Server-Buddy
From AntiHax
Contents |
Information
Server Buddy is an anti-cheat system developed to protect Half-Life 1 & Counter-Strike 1.6 servers from the constant threat of cheaters.
The system itself consists of four main tools: "Scan Center", "Scan Server", "Server Buddy Cheat Scanner", and the server-side "Plugin"
Server-Side Plugin
The server-side plugin provides the administrative functions of Server Buddy which include:
1. The ability to flag players suspected of cheating
2. Player restrictions for flagged players (Glow red, Handguns Only, Randomly Miss Shots, Can't Talk, Can't use Mic, Can't Change Name)
3. Player restrictions are remembered if a player re-connects to the server.
4. Thin layer of hack-trace protection (detects traces of old hack info lines on a connecting player)
5. Protection against "Ghosting" (two or more players on the same local area network that can physically see each others screens & notify each other about enemy positions when spectating or dead.)
6. Protection against the "Fullupdate" exploit (allows players to crash game server)
7. Communication with Server Buddy cheat scanner's (maintains information used by the scanners)
8. Compatibility with "Amx Bans"
9. Prevention of "Anti-Kick Symbols" in players names
10. Logging of all activity (admin actions, detections, notifications, etc)
With the blessing of Zero3Cool (The developer of HLGuard), features from the old HLGuard project are currently being merged into the "Server Buddy Project" to provide a more powerful server-side anti-cheat tool.
Scan Server
Server Buddy provides a "Scan Server" to server owners that runs in the background of their computer. The main purpose of the "Scan Server" is to listen for incoming player scans, accept them and save them appropriately.
The "Scan Server" also maintains constant communication with the game servers it is monitoring to notify the game server of any changes in location or status so the "Server Buddy Cheat Scanner's" know where to find the "Scan Server" associated with that specific server.
Cheat Scanner
The Cheat Scanner is hosted by the server owner and provided to players when they have been requested to submit a scan. Suspected players can now clear their name byrunning the cheat scanner and submitting a scan to the server.
The Cheat Scanner looks for files and information on a players computer that match a specific pattern that allows a server admin to determine if a player was cheating at the time they were flagged on their game server.
For those players that have mistakenly decided to experiment with a cheat, the scanner provides the player with an opportunity to attach a note to their scan explaining their side of the story just in case any hack-traces are found. Some players may have hacks on their computer for legitimate reasons and now have an opportunity to explain those reasons in their scan.
When a scan is completed the results are then sent to the game server admin by transferring the results directly to the "Scan Server" associated with that server or by e-mailing the results in by hand.
The thing that makes "Server Buddy" unique and sets it apart from other cheat scanner's is it's ability to detect falsified results, a common concern amongst critics.
"What if a player scans with a different computer?", is a common question amongst people and a fundamental flaw with all external cheat scanners. "Server Buddy" has solved this problem and has built in internal mechanisms to detect deceitful and faulty scans. If a player decides to scan an entirely different computer, "Server Buddy" uses a variety of methods to detect this type of activity.
Scan Center
"Scan Center" is used by server admin's to read the cheat scans submitted by players. It provides admins with a wealth of information that can be used to identify and detect cheating on their servers.
A built in authentic rating system provides feedback on a players scan by rating the scan based on different topics such as "the probability of cheating", "the probability of the wrong computer", "the probability of tampered results", "the overall authenticity of the scan", etc.
The information provided by "Scan Center" allows admins to feel confident about a players game-play because "Server Buddy" isn't only designed to detect cheaters, but also to exonerate the innocent players.
Development
"Server Buddy" began development in early 2006 and was entirely re-written from the ground up in the middle of 2007. The project continues to evolve and employ new experimental anti-cheat methods that truly makes "Server Buddy" a very unique anti-cheat tool.
