The Problem With Kernel-Mode Anti-Cheat Software [ML B-Side]

Nobody likes cheaters, especially in video games: we play games to have fun, and nothing hurts the joy of playing a good game more than losing to a cheater. That is why EA is not the only publisher to implement kernel-mode anti-cheat software in their games: League of Legends and Valorant, for example, use similar software. Yet some people warn that installing such kernel-level systems is extremely dangerous. So, what's the problem with kernel-mode anti-cheat software?

About the Author

Malicious Life Podcast

The Malicious Life Podcast by Cybereason examines the human and technical factors behind the scenes that make cybercrime what it is today. Malicious Life explores the people and the stories behind the cybersecurity industry and its evolution, with host Ran Levi interviewing hackers and other security industry experts about hacking culture and the cyber attacks that define today’s threat landscape. The show has a monthly audience of over 200,000 and growing.

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About the Host

Ran Levi

Born in Israel in 1975, Malicious Life Podcast host Ran studied Electrical Engineering at the Technion Institute of Technology, and worked as an electronics engineer and programmer for several High Tech companies in Israel.

In 2007, created the popular Israeli podcast Making History. He is author of three books (all in Hebrew): Perpetuum Mobile: About the history of Perpetual Motion Machines; The Little University of Science: A book about all of Science (well, the important bits, anyway) in bite-sized chunks; Battle of Minds: About the history of computer malware.

About The Malicious Life Podcast

Malicious Life by Cybereason exposes the human and financial powers operating under the surface that make cybercrime what it is today. Malicious Life explores the people and the stories behind the cybersecurity industry and its evolution. Host Ran Levi interviews hackers and industry experts, discussing the hacking culture of the 1970s and 80s, the subsequent rise of viruses in the 1990s and today’s advanced cyber threats.

Malicious Life theme music: ‘Circuits’ by TKMusic, licensed under Creative Commons License. Malicious Life podcast is sponsored and produced by Cybereason. Subscribe and listen on your favorite platform: