VALORANT Anti-Cheat Driver Explained

A post from Riot on Reddit chimes in on a discussion of anti-cheat measures in VALORANT, their new first-person shooter (thanks DSOGaming). This explains why they are loading a driver at boot and what it does and does not do. Here's word:
TL;DR Yes we run a driver at system startup, it doesn't scan anything (unless the game is running), it's designed to take up as few system resources as possible and it doesn't communicate to our servers. You can remove it at anytime.

Vanguard contains a driver component called vgk.sys (similar to other anti-cheat systems), it's the reason why a reboot is required after installing. Vanguard doesn't consider the computer trusted unless the Vanguard driver is loaded at system startup (this part is less common for anti-cheat systems).

This is good for stopping cheaters because a common way to bypass anti-cheat systems is to load cheats before the anti-cheat system starts and either modify system components to contain the cheat or to have the cheat tamper with the anti-cheat system as it loads. Running the driver at system startup time makes this significantly more difficult.

We've tried to be very careful with the security of the driver. We've had multiple external security research teams review it for flaws (we don't want to accidentally decrease the security of the computer like other anti-cheat drivers have done in the past). We're also following a least-privilege approach to the driver where the driver component does as little as possible preferring to let the non-driver component do the majority of work (also the non-driver component doesn't run unless the game is running).

The Vanguard driver does not collect or send any information about your computer back to us. Any cheat detection scans will be run by the non-driver component only when the game is running.

The Vanguard driver can be uninstalled at any time (it'll be "Riot Vanguard" in Add/Remove programs) and the driver component does not collect any information from your computer or communicate over the network at all.

We think this is an important tool in our fight against cheaters but the important part is that we're here so that players can have a good experience with Valorant and if our security tools do more harm than good we will remove them (and try something else). For now we think a run-at-boot time driver is the right choice.
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Re: VALORANT Anti-Cheat Driver Explained
Apr 13, 2020, 09:46
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Re: VALORANT Anti-Cheat Driver Explained Apr 13, 2020, 09:46
Apr 13, 2020, 09:46
 
Imagine a special windows boot gaming mode that only allows pre- approved apps.
Avatar 58135
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Re: VALORANT Anti-Cheat Driver Explained
Apr 13, 2020, 09:58
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Re: VALORANT Anti-Cheat Driver Explained Apr 13, 2020, 09:58
Apr 13, 2020, 09:58
 
RedEye9 wrote on Apr 13, 2020, 09:46:
Imagine a special windows boot gaming mode that only allows pre- approved apps.
Don't give M$ more bad ideas.
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Re: VALORANT Anti-Cheat Driver Explained
Apr 13, 2020, 10:01
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Re: VALORANT Anti-Cheat Driver Explained Apr 13, 2020, 10:01
Apr 13, 2020, 10:01
 
The game doesn't look good enough for hackers to bother with it for more than about 2-3 months ...
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Re: VALORANT Anti-Cheat Driver Explained
Apr 13, 2020, 10:24
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Re: VALORANT Anti-Cheat Driver Explained Apr 13, 2020, 10:24
Apr 13, 2020, 10:24
 
I had no interest in this game previously.

This just makes sure I will never even remotely consider it.
"Just take a look around you, what do you see? Pain, suffering, and misery." -Black Sabbath, Killing Yourself to Live.

“Man was born free, and he is everywhere in chains” -Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Purveyor of cute, fuzzy, pink bunny slippers.
Avatar 21247
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Re: VALORANT Anti-Cheat Driver Explained
Apr 13, 2020, 12:33
RaZ0r!
 
5.
Re: VALORANT Anti-Cheat Driver Explained Apr 13, 2020, 12:33
Apr 13, 2020, 12:33
 RaZ0r!
 
Looks can be deceiving. I wasn't that impressed with it either until I played it. Now I think its not impossible it could replace CS as one of the best shooters of all time, but it's still the honeymoon phase.
I pwnz j00!
Avatar 8127
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Re: VALORANT Anti-Cheat Driver Explained
Apr 13, 2020, 15:11
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Re: VALORANT Anti-Cheat Driver Explained Apr 13, 2020, 15:11
Apr 13, 2020, 15:11
 
Yeah, i'm sooo gonna install some chinese boot spyware, lol
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Re: VALORANT Anti-Cheat Driver Explained
Apr 13, 2020, 15:19
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Re: VALORANT Anti-Cheat Driver Explained Apr 13, 2020, 15:19
Apr 13, 2020, 15:19
 
On reddit, the post was nuked and moved because

1. China has a large controlling ownership of reddit
2. Tencent is Chinese

Reddit really loves to allow censorship and for a few top dogs to make the call on what the rest of the people get to read about, or see.

I really hope that site takes a monumental loss in the near future. I want it to take a nosedive of Digg proportions.

