AVG Says Most Game Hacks Are Crawling With Malware

Anti-virus group AVG claims that more than 90% of game hacks and cracks contain malware or malicious code.

Think twice before downloading “SuPa-LeGiT-xXxWallHAX” in the hopes of being able to dominate every Counter-Strike Source server. Anti-virus group AVG warns that the vast majority (over 90%) of such hacks, as well as cracks that allow you to play pirated games, contain malware or “malicious code.” It claimed that a lot of these hacks didn’t just contain malware, but were simply malware programs in disguise.

“Even if we assume that just 0.1% of the gamers playing the top five titles go looking for a hack – a highly conservative estimate – that means 330,000 people are potentially at risk of falling victim to game hack malware,” said AVG in a press release. “This could lead to the loss of any legitimate, paid-for gaming assets, as well as sensitive personal data such as bank details and email or social media passwords.”

AVG used metasearch services such as FilesTube and FileCrop to analyze scores of hacks and cracks to find this data. So, not only will hacking or pirating a game give you that sinking feeling of being morally wrong, it may also steal your credit card information. The bottom line is something we (should) all already know: stay away from hacks and cracks, kids!

AVG publishes the widely utilized “AVG Anti-virus” which comes with a “free” edition. I used to use AVG Free almost exclusively, until I got tired of it being a memory hog and incessantly nagging me to buy the full version. Nowadays I get by with Windows Defender and Malwarebytes. Whatever your anti-virus of choice, here’s a friendly reminder to keep it up-to-date!

Source: Games.on.net