Half-Life 2 Source Code Leak [Oct 02, 2003, 5:41 pm ET] – Share – Viewing Comments
A post to the Halflife2.net
Forums by Gabe Newell finally has a comment on the leaked Half-Life 2 source
code, brought to the world's attention by Gamer's
With Jobs and Slashdot.
Here's the deal:
Ever have one of those weeks? This has just not been the best couple of days for me or for Valve.
Yes, the source code that has been posted is the HL-2 source code.
Here is what we know:
1) Starting around 9/11 of this year, someone other than me was accessing my email account. This has been determined by looking at traffic on our email server versus my travel schedule.
2) Shortly afterwards my machine started acting weird (right-clicking on executables would crash explorer). I was unable to find a virus or trojan on my machine, I reformatted my hard drive, and reinstalled.
3) For the next week, there appears to have been suspicious activity on my webmail account.
4) Around 9/19 someone made a copy of the HL-2 source tree.
5) At some point, keystroke recorders got installed on several machines at Valve. Our speculation is that these were done via a buffer overflow in Outlook's preview pane. This recorder is apparently a customized version of RemoteAnywhere created to infect Valve (at least it hasn't been seen anywhere else, and isn't detected by normal virus scanning tools).
6) Periodically for the last year we've been the subject of a variety of denial of service attacks targetted at our webservers and at Steam. We don't know if these are related or independent.
Well, this sucks.
What I'd appreciate is the assistance of the community in tracking this down. I have a special email address for people to send information to, helpvalve@valvesoftware.com. If you have information about the denial of service attacks or the infiltration of our network, please send the details. There are some pretty obvious places to start with the posts and records in IRC, so if you can point us in the right direction, that would be great.
We at Valve have always thought of ourselves as being part of a community, and I can't imagine a better group of people to help us take care of these problems than this community.
Gabe
Buy Jack Daniels and I'll be over to share!
As for Valve I think it's too early to speculate on the impact this will have. I do wonder if they will ever catch the thieves themselves.
-TPFKAS2S
http://www.braglio.org
As for Valve I think it's too early to speculate on the impact this will have. I do wonder if they will ever catch the thieves themselves.
-TPFKAS2S
http://www.braglio.org
-TPFKAS2S
"3DRealms has recently acquired the Half-Life 2 source code that was recently leaked to the internet community and are in the process of porting their long-awaited Duke Nukem Forever game to the Valve engine. 'It was the obvious choice,' said George Broussard, 'We felt the limits of the Unreal engine and wanted to exceed those limitations. Seeing the Half-Life 2 engine as a free download - we didn't hesitate for an instant. We obtained the source code through Kazza-Lite and are currently re-working Duke Nukem Forever to utilize this new engine.' Asked when Duke Nukem Forever will be finished, Mr. Broussard says, 'When it's done.'
- Dr.Del
- Dr.Del
- DrDel
3. This likely won't affect any potential licensing of Source for future games. No one will release a commercial game with pirated source-code. What it could do, and I hope it does, is allow people to use the Source engine for their own freeware projects. I have long been of the opinion that free-ware and independent games are at a disadvantage simply because they have to use crappier graphics engines, so they can't compete with the AAA games. If this changes that situation, all the better.
Your argument tries to justify the use of stolen comercial property so long as its non-profit. There is no right for people to have access to intellectual properties for non profit, and no moral justification for illegally removing the choice of the owner to decide if to put them in the public domain under a suitable choice of lisence.
I'm not even going to voice how repulsed I am at this attitude, especially over the game code of a company that has clearly committed to putting a fantastic engine and the tools for it into the hands of mod authors.
I read this board because it's entertaining...it's chock full of people too stupid to keep their mouth shut about stuff they don't understand drowning out people with something worth saying.
I especially love the "I hate Windoze" and "Outlook r teh sux" stuff. NO network or setup is 100% secure against someone who wants to get in, no matter wtf you're running.
Windows is the accepted standard, and contrary to what stupid people like to say it's not because MS is a monopoly hell-bent on making you use their product. It's because nothing is good enough and easy enough to use to compete yet.
In any case, it sounds like an inside job to me.
I especially love the "I hate Windoze" and "Outlook r teh sux" stuff. NO network or setup is 100% secure against someone who wants to get in, no matter wtf you're running.
Windows is the accepted standard, and contrary to what stupid people like to say it's not because MS is a monopoly hell-bent on making you use their product. It's because nothing is good enough and easy enough to use to compete yet.
In any case, it sounds like an inside job to me.
firewall wouldnt have helped, he said it was an outlook bug.
Using microsoft outlook is the same as letting anyone on the internet run any software they want on your computer.
