That would only work if that would be a form of tracking number instead of the HWID itself, for HWID's can be influenced, so if the hacker or w/e changes it, it should not have a big impact on tracability, multiple HWID's would then be linked to a tracking ID, for they can attempt to customize MAC addresses, reinstallation with different OS's, adjusting driver versions etc, or w/e the combination of things is they use for generating a HWID.
Tbh, its a lot of work for some Valve themselves doesn't see much benefit from. Maybe the discussion would have to be focused on the advantages for Valve to implement it, in their user experiences and the monetary ROI. (apart from the whining of us about alts being a problem, for I rather see the pinion crap end.) >________________________________ > From: Scruppy Dawg <sc2p...@gmail.com> >To: Bjorn Wielens <uniac...@yahoo.ca>; Half-Life dedicated Linux server >mailing list <hlds_linux@list.valvesoftware.com> >Sent: Saturday, 24 August 2013, 13:50 >Subject: Re: [hlds_linux] Add something to the game so that server ops can ban >HWID too. > > >As long as Valve stores the HWID for each SteamID then they could make that >available as a banning mechanism to server ops without exposing it. They >would just have to add something to the Steam authentication when you join >a server and check that HWID against your banned list. > >I would ban a SteamID and add the option that I want the HWID associated >with it banned. > >SteamID A with HWID 1111 is banned from my servers. > >But later if SteamID B joins with HWID 1111 a check is done on auth and >they are not allowed to join. > >I would have to think most of this logging is already in place and it would >just be a matter of changing the server and auth method. > > >On Sat, Aug 24, 2013 at 6:59 AM, Bjorn Wielens <uniac...@yahoo.ca> wrote: > >> That wouldn't work. unless Valve implements a global ban system where they >> track HWIDs and such for bans (which they never will do) , the HWID would >> HAVE to be shared to be able to ban by it. You can hardly ban someone by a >> particular attribute of their account (or indeed check to see if they are >> banned by said attribute) without actually knowing the attribute in the >> first place. >> >> >> >> >> ________________________________ >> From: Scruppy Dawg <sc2p...@gmail.com> >> To: Mart-Jan Reeuwijk <mreeu...@yahoo.com>; Half-Life dedicated Linux >> server mailing list <hlds_linux@list.valvesoftware.com> >> Sent: Saturday, August 24, 2013 3:33:28 AM >> Subject: Re: [hlds_linux] Add something to the game so that server ops can >> ban HWID too. >> >> >> Like I said, the HWID itself wouldn't be shared. When you ban a SteamID >> there would be something you would add to the ban command to issue a HWID >> ban on that SteamID as well. >> >> >> On Sat, Aug 24, 2013 at 12:27 AM, Mart-Jan Reeuwijk <mreeu...@yahoo.com >> >wrote: >> >> > Steamguard generates a random number for the client, which is "linked" to >> > the machine afaik with the steam client. You cannot get that one, that >> > would be bad. >> > >> > The HWID, is generated at installation of steam I think, and is probably >> > passed on to Valve at logon every time. Never really looked at it. But >> > sharing that has other security issues I guess. >> > >> > its a strange thing, for things conflict a lot. >> > - Valve can't discuss individual accounts specifics (being a alt account >> > of somebody would prolly be not good for them in legal) >> > - sharing such identifying info would benefit the server owners in the >> > amount of effort needed to keep their servers clean, but that would be >> > defeated by some those hackers would start to do to prevent such. >> > >> > I do not think valve would want to start that arms race. I rather have >> > them up the par on VAC, as far as I hear, there are now various cheats >> that >> > aren't been vac'd by valve after x time. They do move over to new account >> > for too many servers they got banned on to be able to join much. >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >________________________________ >> > > From: Eli Witt <eliw...@gmail.com> >> > >To: Half-Life dedicated Linux server mailing list < >> > hlds_linux@list.valvesoftware.com> >> > >Sent: Friday, 23 August 2013, 22:05 >> > >Subject: Re: [hlds_linux] Add something to the game so that server ops >> > can ban HWID too. >> > > >> > > >> > >It really depends on how the HWID is generated and if they're fuzzy or >> > not. >> > >It could literally be as simple as a 1 digit change to a MAC address on >> a >> > >NIC that's not even active, or it could stamp every piece of hardware >> that >> > >it can pull unique information from and fuzzy the shit out of it. >> > > >> > > >> > >On Fri, Aug 23, 2013 at 7:56 AM, dan <needa...@ntlworld.com> wrote: >> > > >> > >> On 23/08/2013 01:43, Scruppy Dawg wrote: >> > >> >> > >>> Everyone knows the HWIDs are stored due to Steamguard (Or some form >> of >> > >>> HWID, anyway). Couldn't Valve simply add something so that server >> > >>> operators, when banning a SteamID, can also elect to ban the >> associated >> > >>> HWID? The HWID never needs to be exposed to the server admins. >> > >>> >> > >> >> > >> Is it difficult to change hwid though? >> > >> >> > >> I can't say I've looked at it or care about it, but if something as >> > simple >> > >> as >> > >> changing the mac address alters it, it's not likely to improve >> anything. >> > >> >> > >> It sounds like one of these things that might work for a week or 2 and >> > then >> > >> cheaters would just figure out a way of working around it. >> > >> >> > >> Auto detecting cheating and kicking / banning seems the best approach. >> > >> Doesn't SMAC and the alternatives work well enough to do that? >> > >> >> > >> I've got to say I don't really notice a significant problem with >> > cheaters >> > >> in TF2 >> > >> on the servers I play on. >> > >> >> > >> I can't imagine why someone would keep creating accounts and going >> back >> > to >> > >> the same server >> > >> only to be kicked and banned immediately, unless it's reached the >> point >> > >> where >> > >> he's just doing it to wind the server owner and admins up. >> > >> >> > >> -- >> > >> Dan >> > >> >> > >> >> > >> ______________________________**_________________ >> > >> To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view the list archives, >> > >> please visit: >> > >> https://list.valvesoftware. >> **com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/**hlds_linux< >> > https://list.valvesoftware.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/hlds_linux> >> > >> >> > >_______________________________________________ >> > >To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view the list archives, >> > please visit: >> > >https://list.valvesoftware.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/hlds_linux >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > _______________________________________________ >> > To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view the list archives, >> > please visit: >> > https://list.valvesoftware.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/hlds_linux >> > >> _______________________________________________ >> To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view the list archives, >> please visit: >> https://list.valvesoftware.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/hlds_linux >> _______________________________________________ >> To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view the list archives, >> please visit: >> https://list.valvesoftware.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/hlds_linux >> >_______________________________________________ >To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view the list archives, please >visit: >https://list.valvesoftware.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/hlds_linux > > > _______________________________________________ To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view the list archives, please visit: https://list.valvesoftware.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/hlds_linux
