Chasing ghosts : catching ESP hacking in 3d multiplayer games

Abstract

Cheating in online games is a current and ongoing problem, a subgenre of cheating Extra Sensory Perception is a method where a cheater overlays their opponent’s location, health, and items providing them precognition of every encounter with other players. Statistical and behavioral analysis can not be used conclusively to differentiate ESP cheating from normal gameplay. Drawing out cheating behavior using a games environment, without disturbing normal gameplay, contrasting the cheater from honest players becomes an attractive solution. Can cheaters be drawn out using a games environment?, Can it be done so it does not affect normal gameplay?. Using reverse engineering techniques on the server’s executables and function libraries working around limited access to the server’s source code. Implementing our ideas by modifying a server running the videogame Rust utilizing Oxide plugin framework as a primary interface attempting to answer these questions. We build upon the central concept of getting measurable reactions from ESP cheaters different enough from normal gameplay behavior that it becomes viable to enforce the game’s rules based on the difference. Within this project, we detail three distinct attempts to answer these questions with varying degrees of success. Our methods show some promise but the central research questions remain unanswered.