Epic Games’ Fortnite has risen in popularity rapidly since its debut, and cybercriminals have leveraged that popularity to enact a handful of malicious schemes. Unfortunately, these tricks are showing no signs of slowing, as researchers recently discovered a security flaw that allowed cybercriminals to take over a gamer’s Fortnite account through a malicious link. This attack specifically targeted users who used a third-party website to log in to their Fortnite accounts, such as Facebook, Google, or gaming providers like Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony. But instead of trying to steal a gamer’s password like many of the hacks we’ve seen, this scheme targeted the special access token the third-party website exchanges with the game when a user logs in.
So, how exactly does this threat work? First, a cybercriminal sends a malicious phishing link to a Fortnite user. To increase the likelihood that a user will click on the link, the cybercriminal would send the link with an enticing message promising perks like free game credits. If the user clicked on the link, they would be redirected to the vulnerable login page. From here, Epic Games would make the request for the SSO (single sign-on) token from the third-party site, given SSO allows a user to leverage one set of login credentials across multiple accounts. This authentication token is usually sent to Fortnite over the back-end, removing the need for the user to remember a password to access the game. However, due to the unsecured login page, the user would be redirected to the attacker’s URL. This allows cybercriminals to intercept the user’s login token and take over their Fortnite account.
After acquiring a login token, a cybercriminal would gain access to a Fortnite user’s personal and financial details. Because Fortnite accounts have partial payment card numbers tied to them, a cybercriminal would be able to make in-game purchases and rack up a slew of charges on the victim’s card.
It’s important for players to understand the realities of gaming security in order to be more prepared for potential cyberthreats such as the Fortnite hack. According to McAfee research, the average gamer has experienced almost five cyberattacks, with 75% of PC gamers worried about the security of gaming. And while Epic Games has thankfully fixed this security flaw, there are a number of techniques players can use to help safeguard their gaming security now and in the future:
- Go straight to the source. 70% of breaches start with a phishing email. And phishing scams can be stopped by simply avoiding the email and going straight to the source to be sure you’re working with the real deal. In the case of this particular scheme, you should be able to check your account status on the Fortnite website and determine the legitimacy of the request from there.
- Use a strong, unique password. If you think your Fortnite account was hacked, err on the side of caution by updating your login credentials. In addition, don’t reuse passwords over multiple accounts. Reusing passwords could allow a cybercriminal to access multiple of your accounts by just hacking into one of them.
- Stay on top of your financial transactions. Check your bank statements regularly to monitor the activity of the card linked to your Fortnite account. If you see repeat or multiple transactions from your account, or see charges that you don’t recognize, alert your bank to ensure that your funds are protected.
- Get protection specifically designed for gamers. We’re currently building McAfee Gamer Security to help boost your PC’s performance, while simultaneously safeguarding you from a variety of threats that can disrupt your gaming experience.
And, as always, stay on top of the latest consumer and mobile security threats by following @McAfee_Home on Twitter, listen to our podcast Hackable?, and ‘Like’ us on Facebook.
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