WTF Valve?

[Questionable Moose]

TF2 was F2P last time I checked...

VAC is used for more games than just TF2, and Valve takes a cut of the profit for each sold game (license) on Steam. So it's pretty logical to say that Valve does encourage (to an extent) that people purchase multiple games even if they have been banned before to maximise the amount of profit made on those individuals.

 

[hXcjedders]

Static void's explanation of how he got banned is plausible, so I presume there are innocent reasons to get a vac ban. although they are probably few and far between.

Well I'm not saying he was a guilty case but he was fiddling with things he shouldn't have. Now, until this incident I didn't know anything about VAC but I did a lot of research and basically I've come up with the theory that VAC is either partly or entirely hosted on the machine; either in the game files or steam's files, and it communicates to Valve when hooks are detected. Now, what it exactly defines as a hook will never be fully known, but I akin VAC to somewhat of a Valve anti-virus program. It will update definitions based on updates to the game/steam.

Either way. This is now a lesson to anyone trying to fix a bug with VAC enabled games. Don't mess with the .dll's or .exe's at all. Just reinstall and hope it fixes it.

 

[Rvsz]

I still don't see a problem with that, if you're caught hacking the least you can do is pay the price ergo buy another copy of the game.

 

[bluehawk]

Well I'm not saying he was a guilty case but he was fiddling with things he shouldn't have. Now, until this incident I didn't know anything about VAC but I did a lot of research and basically I've come up with the theory that VAC is either partly or entirely hosted on the machine; either in the game files or steam's files, and it communicates to Valve when hooks are detected. Now, what it exactly defines as a hook will never be fully known, but I akin VAC to somewhat of a Valve anti-virus program. It will update definitions based on updates to the game/steam.

Either way. This is now a lesson to anyone trying to fix a bug with VAC enabled games. Don't mess with the .dll's or .exe's at all. Just reinstall and hope it fixes it.

I used to hack in CS 1.6 when steam originally came out 9+ years ago.I was getting banned on accounts that I wasn't even hacking because vac would scan steam files and if a hack was in there it would auto ban you. I'm not sure if it still does that now. I probably went through 8 accounts before I stopped for good lol.

 

[Sir Gooch P Tigglington]

I used to hack in CS 1.6 when steam originally came out 9+ years ago.I was getting banned on accounts that I wasn't even hacking because vac would scan steam files and if a hack was in there it would auto ban you. I'm not sure if it still does that now. I probably went through 8 accounts before I stopped for good lol.

That's how VAC works. If you edit the game files they VAC you. Ask me how I know. ;)

 

[hXcjedders]

That's how VAC works. If you edit the game files they VAC you. Ask me how I know. ;)

Haw du yew kno?

 

[PsychoRealm]

VAC is either partly or entirely hosted on the machine; either in the game files or steam's files, and it communicates to Valve when hooks are detected.

That doesn't seem to be the case. It looks like VAC system is running on a server-side, so when client connects it assesses client's files submitted to the server and makes decisions based on this assessment. This article confirms that assumption: "If a user connects to a VAC-Secured server from a computer with identifiable cheats installed, the VAC system will ban the user from playing on VAC-Secured servers in the future.". Also, I've read through Subscriber Agreement and Code of Online Conduct and was not able to find any VAC reference which means that Valve would've been performing illegal activities should they install unauthorized software to clients' PCs and upload reports to their servers without clients' consent.

 

[chuckwagon]

It might be an interesting experiment if someone had the time and resources to install Steam and TF2 on a fresh computer/ copy of windows and replicate the VAC by canceling the process of moving files. But record everything that you do. Show every file in the Steam folder that no hacks are there. That would be considerable proof that VAC is not infallible.

Hell. Send Valve to computer to analyze just to put the nail in the coffin.

Again, though, time and resource...

 

[Sir Gooch P Tigglington]

Haw du yew kno?

I'm VAC banned. Legitimately. I'm pretty much an expert on this stuff. :P

 

[bluehawk]

That doesn't seem to be the case. It looks like VAC system is running on a server-side, so when client connects it assesses client's files submitted to the server and makes decisions based on this assessment. This article confirms that assumption: "If a user connects to a VAC-Secured server from a computer with identifiable cheats installed, the VAC system will ban the user from playing on VAC-Secured servers in the future.". Also, I've read through Subscriber Agreement and Code of Online Conduct and was not able to find any VAC reference which means that Valve would've been performing illegal activities should they install unauthorized software to clients' PCs and upload reports to their servers without clients' consent.

They arent installing unauthorized software if they are just scanning whats in the steam files already. Every time you load a game it does this. If you delete a file from tf2 it will detect whats missing and reinstall it. So if it detects a hack then you can be banned even if you arent a vac server.

 

[PsychoRealm]

They arent installing unauthorized software if they are just scanning whats in the steam files already. Every time you load a game it does this. If you delete a file from tf2 it will detect whats missing and reinstall it. So if it detects a hack then you can be banned even if you arent a vac server.