And aparenlty its not just valves code, its all the code valve licenced from other companies, those companies could sue valve or at the least get very pissed off.
Also, check out myG0t they got the source and email logs from valve.
The deleay was caused by steam
http://www.myg0t.com/ChrisNewcombe-PR.txt
Using microsoft outlook is the same as letting anyone on the internet run any software they want on your computer.
And aparenlty its not just valves code, its all the code valve licenced from other companies, those companies could sue valve or at the least get very pissed off.
Also, check out myG0t they got the source and email logs from valve.
The deleay was caused by steam
http://www.myg0t.com/ChrisNewcombe-PR.txt
...that somebody is attacked, yet people feel there is a need/opening to attack somebody even more over it.
Just imagine if this were applied to other crimes and/or attacks in the real world.
It boggles the mind.
Shaking my head,
Ray
---------------------------------------------------------
It is never wrong to care for somebody.
http://users.ign.com/collection/RayMarden
I am not actually a wookiee; I just play one in Star Wars Galaxies
Just imagine if this were applied to other crimes and/or attacks in the real world.
It boggles the mind.
Shaking my head,
Ray
---------------------------------------------------------
It is never wrong to care for somebody.
http://users.ign.com/collection/RayMarden
I am not actually a wookiee; I just play one in Star Wars Galaxies
Well, there's two things I think that this can do that will delay Half-Life2.
1. Valve is sure as shit going to be upgrading their security; if it happened once, it can happen again. Additionally, tracking down the culprits will take some of their time as well. I'm guessing they'll lose anywhere from two weeks to a month and a half of time on these two issues alone.
2. Secondly, now that the Source code is floating around, Valve is going to have to change things relating to cheat prevention and cd keys, possibly even redoing them from scratch. That's going to take some time.
I'm guessing we're either not going to see Half-Life 2 this year, or we're only going to get the singleplayer version come Christmas time. Dammit.
This comment was edited on Oct 19, 2024, 06:02.
1. Valve is sure as shit going to be upgrading their security; if it happened once, it can happen again. Additionally, tracking down the culprits will take some of their time as well. I'm guessing they'll lose anywhere from two weeks to a month and a half of time on these two issues alone.
2. Secondly, now that the Source code is floating around, Valve is going to have to change things relating to cheat prevention and cd keys, possibly even redoing them from scratch. That's going to take some time.
I'm guessing we're either not going to see Half-Life 2 this year, or we're only going to get the singleplayer version come Christmas time. Dammit.
This comment was edited on Oct 19, 2024, 06:02.
The reason most apps (including Games) are developed for Windows is because it is the prevailing consumer OS.
The reason Windows is the prevailing consumer OS is because most apps (including Games) are developed for it.
Momentum, plus plenty of money keeps it going.
It's not that Windows is a particularly good gaming OS, it's that it is the most sensible (PC) platform to develop for, commercially.
A gaming OS would be nice, but again, who would develop for it? If you want Win32 apps to run on it, you will need to emulate Windows, and time (and common sense) shows that emulation is never as fast as the "real deal".
The reason Windows is the prevailing consumer OS is because most apps (including Games) are developed for it.
Momentum, plus plenty of money keeps it going.
It's not that Windows is a particularly good gaming OS, it's that it is the most sensible (PC) platform to develop for, commercially.
A gaming OS would be nice, but again, who would develop for it? If you want Win32 apps to run on it, you will need to emulate Windows, and time (and common sense) shows that emulation is never as fast as the "real deal".
Then every company in the world should keep their work network seperate from the outside world. Having the HL2 source code published is a big irritation for Valve, but it doesn't compare to another company losing it's customer list, or pricing structure, or R&D documents.
There are risks and benefits associated with having yoru business network connected to the internet. Most companies take what precautions they can and accept the risks.
I'm sprawled across the davenport of despair.
There are risks and benefits associated with having yoru business network connected to the internet. Most companies take what precautions they can and accept the risks.
I'm sprawled across the davenport of despair.
It's the land of the brave, and the home of the free, where the less you know the better off you'll be.
100meg decompressed,..
<Andrew Dice Clay>
OW!
</Andrew Dice Clay>
Supporter of the "A fredster By Any Other Name Is Still The Same" fan club.
http://www.hybridsoundsystem.com/
100meg decompressed,..
http://www.poorintern.com
- The Voices In My Fruit Loops Tell Me that a happy fredster is a fredster being force fed hot broken glass,...
http://www.poorintern.com
- The Voices In My Fruit Loops Tell Me that a happy fredster is a fredster being force fed hot broken glass,...
------
Diablo & Diablo 2 for the DS, it makes sense Blizzard!
