HB Security Post-Banwave

[paralytic]

Good morning everyone,


This is a question mostly directed at the HB team, but anyone wanting to contribute their 2 cents is obviously welcome to do so

Now, before anyone chews me out giving me the typical botting is risky etc etc, I am aware of this and my question isn't a general one, I know botting has its risks.

For a little background, I only bot CRs, no automatic targeting and no automatic movement, I am at my pc 100% of the botting time, but it is also my main account.

I am aware of the risks of botting, but as long as it's only bot reports from players, I am fairly safe as I am always present and showing signs of life.

The question is this: Is there any reason to believe that the banwave was an announcement that HB is now detectable? Or was it a short window of time and is now fixed? I am of course aware that there is always a risk of being banned, but there's a massive difference in risk if it is indeed being detected rather than just relying on player reports.

I'm sure I speak for the whole community when I say we are all very appreciative of how much work you guys put into this, and how fast you try and solve all problems, and I'm sure that if there is indeed a detection problem at the moment that you will do everything in your power to have it fixed asap, I would just like some clarficiation on the situation is all

Ps. If this is not the place for this kind of thread, kindly tell me where to post it in the event it gets closed, thank you.

Paralytic

 

[roboto]

For a little background, I only bot CRs, no automatic targeting and no automatic movement, I am at my pc 100% of the botting time, but it is also my main account.

detection must not be limited to automatic movement/targeting/whatever.
for example, IF your CR is using static lua names or leaves thumbprints within the wowclient it can be detected (if i'm not mistaken thats what resulted in PRQ being detected)

in addition your CR can also match against patterns when it comes down to actions like rotation, dispell time, ...
just saying you only use CR is not more or less safe than using any other HB component.

as proven in lasts banwave, HB CAN be detected.
keep in mind that this is only my own optinion and must not reflect the official/dev's view

 

[signex]

Been using it for years and never got a warning or ban on my account.

It's also important you do it safe.

 

[roneo1]

No one will be able to answer your question with actual data to back it up.

The ban wave that hit HB did not hit any other bots when it happened, and then the ban wave that hit other bots did not hit HB, this means that blizz is able to identify specific bot signatures and do ban waves after flagging.

HB was down for a significant amount of time after the bans went out, they also admitted that they were detected but couldn't be sure how and in that time they did what they could do improve security and so forth.

But if blizz detected it once, they will probably be able to do it again. When? Nobody knows, what we do know is, do not bot on accounts you don't want to lose, that is all you can know for sure.

 

[paralytic]

detection must not be limited to automatic movement/targeting/whatever.
for example, IF your CR is using static lua names or leaves thumbprints within the wowclient it can be detected (if i'm not mistaked thats what resulted in PRQ being detected)

Yeah, I thought as much, but I meant the chance for the usual detection from players and bot reports is almost non existant

I can live without the bot, but it does make life easier so I'd rather not mostly wanna know if there's any info out there on whether it is detected by the system atm, there have been hints that it is, and the banwave also suggests this, but question is what the current status on this is.

Also Signex, seems you got lucky I also avoided the banwave as I had been inactive for a few months, and I agree, botting safe is very important, just won't do us much good if all they need to do is check a log to have undeniable proof that we're botting

 

[roboto]

mostly wanna know if there's any info out there on whether it is detected by the system atm, there have been hints that it is, and the banwave also suggests this, but question is what the current status on this is.

we will never know - well except if there's another wave ^^

 

[paralytic]

No one will be able to answer your question with actual data to back it up.

The ban wave that hit HB did not hit any other bots when it happened, and then the ban wave that hit other bots did not hit HB, this means that blizz is able to identify specific bot signatures and do ban waves after flagging.

HB was down for a significant amount of time after the bans went out, they also admitted that they were detected but couldn't be sure how and in that time they did what they could do improve security and so forth.

But if blizz detected it once, they will probably be able to do it again. When? Nobody knows, what we do know is, do not bot on accounts you don't want to lose, that is all you can know for sure.

This is very fair, I'm aware the botting my main is kinda dumb, but then again I have no interest in botting alts cause I'm not doing it for the gold making or whatever..I also know that if they detected it once they can do it again, but until then, does anybody know if the particular way that has been used to detect it is currently countered?

 

[Mario27]

Been using it for years and never got a warning or ban on my account.

It's also important you do it safe.

dont keep your hopes up i was like you to then they start triggering me when ever i quest bot automate afther a few days i get banned i dont know if 8 to 10 hours is to mutch evryday maybe i should reduce the bot times to 5 hours but im waiting atm. playing manually

 

[huntersmoon]

This is very fair, I'm aware the botting my main is kinda dumb, but then again I have no interest in botting alts cause I'm not doing it for the gold making or whatever..I also know that if they detected it once they can do it again, but until then, does anybody know if the particular way that has been used to detect it is currently countered?

