thread in the process that starts at LoadLibraryA, and waits for the remote thread to finish executing. The LoadLibraryA function is used to load the DLL into the target process. This code will work for our DLL but may not for others.
Finding and exploiting vulnerabilities is the process of locating weaknesses in a game's code, taking advantage of them, and manipulating the game to gain an unfair advantage. This can be achieved by reverse engineering the game, analyzing its source code, and utilizing tools such as debuggers. Some examples of vulnerabilities that have been exploited in the past include buffer overflows, code execution exploits, and memory leaks. To successfully exploit a vulnerability, an attacker must have a good understanding of the game's code, how it operates, and the tools required to perform the exploitation.
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Familiarize yourself with the game: Before you start looking for exploits, it is important to understand the game mechanics, rules, and limitations. Play the game, observe its behavior, and gather information about how it works.
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Study the game's code: The next step is to study the game's code, either by reverse engineering the binary, or by looking at the source code if it is available. This will give you an understanding of how the game works and how it handles certain situations.
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Identify potential entry points: Once you have a good understanding of the game's code, you can start looking for entry points, or places in the code where you can insert your own code or data.
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Analyze the data flow: Analyze the flow of data from entry points to other parts of the game's code. This will help you understand how data is processed and where it is stored.
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Look for vulnerabilities: Look for vulnerabilities in the game's code, such as buffer overflows, use-after-free bugs, uninitialized variables, and more.
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Develop an exploit: Once you have found a vulnerability, develop an exploit to take advantage of it. This may involve modifying the game's code or injecting your own code into the game's process.
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Test the exploit: Test the exploit in a controlled environment to make sure it works as intended.
Advanced techniques and tricks refer to the more complex and sophisticated methods used by game hackers to exploit game systems and gain an advantage over other players. These techniques often require a deeper understanding of game code and underlying systems and are typically used by experienced game hackers.
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Packet Editing: This technique involves altering the data sent and received by the game to modify certain aspects of the game, such as player stats or game events. This is typically done by intercepting network packets and modifying the data before it is sent to the server or received by the client.
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Code Injection: This technique involves injecting code into a game's process to modify its behavior or to gain access to its internals. This can be done using a variety of methods such as dynamic link libraries (DLLs), remote procedure calls (RPCs), or even through code obfuscation.
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Exploiting Game Physics: This technique involves exploiting game physics to gain an advantage in the game. For example, a player might exploit the game's gravity system to increase their jump height or to fall from a greater height without taking damage.
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Memory Editing: This technique involves modifying the game's memory directly to change aspects of the game, such as player stats or game events. This is typically done using a memory editor tool, such as Cheat Engine.
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Buffer Overflow Exploits: This technique involves causing a buffer overflow in a game's memory, which can allow a player to execute arbitrary code and gain access to sensitive information or system resources.
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Automation: This technique involves using macros, scripts, or bots to automate actions in the game, allowing a player to perform tasks more quickly or efficiently than they would be able to manually.
These advanced techniques and tricks can be powerful tools for game hackers, but they also come with significant risks.
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Packet Editing: Packet editing involves modifying the data being sent between the client and server of a game, allowing for various cheats such as walking through walls or seeing through them. This is achieved by intercepting and modifying network packets being sent and received.
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How it works: The game client and server communicate through a network protocol such as TCP or UDP. By intercepting these packets, a hacker can modify the contents and resend them to the server, causing the game to behave in unexpected ways.
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How to use it: One common way to implement packet editing is to use a packet editing software, such as WPE Pro, to intercept and modify network packets. Another method is to use a custom-made tool, such as a C++ program, to directly edit the packets being sent and received.
Code Examples:
#include <iostream>
#include <WinSock2.h>
#include <ws2tcpip.h>
#pragma comment(lib, "ws2_32.lib")
int main()
{
// Initialize Winsock
WSADATA wsaData;
WSAStartup(MAKEWORD(2, 2), &wsaData);
// Create a socket
SOCKET sock = socket(AF_INET, SOCK_RAW, IPPROTO_IP);
if (sock == INVALID_SOCKET) {
std::cout << "Error creating socket: " << WSAGetLastError() << std::endl;
return 1;
}
// Set socket options
BOOL bOptVal = TRUE;
int bOptLen = sizeof(BOOL);
setsockopt(sock, IPPROTO_IP, IP_HDRINCL, (char*)&bOptVal, bOptLen);
// Bind the socket to an IP address and port
SOCKADDR_IN sockAddr;
memset(&sockAddr, 0, sizeof(sockAddr));
sockAddr.sin_family = AF_INET;
sockAddr.sin_addr.s_addr = inet_addr("127.0.0.1");
sockAddr.sin_port = htons(8000);
bind(sock, (SOCKADDR*)&sockAddr, sizeof(sockAddr));
// Receive incoming packets
char buffer[4096];
int bytesReceived = recv(sock, buffer, 4096, 0);
if (bytesReceived == SOCKET_ERROR) {
std::cout << "Error receiving packets: " << WSAGetLastError() << std::endl;
return 1;
}
// Modify the contents of the received packet
// ...
// Send the modified packet back to the server
int bytesSent = send(sock, buffer, bytesReceived, 0);
if (bytesSent == SOCKET_ERROR) {
std::cout << "Error sending packet: " << WSAGetLastError() << std::endl;
return 1;
}
// Clean up
closesocket(sock);
WSACleanup();
return 0;
}
Now this obviously wouldn't work in a real life situation, but it's an overview on how it could work.