I am in no way ever allowing a chinese-owned game root level access to my PC. F right off with that BS.
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Re: VALORANT Anti-Cheat Driver Explained
Apr 13, 2020, 15:23
8.
Re: VALORANT Anti-Cheat Driver Explained Apr 13, 2020, 15:23
Apr 13, 2020, 15:23
 
So question... if you had to install a system driver one time that provided solid anti-cheat protection in all your games would you do it? GTA Online, COD Games, any sort of competitive gaming etc? Go ahead and install it. Just stay out of my browser history.
Avatar 12670
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Re: VALORANT Anti-Cheat Driver Explained
Apr 13, 2020, 15:50
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Re: VALORANT Anti-Cheat Driver Explained Apr 13, 2020, 15:50
Apr 13, 2020, 15:50
 
The Half Elf wrote on Apr 13, 2020, 15:23:
So question... if you had to install a system driver one time that provided solid anti-cheat protection in all your games would you do it?

Nope. I learned from Starforce's bullshit years ago.
"Just take a look around you, what do you see? Pain, suffering, and misery." -Black Sabbath, Killing Yourself to Live.

“Man was born free, and he is everywhere in chains” -Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Purveyor of cute, fuzzy, pink bunny slippers.
Avatar 21247
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Re: VALORANT Anti-Cheat Driver Explained
Apr 13, 2020, 16:03
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Re: VALORANT Anti-Cheat Driver Explained Apr 13, 2020, 16:03
Apr 13, 2020, 16:03
 
ColoradoHoudini wrote on Apr 13, 2020, 15:19:
On reddit, the post was nuked and moved because

I do not see that the post was nuked or moved in any way.
Stephen "Blue" Heaslip
Blue's News Publisher, Editor-in-Chief, El Presidente for Life
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Re: VALORANT Anti-Cheat Driver Explained
Apr 13, 2020, 16:26
11.
Re: VALORANT Anti-Cheat Driver Explained Apr 13, 2020, 16:26
Apr 13, 2020, 16:26
 
TL;DR Yes we run a driver at system startup, it doesn't scan anything (unless the game is running), it's designed to take up as few system resources as possible and it doesn't communicate to our servers. You can remove it at anytime.


This doesn't sound at all obtrusive enough to combat all the cheating going on in PC. Windows 10 needs a completely locked down Gaming Mode added by Microsoft and coordinated with gaming companies across the world.
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Re: VALORANT Anti-Cheat Driver Explained
Apr 13, 2020, 16:42
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Re: VALORANT Anti-Cheat Driver Explained Apr 13, 2020, 16:42
Apr 13, 2020, 16:42
 
phinn wrote on Apr 13, 2020, 16:26:
TL;DR Yes we run a driver at system startup, it doesn't scan anything (unless the game is running), it's designed to take up as few system resources as possible and it doesn't communicate to our servers. You can remove it at anytime.


This doesn't sound at all obtrusive enough to combat all the cheating going on in PC. Windows 10 needs a completely locked down Gaming Mode added by Microsoft and coordinated with gaming companies across the world.

Coming soon! Xbox Live Gold for PC Gaming Plus Beta! Don't like cheaters? Pay us money and only play with other suckers!

I do agree cheaters are getting out of hand in games over the last several years though. Really annoying. Bad enough to warrant region locking in pretty much anything competitive, but I'm not sure what games actually do that.
Avatar 55108
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Re: VALORANT Anti-Cheat Driver Explained
Apr 13, 2020, 16:51
13.
Re: VALORANT Anti-Cheat Driver Explained Apr 13, 2020, 16:51
Apr 13, 2020, 16:51
 
The Half Elf wrote on Apr 13, 2020, 15:23:
So question... if you had to install a system driver one time that provided solid anti-cheat protection in all your games would you do it? GTA Online, COD Games, any sort of competitive gaming etc? Go ahead and install it. Just stay out of my browser history.

The tradeoff is not worth "solid anticheat" because everyone would need to opt in and obviously cheaters are not going to do that.
Avatar 51617
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Re: VALORANT Anti-Cheat Driver Explained
Apr 13, 2020, 17:01
14.
Re: VALORANT Anti-Cheat Driver Explained Apr 13, 2020, 17:01
Apr 13, 2020, 17:01
 
Blue wrote on Apr 13, 2020, 16:03:
ColoradoHoudini wrote on Apr 13, 2020, 15:19:
On reddit, the post was nuked and moved because

I do not see that the post was nuked or moved in any way.

Blue:
https://www.reddit.com/r/VALORANT/comments/g08aub/riots_anticheat_software_vanguard_is_causing/

they moved it to the bug megathread.
As if this is a bug? It's 100% intentionally a design decision, and now the information is mixed in with bugs and no longer a standalone issue. This makes it appear to be something that will be fixed and wasnt supposed to happen. You catching on the agenda there?

Also, that subreddit is moderated by people that Tencent chose to run it as "trusted moderators". AKA- people who will do what we tell them. It's entirely counterproductive to a user-run website to have owners of a product moderating the content.. we can all agree there.
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Re: VALORANT Anti-Cheat Driver Explained
Apr 13, 2020, 17:05
15.
Re: VALORANT Anti-Cheat Driver Explained Apr 13, 2020, 17:05
Apr 13, 2020, 17:05
 
Verno wrote on Apr 13, 2020, 16:51:
The Half Elf wrote on Apr 13, 2020, 15:23:
So question... if you had to install a system driver one time that provided solid anti-cheat protection in all your games would you do it? GTA Online, COD Games, any sort of competitive gaming etc? Go ahead and install it. Just stay out of my browser history.

