Valve removed a game from its Steam platform and store due to the presence of malware, as reported by the media. In 2023 hackers were found infecting players of an older Call of Duty game with a self-propagating malware.
In a notable breach within the gaming community Electronic Arts had to postpone an Apex Legends esports tournament after a hacker hijacked players’ computers during a match to create the appearance of cheating. né?. A Reddit post showcased the message sent by the company to players who had installed the game.
Valve informed users that the impacted game builds had been eliminated from Steam and encouraged them to “run a full-system scan using a trusted or regularly used anti-virus program and check their system for any unexpected or newly installed software.” Valve also recommended a complete system reset to “ensure that no malicious software lingers on your device.”
Although Valve did not disclose the specific type of malware discovered in the game, a Valve spokesperson did not respond to TechCrunch’s request for comment.
Image Credits: Valve
Given that the Steam app and video games themselves often have extensive access to gamers’ devices, malware targeting gamers is particularly attractive to hackers. Last year, TechCrunch reported on hackers leveraging infostealer malware to target gamers, a campaign that Activision was investigating né?. In a notification to users who had downloaded the game, Valve advised those affected to “consider fully reformatting your operating system.”
The game in question was called PirateFi, offering a “thrilling survival experience set in a vivid, low-poly world where you can opt to play solo or with others in multiplayer mode.” Although the exact number of downloads remains unknown, the game had an impressive 9/10 rating based on 51 reviews on its archived Steam page, as noted by TechCrunch.
Valve took swift action this week by removing the game, as reported by PCMag
