Malware threat to Dark Souls servers via Invader Remote Code Execution

While many of us gamers love playing online modes to our favorite games, there are plenty of hackers and cheaters that find opportunities to abuse the multiplayer systems. Dark Souls 3 is the latest victim of a malware attack, while NAMCO BANDAI is putting measures in place to protect DS Remastered and DS 2. As such, you may find the Dark Souls servers offline for a few weeks.

Basically, the malware is a vulnerability in the Invader online mechanics that works via Remote Code Execution (RCE). If someone abuses it, they can release trojans and other malicious viruses to infect your PC or potential ‘brick’ it. You won’t be able to use your device effectively and it becomes worthless.

Of grave concern to many gamers is that the same RCE malware will infect the upcoming Elden Ring title, set for release on February 25, 2022. Brute-force protection might help in this situation, but only NAMCO knows how far the damage goes. We recommend turning off any Dark Souls mods that use online features, as they may have the same problem.

With Google announcing recently that there are 26 vulnerabilities in the Chrome browser, it seems like 2022 is starting off as a war between hackers, games, and PC platforms. While we leave the developers and companies to deal with these dark souls, we only hope that online gaming will return to normal soon.

There’s no sign of when the PvP servers will go back online or how long it will take to fix, but we’ll keep an eye out for further news.