Impossible. No one knows how it was done so no counter can be made. Blizzard could be detecting it right now and making a list for the next been wave. They could also be waiting for the next big patch to hit, waiting for bots to damage PvP, wait for bots to damage the economy. We just don't know.

 

[paralytic]

Impossible. No one knows how it was done so no counter can be made. Blizzard could be detecting it right now and making a list for the next been wave. They could also be waiting for the next big patch to hit, waiting for bots to damage PvP, wait for bots to damage the economy. We just don't know.

Alright, I guess that seems reasonable enough, I'll just play manually for a while and keep an eye on the ban section for a month or two then ill test my luck, thanks everyone

Also, Mario27, I would say that 8-10 hours may not be the safest course of action atm, I know nothing is safe but still you'd be kinda pushing it, so yeah, I'd advise lowering that a bit.

 

[Mario27]

Alright, I guess that seems reasonable enough, I'll just play manually for a while and keep an eye on the ban section for a month or two then ill test my luck, thanks everyone

Also, Mario27, I would say that 8-10 hours may not be the safest course of action atm, I know nothing is safe but still you'd be kinda pushing it, so yeah, I'd advise lowering that a bit.

ye im reducing it maybe to 5 hours when i start again and then i wont be only questbotting afther my 5 hours of questbotting afther that i wil just grind some dungeons manually

 

[Skeerrt]

ye im reducing it maybe to 5 hours when i start again and then i wont be only questbotting afther my 5 hours of questbotting afther that i wil just grind some dungeons manually

Eh I've got a spare account I got for free thats been going for 24 hours at a time leveling characters, doing achievement farms, BGs, Ashran; you name it I've probally done it. So far 10 level 100s, 4 fully geared in blues for 6.2 then 3 more are still in purples...

Literally a "how far can this go" account

edit: literally never touches my main - not risking the characters I ACTUALLY play getting banned, no interaction whatsoever. Completely different realms to be sure of that.

 

[Mario27]

Eh I've got a spare account I got for free thats been going for 24 hours at a time leveling characters, doing achievement farms, BGs, Ashran; you name it I've probally done it. So far 10 level 100s, 4 fully geared in blues for 6.2 then 3 more are still in purples...

Literally a "how far can this go" account

edit: literally never touches my main - not risking the characters I ACTUALLY play getting banned, no interaction whatsoever. Completely different realms to be sure of that.

i was like that a few years ago aswel i was questbotting for like a year 2 years without getting a single ban then they start hitting me i dont know how blizzard catches me evrytime but evrytime i quest bot i get banned when i play manually i dont so they know im botting but in that time i questbotted for 8 to 10 hours i was 2 years good until they start hitting me

 

[ridz89]

my first ban was during the first stages of archeology bot, lets say it wasn't a smart idea to spam its own chat with coordinates. Wasn't hard for blizzard to track these chat logs and ban wave alot of people >.<

i was like that a few years ago aswel i was questbotting for like a year 2 years without getting a single ban then they start hitting me i dont know how blizzard catches me evrytime but evrytime i quest bot i get banned when i play manually i dont so they know im botting but in that time i questbotted for 8 to 10 hours i was 2 years good until they start hitting me

do you have a friend who dobs you in every account? i once had that, turns out he hated the money i made on wow, after the 4th ban he admitted he had been reporting me this whole time.......

 

[Mario27]

my first ban was during the first stages of archeology bot, lets say it wasn't a smart idea to spam its own chat with coordinates. Wasn't hard for blizzard to track these chat logs and ban wave alot of people >.<




do you have a friend who dobs you in every account? i once had that, turns out he hated the money i made on wow, after the 4th ban he admitted he had been reporting me this whole time.......

no i dont have that kind of things i never have any friends on my list when i bot.

 

[Frayman]

I dont have friends

 

[Mario27]

I dont have friends

lol i do but i dont add them on the accounts where i questbot on and stil get the bans

 

[klepp0906]

It's less secure. If you read the post they made, they were detected. They have no idea how therefore have no way of creating a work around or knowing if it's safer. Do people really ask this daily? For some kind of personal convincing they can bot and not get caught or something?

Good luck!

 

[signex]

Lol i might get banned in the coming days, my quest bot was hitting a ceiling in a building in Hyjal, a human paladin kept watching me while the bot was trying to go up.

 

[nelie223]

Just accept it now, the second you turn on HB, no matter how you use it your ban will come. Blizz knows how to find you, its just a timing game. Expect it and move on, the game is more fun that way.