wraggster
March 9th, 2011, 23:44
An Xbox Live Arcade exploit that allowed hackers to stockpile Microsoft Points has cost the platform holder $1.2m, according to reports.
According to Save and Quit (http://saveandquitgaming.com/2011/03/microsoft-lose-1-2-million-due-to-code-exploit/), earlier this week hackers posting on The Tech Game forum (http://www.thetechgame.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=954941/start=80.html) figured out an algorithm to add to used codes that would let them be re-used.
Users could stockpile points just be clicking refresh over and over again. One scallywag claimed to have snagged $150 worth of points in just 20 minutes.
Microsoft quickly caught on and put a stop to all the fun, but not before pirates had apparently netted more than a million dollars worth of free points.
But crime never pays, right? Wrong. Due to the way the exploit worked, it seems that there is no way for the platform holder to track down any of the perpetrators.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-03-09-xbla-scam-costs-microsoft-USD1-2m-article
According to Save and Quit (http://saveandquitgaming.com/2011/03/microsoft-lose-1-2-million-due-to-code-exploit/), earlier this week hackers posting on The Tech Game forum (http://www.thetechgame.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=954941/start=80.html) figured out an algorithm to add to used codes that would let them be re-used.
Users could stockpile points just be clicking refresh over and over again. One scallywag claimed to have snagged $150 worth of points in just 20 minutes.
Microsoft quickly caught on and put a stop to all the fun, but not before pirates had apparently netted more than a million dollars worth of free points.
But crime never pays, right? Wrong. Due to the way the exploit worked, it seems that there is no way for the platform holder to track down any of the perpetrators.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-03-09-xbla-scam-costs-microsoft-USD1-2m-article