Digital Extremes, developer of the third-person space shooter Warframe, was confronted last week with a data breach from 2014.
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The Canadian developer Digital Extremes, which is responsible for the free-to-play shooter Warframe, was hacked in November 2014.
At that time, they were working with the content management system Drupal, which is mainly used for organizing websites and has been used to create the online presence of the White House or Amnesty International, among others.
The security breach at that time occurred through a Drupal SQL (database language) vulnerability, which Drupal fixed two weeks after its discovery. However, Digital Extremes only became aware of the actual data breach last week through unknown sources.
After a thorough analysis of the data made accessible to the developer, it emerged that a total of 775,749 email addresses of players were stolen. However, Digital Extremes emphasizes that this does not include account passwords, game data, or personal information such as name, address, or financial data.
… and Reaction
“We take account and game security very seriously and are constantly working on improving and closing any security gaps we find,” said community coordinator Drew. “As part of our ongoing efforts to enhance the security of Warframe, we have implemented two-factor authentication (2FA) over the last 1.5 years and replaced Drupal with a custom website system that does not store account information to protect against such attacks.”
Two-factor authentication occurs, among other things, in everyday life at ATMs, as only the combination of bank card and PIN allows the transaction to take place. Generally speaking, it is a system for verifying identity that relies on two specific, independent factors.
By the way, 2FA is not available for console players, but only for PC users of the shooter. This is because Xbox One and PS4 do not store passwords and emails on their servers, as their accounts are created via Microsoft or Sony, and the developer only receives their email address if they register for the newsletter.
Although “only” the email addresses were stolen, Digital Extremes advises all players to change their passwords regularly. Furthermore, they warn against phishing sites and email scams that crave your password, as you should never be asked for it outside of the Warframe.com login by official sources.
