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Protected Servers

Created 18th February 2011 @ 10:59

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Hi,

What is a protected server
Basically a server which does not run any server addons like Metamod, Sourcemod, MGE, TF2DM etc. Additionally a customer cannot install and run any addons. The protection is mainly used for protection against “server side cheats”. A game server provider has to make it public available on their website if a server is running in protected mode or not. Additionally the customer should be able to switch between unprotected and protected mode without any loss of configs, maps and addons.

Is it usefull
It depends. In Counter-Strike: Source on ESL you normally have to play on a protected server. In my opionion it makes sense. Just imagine. Someone with the knowledge writes a server addon which gives team red +10% damage (not much to really realize). This is something like a server side cheat and there is no real chance to see it.

How can game server providers make the server protected?
There are plenty ways for doing it like starting another server instance on a jailed user, installing a completly separate game server, overriding the “important” files and directories and make them unwritable during protection mode. The ESL has a really well written document with good ideas how to protect a server but I only have the german version. Dunno if theres an english one.

nice-servers.com protection beta
I have implemented a server side protection mode within the last days and I think it’s ready for public testing.
It would be nice if you could try to install e.g. Metamod on the server. And if you’re able to do just let me know how. Installing Metamod in unprotected mode does not count. :-)

If you’re interested in testing it please msg me on: [email protected] and I will send you the server information for game panel, ftp etc.

The protection mode can be enabled on every server within our game panel (Manage Addons -> Security – Protection Mode -> Enable). This feature can be used also by our existing customers. The status if its enabled or not is available on: http://www.nice-servers.com/game-server/tf2-server-hosting (on the bottom of the page)

This is our testserver: 188.40.102.206:20800 nice-servers.com :: TF2 :: Protected Server Test

Let’s discuss about the need, advantages and disadvantages about protected servers.

Cheers,

Ronny
nice-servers.com


Last edited by Ronny,

reactioN

there are no serverside hacks worth mentioning in tf2 that arent shitobvious

lol metamod in tf2. this aint 1.6

dauk

When you say ” testing” you mean playing on a server or trying to install cheat/modes?

Quoted from dauk

When you say ” testing” you mean playing on a server or trying to install cheat/modes?

cheat / server addons.

@reaction: metamod is just an example for an server addon for testing purposes. I could write my own addon like mentioned above which gives a team +10% damage. And thats a cheat which would be hard see in STV / demos etc.

AnAkkk

Almost every GSP so far that claim to have this kind of protection is bullshit, there are many ways to bypass it.
Doesn’t mean that your protection is the same, but just thought I’d say it.

Dr-GimpfeN

9g1c

and again tf2 community dont wants a protection cos noone cheats here *lol*
this is totaly ridiculus

also i predict whine about ppl could not run their bullshit dm plugin in warmup mode and stuff like that -_-


Last edited by Dr-GimpfeN,

Quoted from AnAkkk

Almost every GSP so far that claim to have this kind of protection is bullshit, there are many ways to bypass it.
Doesn’t mean that your protection is the same, but just thought I’d say it.

That’s one of the reasons for posting it here. I wasn’t able to run metamod in protection mode but maybe there are ways which I do not know yet.

AnimaL

and how would that switching between on/off happen? anything that masks chat msgs or game mode msgs can be recreated, so whats your take on it?

RaCio

GoT²

Quoted from Ronny

I could write my own addon like mentioned above which gives a team +10% damage. And thats a cheat which would be hard see in STV / demos etc.

Its alot harder to see such things in cs then it is in tf2. In tf2 I even think certain players with good gamesense would notice getting hit for more then max dmg.

kuma

just add a combat log, this game is an mmo now anyway

Quoted from AnimaL

and how would that switching between on/off happen? anything that masks chat msgs or game mode msgs can be recreated, so whats your take on it?

Everything is done in the backend so a customer has no access to it. Basically every server restart is logged in a database with the current status (protected or not protected) and can be seen on our website.

Thats the way I do it
1) Customer enables protection mode (creates a simple file called “protection_mode_on” in the game server folder)

2) Server restarts automatically

3) On server restart and within the backend it checks if the file protection_mode_on exists and if yes it runs the protections tasks and when everything went fine it adds a record with the current timestamp to the database that the server is now running in protection mode.

If the file does not exist it adds a db record that the server is not protected.


Last edited by Ronny,

Spike Himself

TC

Surely all you’d need to do is chmod the addons folder?

its blocked ;-)

In protected mode the important files and directories I know are owned by root with access “0700 / 0600” so you can’t read or modify them. Chmod via FTP is also blocked.


Last edited by Ronny,

Spike Himself

TC

Yes that’s what I meant.
(but wouldn’t they need read access for the game to work in the first place?)


Last edited by Spike Himself,

reactioN

does this blocks ratehack / modified tcp.regs ?


Last edited by reactioN,

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