Different story. If you delete a file - it will detect the file was deleted when you attempt to start a game which means this detection/check is initiated by a server, not by Steam client. Once again, if Steam client was running a scan locally on my PC and then uploading report to Valve servers without my consent - it would've been a legal issue. That actually explains why you'd never be VAC banned if you were using hacks in a single-player game.

 

[staticvoid]

That actually explains why you'd never be VAC banned if you were using hacks in a single-player game.

When you play a single-player game, you don't connect to a server. Therefore there is no VAC involved in single player.

Hell, someone could put an aimbot in HL2. Would ruin the fun though...

 

[Blade D_Hero]

I'm VAC banned. Legitimately. I'm pretty much an expert on this stuff. :P

Gooch: Modern Warfare Hax0r Extraordinar.

 

[Phaiz]

Once again, if Steam client was running a scan locally on my PC and then uploading report to Valve servers without my consent - it would've been a legal issue.

Are you sure we haven't all given our consent for such a report to be sent?

 

[hXcjedders]

Different story. If you delete a file - it will detect the file was deleted when you attempt to start a game which means this detection/check is initiated by a server, not by Steam client. Once again, if Steam client was running a scan locally on my PC and then uploading report to Valve servers without my consent - it would've been a legal issue. That actually explains why you'd never be VAC banned if you were using hacks in a single-player game.

4. ONLINE CONDUCT, CHEATING AND ILLEGAL BEHAVIOR
You agree that you will be personally responsible for the use of your Account and for all of the communication and activity on Steam that results from use of your Account. Your online conduct and interaction with other Subscribers should be guided by common sense and basic etiquette. Specific requirements may also be found in the Steam Online Conduct rules at http://steampowered.com/index.php?area=online_conduct, other Rules of Use, the Subscription Terms, or in terms of use imposed by third parties who host particular games or other services.
Steam and the Software may include functionality designed to identify software or hardware processes or functionality that may give a player an unfair competitive advantage when playing multiplayer versions of any Software or modifications of Software (“Cheats”). You agree that you will not create Cheats or assist third parties in any way to create Cheats. You agree that you will not directly or indirectly disable, circumvent, or otherwise interfere with the operation of software designed to prevent or report the use of Cheats. You acknowledge and agree that either Valve or any online multiplayer host may refuse to allow you to participate in certain online multiplayer games if you use Cheats in connection with Steam or the Software. Further, you acknowledge and agree that an online multiplayer host may report your use of Cheats to Valve, and Valve may communicate your history of use of Cheats to other online multiplayer hosts. Valve may terminate your Account or a particular Subscription for any conduct or activity that Valve believes is illegal, constitutes a Cheat, or otherwise negatively affects the enjoyment of Steam by other Subscribers. You acknowledge

http://store.steampowered.com/subscriber_agreement/

In short, VAC is in some way in your Steam files

 

[Sir Gooch P Tigglington]

Gooch: Modern Warfare Hax0r Extraordinar.

Those little squeaker-quick-scope fucks just make me so damn mad.

 

[staticvoid]

Those little squeaker-quick-scope fucks just make me so damn mad.

played on Orange+ today. All it was were eight year olds with SMGs screaming shit over the mic. "OMG GUIZ, I GOT A KEILZ." "VOID IS NOCLIP HACKING" (I was rocket jumping) "YER A LITTLE FGT" "SHUDDUP MOM, IV ONLY BUN ON FOR 2 MINUTES"

God it was so annoying.

 

[Phaiz]

played on Orange+ today. All it was were eight year olds with SMGs screaming shit over the mic. "OMG GUIZ, I GOT A KEILZ." "VOID IS NOCLIP HACKING" (I was rocket jumping) "YER A LITTLE FGT" "SHUDDUP MOM, IV ONLY BUN ON FOR 2 MINUTES"

God it was so annoying.

And this is why I can't stand orange for more than 15 minutes

 

[Sir Gooch P Tigglington]

And this is why I can't stand orange for more than 15 seconds

FTFY

 

[bluehawk]

Different story. If you delete a file - it will detect the file was deleted when you attempt to start a game which means this detection/check is initiated by a server, not by Steam client. Once again, if Steam client was running a scan locally on my PC and then uploading report to Valve servers without my consent - it would've been a legal issue. That actually explains why you'd never be VAC banned if you were using hacks in a single-player game.

Steam and the Software may include functionality designed to identify software or hardware processes or functionality that may give a player an unfair competitive advantage when playing multiplayer versions of any Software

They dont care about single player games the rules state multiplayer only and their agreement is also basically saying steam itself is the program that is looking for hacks. So it is not an unauthorized program, the hack detection is the program you authorized. And if steam wants to scan steam files its welcome to.

This is coming from the subscriber agreement

Edit: This is also saying the software you install gives permission to search for hacks