- Code injection
Code Injection is a method of executing arbitrary code by injecting it into a process's memory. This is often used by attackers to inject malware or execute harmful code on a target system.
- How it works: Code injection works by injecting a piece of code into a process's memory, then executing that code by redirecting the process's execution flow to the injected code. This can be done through various methods such as buffer overflows, heap sprays, or return-oriented programming. The process's memory is first modified, then the code is executed.
-How to use: Code injection can be used for malicious purposes, but it can also be used for benign purposes such as dynamic patching or adding new features to an application. To use code injection, you need to have a deep understanding of the target system and the process you want to inject code into. You also need to understand how the process's memory is organized and how to modify it.
Code examples: The following code examples show how code injection can be performed in C++ using the Windows API.
Example 1: Injecting code into a remote process
#include <Windows.h>
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
int main()
{
HANDLE hProcess = OpenProcess(PROCESS_ALL_ACCESS, FALSE, PID);
LPVOID lpBuffer = VirtualAllocEx(hProcess, NULL, strlen(DLLPath) + 1, MEM_COMMIT, PAGE_READWRITE);
WriteProcessMemory(hProcess, lpBuffer, DLLPath, strlen(DLLPath) + 1, NULL);
HANDLE hThread = CreateRemoteThread(hProcess, NULL, 0, (LPTHREAD_START_ROUTINE)LoadLibrary, lpBuffer, 0, NULL);
WaitForSingleObject(hThread, INFINITE);
VirtualFreeEx(hProcess, lpBuffer, strlen(DLLPath) + 1, MEM_RELEASE);
CloseHandle(hThread);
CloseHandle(hProcess);
return 0;
}
Code Example 2:
#include <Windows.h>
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
int main()
{
LPVOID lpBuffer = VirtualAlloc(NULL, strlen(DLLPath) + 1, MEM_COMMIT, PAGE_READWRITE);
memcpy(lpBuffer, DLLPath, strlen(DLLPath) + 1);
HANDLE hThread = CreateThread(NULL, 0, (LPTHREAD_START_ROUTINE)LoadLibrary, lpBuffer, 0, NULL);
WaitForSingleObject(hThread, INFINITE);
VirtualFree(lpBuffer, strlen(DLLPath) + 1, MEM_RELEASE);
CloseHandle(hThread);
return 0;
}
- Exploiting Game Physics Exploiting the game physics of Assault Cube can give you an advantage by allowing you to move faster or jump higher. This can be achieved by changing the values that control the physics of your character in the game.
#include <Windows.h>
DWORD playerBase = 0x123456; // replace this with the base player offset found in Cheat Engine
DWORD speedOffset = 0x654321; // replace this with the speed offset found in Cheat Engine
float speedMultiplier = 2.0f; // increase or decrease this value to increase or decrease player speed
DWORD playerSpeed;
BOOL APIENTRY DllMain(HMODULE hModule, DWORD ul_reason_for_call, LPVOID lpReserved)
{
switch (ul_reason_for_call)
{
case DLL_PROCESS_ATTACH:
playerSpeed = *(DWORD*)(playerBase + speedOffset);
*(DWORD*)(playerBase + speedOffset) = playerSpeed * speedMultiplier;
break;
case DLL_PROCESS_DETACH:
break;
}
return TRUE;
}
#include <Windows.h>
DWORD playerBase = 0x123456; // replace this with the base player offset found in Cheat Engine
DWORD gravityOffset = 0x654321; // replace this with the gravity offset found in Cheat Engine
float newGravity = 9.8f * 2.0f; // increase or decrease this value to increase or decrease game's gravity
float originalGravity;
BOOL APIENTRY DllMain(HMODULE hModule, DWORD ul_reason_for_call, LPVOID lpReserved)
{
switch (ul_reason_for_call)
{
case DLL_PROCESS_ATTACH:
originalGravity = *(float*)(playerBase + gravityOffset);
*(float*)(playerBase + gravityOffset) = newGravity;
break;
case DLL_PROCESS_DETACH:
*(float*)(playerBase + gravityOffset) = originalGravity;
break;
}
return TRUE;
}
Why's it so good for us? Exploiting game physics can give cheaters an advantage over other players, making it easier to win the game and achieve higher scores. For example, by increasing the speed of their player, cheaters can move faster and cover more ground than other players, giving them a tactical advantage. By changing the game's gravity, cheaters can make it easier to jump and fly, making it easier to reach hard-to-reach areas and gain an advantage over other players. These advantages can make the game easier and more fun for cheaters, but it ruins the experience for other players and undermines the integrity of the game.
Building and selling cheats can be a profitable business for those with the skills to create them. There are many online marketplaces that specialize in the sale of cheats for various games, and many individuals who are willing to pay for the advantage that these cheats can provide. The key to monetizing your skills is to create cheats that are effective, reliable, and easy to use. This requires a deep understanding of the game and its mechanics, as well as the ability to write clean, efficient code.
One important aspect of selling cheats is keeping them undetected by the game's anti-cheat system. This requires constantly updating the cheat to stay ahead of the anti-cheat system, as well as thoroughly testing the cheat to ensure that it is not easily detected.
THE REST COMING SOON, INCLUDING HOW TO MAKE UNDETECTED KERNEL DRIVERS.
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