Ambiguity in VAC FAQ

[Asenine]

"You will not be banned by the VAC system unless you login to a VAC-secure server with a cheat installed on your computer."

This seems to go against a lot of the information I read in this forum. I do legitimate work with memory editors as part of my work -- at the moment I use one which extracts without installation (in the more common sense of the word).

I am assuming it would be vastly inefficient for VAC to scour your computer for anything matching its signature database, but I just wanted to check -- if I don't run the application when any game is running (I only use it for my work, as I say, there is no need to have it running when games etc. are running), will it be detected as malicious regardless?

More a curiosity than anything else, I can't imagine VAC scouring a PC for cheats when on a VAC secured server because of the obvious performance slowdown, but maybe it does something more efficient that I'm not thinking of.

Thanks.

[Kailieann]

In theory, VAC only scans active processes, and the main files associated with the game.

In practice, no one actually knows how VAC works, but some users have performed whatever tests they could, and determined that VAC seems to only scan active processes, and the main files associated with the game.

[Asenine]

Thanks for the info. Guess I can rest easy

[Dead-On]

Originally Posted by Kailieann

In theory, VAC only scans active processes, and the main files associated with the game.

In practice, no one actually knows how VAC works, but some users have performed whatever tests they could, and determined that VAC seems to only scan active processes, and the main files associated with the game.

Several people know exactly how VAC works thanks to reverse engineering. It does exactly what it's said to do. Scans core game files and running memory and sends a "report" to the VAC server, which then checks this report for known cheating infractions.

[Jason Argo]

Originally Posted by Asenine

"You will not be banned by the VAC system unless you login to a VAC-secure server with a cheat installed on your computer."

This seems to go against a lot of the information I read in this forum. I do legitimate work with memory editors as part of my work -- at the moment I use one which extracts without installation (in the more common sense of the word).

I am assuming it would be vastly inefficient for VAC to scour your computer for anything matching its signature database, but I just wanted to check -- if I don't run the application when any game is running (I only use it for my work, as I say, there is no need to have it running when games etc. are running), will it be detected as malicious regardless?

More a curiosity than anything else, I can't imagine VAC scouring a PC for cheats when on a VAC secured server because of the obvious performance slowdown, but maybe it does something more efficient that I'm not thinking of.

Thanks.

Just to add to what Dead-On said, I think it is also important to mention that VAC uses the full signatures when checking for known cheating infractions. This is the reason why VAC doesn't produce false positives, at least there is no proof of any false positives.

Originally Posted by Kailieann

In theory, VAC only scans active processes, and the main files associated with the game.

In practice, no one actually knows how VAC works, but some users have performed whatever tests they could, and determined that VAC seems to only scan active processes, and the main files associated with the game.

Also there are a lot of people that have reverse-engineered the client module of VAC, I have spoken to six people that have done it. Three of them did it to farther their programming skills, obviously there is a lot more people then just them.

[Kailieann]

I was referring, specifically, to people who hadn't violated the DMCA.

[Jason Argo]

Originally Posted by Kailieann

I was referring, specifically, to people who hadn't violated the DMCA.

Speaking to people that have reverse-engineered VAC is not a violation of SSA which is the only thing I have to be concerned about.

[Jason Argo]

Originally Posted by T_Flight

He's talking about the people that hacked VAC to begin with...it's against the law.

No he's talking about people who reverse-engineer VAC as well, which is also in breach of the DMCA and other similar laws regardless of why someone does it.

[Jason Argo]

Originally Posted by T_Flight

Exactly. That's hacking somebody's esle's software. That's what I was talking about. If I remmeber right the law says something to the effect "You are not allowed to reverse-engineer, decomplile, or otherwise tamper with the software in anyway without express permission" or something to that effect. I'm paraphrasing, but that was the just of it.

Yep that's about right from what I have read, but very difficult to enforce.