Diablo & Diablo 2 for the DS, it makes sense Blizzard!
It's not just HL2 source, but TF2, HL1, CS, etc. It seems to be valve's entire source code tree including all the code they have licensed from havok, ipion, radgametools, etc.
In 32 meg? (According to /., it was a 32 meg .rar)
<nin takes Hellbinder's $20 and says "$20 says HL2 is now 2004!">
Or should nin just spend it on booze...hmmmmmmmmm...
Supporter of the "A fredster By Any Other Name Is Still The Same" fan club.
http://www.hybridsoundsystem.com/
This comment was edited on Oct 2, 19:06.
Who was the first person to call Microsoft for the delay of Half-Life 2? StooMonster!
[b]Halflife2.net > Half-Life 2 Forums > Half-Life 2 Rumors and Speculation > Half-Life 2 delayed = Microsoft[/b]
http://www.halflife2.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=10218
Just didn't think it would be Outlook.
This is very sad news, and I feel badly for VALVe and everyone who wanted to play this game; it's going to be delayed for a long, long time now.
Hope they catch who ever is responsible.
StooMonster
[b]Halflife2.net > Half-Life 2 Forums > Half-Life 2 Rumors and Speculation > Half-Life 2 delayed = Microsoft[/b]
http://www.halflife2.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=10218
Just didn't think it would be Outlook.
This is very sad news, and I feel badly for VALVe and everyone who wanted to play this game; it's going to be delayed for a long, long time now.
Hope they catch who ever is responsible.
StooMonster
Call me crazy, but If I was a company that has made at least a few million, and was currently working on a game that a large number of people would do ANYTHING to get, the computer's I had the source codes/game files on, would NOT be connected to the internet. No matter if I had a firewall or not, Windows just aint secure. And use some of those millions to buy a PC for everyone to do e-mail/internet access. They would not have to be top o' line PC's, but they could still afford them.
I am free of all prejudice. I hate everyone equally.
- W. C. Fields
- W. C. Fields
"There is no physical connection between the two. Anything that needs to be done between the two networks involves your ten fingers reading output off one machine and using it as input on the other, or vice versa."
OMG, I had wireless all this time and didn't know it.
This does sort of raise the question: when Valve finally sets up the subscription model for future games and services, how secure is your subscriber info and credit card number going to be?
OMG, I had wireless all this time and didn't know it.
This does sort of raise the question: when Valve finally sets up the subscription model for future games and services, how secure is your subscriber info and credit card number going to be?
On the halflife2.net forum people have been picking apart the code. I'm not sure a lot of people here understand the full scope of the leak. It's not just HL2 source, but TF2, HL1, CS, etc. It seems to be valve's entire source code tree including all the code they have licensed from havok, ipion, radgametools, etc.
This is a massive leak of several companies 'IP', and many of those companies survive based on selling/licensing that IP.
No matter how I look at this, it's just all bad.
This is a massive leak of several companies 'IP', and many of those companies survive based on selling/licensing that IP.
No matter how I look at this, it's just all bad.
Hmm, so my next question is, why is their no dedicated gaming os? I mean windoze must hog resources even tho its runnign in the background, surely a dedicated stripped down gaming OS would run games faster?
If thats the case and someone came out with one i would be on it in a heart beat,..
Then again maybe im being ignorant as to some flaw with my theory? any one more knowledgable know?
http://www.poorintern.com
- The Voices In My Fruit Loops Tell Me that a happy fredster is a fredster being force fed hot broken glass,...
If thats the case and someone came out with one i would be on it in a heart beat,..
Then again maybe im being ignorant as to some flaw with my theory? any one more knowledgable know?
http://www.poorintern.com
- The Voices In My Fruit Loops Tell Me that a happy fredster is a fredster being force fed hot broken glass,...
------
Diablo & Diablo 2 for the DS, it makes sense Blizzard!
Diablo & Diablo 2 for the DS, it makes sense Blizzard!
20$ says Nvidia or someone/ones working there are behind or involved in this somehow.
<nin takes Hellbinder's $20 and goes and buys dinner.>
Supporter of the "A fredster By Any Other Name Is Still The Same" fan club.
http://www.hybridsoundsystem.com/
I hope anyone that tries to Kazaa this stuff gets a big face full of virus.
Copyright © 1996-2025 Stephen Heaslip. All rights reserved.
All trademarks are properties of their respective owners.
Privacy Policy. Manage Cookie Settings.
News CGI copyright © 1999-2025 James "furn" Furness & Blue's News. All rights reserved.
Chatbear v1.5.0/blue++: Page generated 21 June 2025, 04:52.