Tribes 2 Exhibits Security Shortcomings

Security expert Steve Gibson is publicizing the fact that Tribes 2 suffers from some of the same problems experienced by others on the Internet. "Open standards and today's broadband connections don't offer much protection. Our lab testing identified areas of concern, which were confirmed by gamers we interviewed," said Gibson. "Honestly, there's not much you can do on your own to stop them."

The most widespread problem encountered by Tribes 2 gamers is spam, or unwanted messages. "Apparently, they didn't learn their lesson, since this problem existed in Tribes 1. Spamming voice commands can be annoying during gameplay. But once a map is completed, the cacophony of spam can be mind-numbing," said Gibson. Players are forced to endure endless repetitions of "I've got your number! I've got all your numbers," "Good game," and "Ha ha ha ha! Is that the best you can do?"

The next area he focused on is denial of service (DoS) attacks. "This problem is extremely frustrating," said Gibson. "There you are, enjoying a nice game of CTF, and suddenly all you see are green contrails, explosions, and body parts flying. Mortar denial of service attacks can seriously impair the ability of players to defend, repair damage, or use their base or supporting structures. It's brutal."

The next area is much more insidious: worms and trojans. "This represents one of the biggest security holes in Tribes 2," Gibson explained. "A worm with a cloaking pack and a shocklance can easily infiltrate your base and cause untold damage before you even know it's there. And be careful when you buy a Beowulf tank, because sometimes a sneaky trojan will hop into the gunner's seat. The results of either of these attacks can be devastating."

Dynamix responded by noting that muting the offending players can eliminate voice spam. And the other two "problems" are actually gameplay tactics that can be countered with proper application of teamwork. "Frankly, we're bewildered by these accusations," said Dave Georgeson, the game's senior producer. "Next thing you know, they'll say the sensor jammer pack is a friend-or-foe spoofer."