MQ Detection

[heartbrand]

Is there any work being done or code out there for the prevention / detection of MQ on EQEMU? If not, looking for dev(s) interested in doing so, $$ available.

[Drajor]

Someone with skill + dedication will always be able to get around local detection. I am curious as to what MQ2 features you would like to prevent/detect?

[lerxst2112]

There used to be some logs in the server code for some of the mq2 hacks, I don't know if they are still there or how accurate they are. For passive things you need to have code running on each client which is how P99 does it.

[Zaela_S]

Not exactly related but I'm moderately curious if anyone has tried to use my zone importer for exploits. As far as I can tell the codebase doesn't do any kind of collision detection for clients, just a bunch of distance/speed based warp detections. Could theoretically do stuff like remove walls, build paths and ramps around the outside edge of a zone or way up in the air, all kinds of crazy stuff. I'd be impressed, at least.

[Shin Noir]

Haha I like how someone talks about MQ detection and Zaela talks about a new exploit beyond MQ. :P

[demonstar55]

Originally Posted by lerxst2112

There used to be some logs in the server code for some of the mq2 hacks, I don't know if they are still there or how accurate they are.

There is still server side detection. It works, some of it better than others. There are also ways to get around some of the detection that I will not name here :P

One thing I know P99 did/does is send bad data to clients, which causes no issue for clients without MQ2, but little to no error correcting in MQ2, will cause them to crash. But that's also simple to get around, just fix all the instances in MQ2 :P

The really disruptive stuff (warping) can be detected with pretty good accuracy, although with lag there can always be false positives so still requires one to watch the players for bad behavior. The detection for /target is also pretty good, but there are still issues there as well :/

TL;DR if you don't want to go as hardcore as P99, look at the logs and then observe the players :P

[wolfwalkereci]

Well MQ2 isn't the devil, it's those that abuse it that are. A sizable number of servers allow it to some extent and those that enjoy using it tend to play there.
Of course there are always those that abuse it and honestly there is not much you can do to stop that. Even the "best" MQ2 detection system can be beaten if the end user is motivated enough.
I've seen it over the last 9 (emu) years happen time and again.

Zaela_S - I've done something similar in testing on my server. My logs didn't catch anything abnormal either.

[demonstar55]

Originally Posted by Zaela_S

Not exactly related but I'm moderately curious if anyone has tried to use my zone importer for exploits. As far as I can tell the codebase doesn't do any kind of collision detection for clients, just a bunch of distance/speed based warp detections. Could theoretically do stuff like remove walls, build paths and ramps around the outside edge of a zone or way up in the air, all kinds of crazy stuff. I'd be impressed, at least.

Sadly the overhead server side to defeat this would be a lot higher than the current detections :(

I mean, it would be possible to do, but yeah :P

[Drajor]

http://www.tentonhammer.com/features...ng-eq-part-two - Worth a read.

[Zaela_S]

Originally Posted by Shin Noir

Haha I like how someone talks about MQ detection and Zaela talks about a new exploit beyond MQ. :P

Just happened to be on my mind when I noticed the thread ;p Was having visions of plane of air covered in criss-crossing ramps. Funny stuff.

Probably way too much work for someone who just wants to cheat anyway, otherwise people would've been doing it for years by now. Plus while it might be expensive to catch in the code, it would be really obvious shenanigans to anyone who simply saw it going on.