The tradeoff is not worth "solid anticheat" because everyone would need to opt in and obviously cheaters are not going to do that.
Simple
If you don't opt in you don't get to play.
Avatar 58135
16.
 
Re: VALORANT Anti-Cheat Driver Explained
Apr 13, 2020, 17:07
16.
Re: VALORANT Anti-Cheat Driver Explained Apr 13, 2020, 17:07
Apr 13, 2020, 17:07
 
The Half Elf wrote on Apr 13, 2020, 15:23:
So question... if you had to install a system driver one time that provided solid anti-cheat protection in all your games would you do it? GTA Online, COD Games, any sort of competitive gaming etc? Go ahead and install it. Just stay out of my browser history.
Yes.
Avatar 58135
17.
 
Re: VALORANT Anti-Cheat Driver Explained
Apr 13, 2020, 17:09
17.
Re: VALORANT Anti-Cheat Driver Explained Apr 13, 2020, 17:09
Apr 13, 2020, 17:09
 
What is the local take on the game? I don't see the draw, but I see a LOT of the top streamers are playing it. (Also seems to be pulling from PUBG and other games)

Do yall think the developer is paying the streamers? Some of them I don't see playing the game and they aren't all that excited while they are playing.....

I don't see this game hanging around.
18.
 
Re: VALORANT Anti-Cheat Driver Explained
Apr 13, 2020, 17:13
18.
Re: VALORANT Anti-Cheat Driver Explained Apr 13, 2020, 17:13
Apr 13, 2020, 17:13
 
Rhett wrote on Apr 13, 2020, 16:42:
phinn wrote on Apr 13, 2020, 16:26:
TL;DR Yes we run a driver at system startup, it doesn't scan anything (unless the game is running), it's designed to take up as few system resources as possible and it doesn't communicate to our servers. You can remove it at anytime.


This doesn't sound at all obtrusive enough to combat all the cheating going on in PC. Windows 10 needs a completely locked down Gaming Mode added by Microsoft and coordinated with gaming companies across the world.

Coming soon! Xbox Live Gold for PC Gaming Plus Beta! Don't like cheaters? Pay us money and only play with other suckers!

I do agree cheaters are getting out of hand in games over the last several years though. Really annoying. Bad enough to warrant region locking in pretty much anything competitive, but I'm not sure what games actually do that.

What tells me it is out of control is the length of time it has taken to find the pro cheaters. Scary stuff.

I still run into cheaters in games on the regular. People who say they aren't there either aren't paying attention, never admin'd a gaming server (DOD, CS, etc with tools), played competitively, doesn't know what to look for, or most likely, flat out isn't paying attention.

People are starting to get good at it. The best ones are using teammates who don't get many kills. They then mark or tell their team where the other people are. Starting to see this in CoD, they are getting a lot smarter about cheating.
19.
 
Re: VALORANT Anti-Cheat Driver Explained
Apr 13, 2020, 17:44
19.
Re: VALORANT Anti-Cheat Driver Explained Apr 13, 2020, 17:44
Apr 13, 2020, 17:44
 
What is the local take on the game? I don't see the draw, but I see a LOT of the top streamers are playing it. (Also seems to be pulling from PUBG and other games)

Do yall think the developer is paying the streamers?

There are not paying the streamers to play it. There are plenty of reputable streamers playing the game who would notify their viewers when they are playing a sponsored game. Streamers are playing it because there is record breaking viewership for the game right now, with top streamers routinely racking up 200k+ concurrent viewers. This is because watching a drop enabled stream on Twitch is the only way to get a beta key right now.

There was a scandal recently when a big streamer Dr. Disrespect pretended that his stream had beta key drops enabled when it wasn't. The devs approached him initially to stream the game, but he wasn't interested because they weren't offering him any money. Now he's jealous of the attention other people are getting and lied to get more views.

Some of them I don't see playing the game and they aren't all that excited while they are playing.....

I don't see this game hanging around.

That's because many streamers have been playing the game every waking hour. it's probably hard to stay excited after one week of playing the same 3 maps 16 hours a day. Every current or ex CS pro that I've watched had positive things to say about the game, and with Riot's plan to constantly update the game like LoL, you can bet the game will be around for a LONG time. Whether the game can overtake CS:GO, now that's a more debatable question.

This comment was edited on Apr 13, 2020, 17:54.
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Re: VALORANT Anti-Cheat Driver Explained
Apr 13, 2020, 18:04
20.
Re: VALORANT Anti-Cheat Driver Explained Apr 13, 2020, 18:04
Apr 13, 2020, 18:04
 
The Half Elf wrote on Apr 13, 2020, 15:23:
So question... if you had to install a system driver one time that provided solid anti-cheat protection in all your games would you do it? GTA Online, COD Games, any sort of competitive gaming etc? Go ahead and install it. Just stay out of my browser history.

There's no such thing as solid anti-cheat protection that runs on the client and third-party code running with system privilege is just an extra invitation for my system to get hacked.

Any system that requires trusting the client is flawed.
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