Path of Exile 2 has won over gamers with its rewarding character-building and deep combat system. Like in other action-RPGs, players spend thousands of hours leveling and collecting rare loot. Unfortunately, some nefarious individuals have successfully stolen high-level accounts. In a recent interview with streamer Darth Microtransaction, Grinding Gear Games detailed a serious Steam hack that compromised 66 accounts.
Security issues have plagued Path of Exile 2 since its early access launch on December 6th. On his YouTube broadcast, Darth Microtransaction asked Game Director Jonathan Rogers to shed light on these problems. The matter is still under investigation, but in one case, a hacker used social engineering to log into an admin account. These methods often involve manipulating targets into revealing secured information. The individual gained enough information for a Steam password reset using account recovery tools.
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While the Steam account accessed was no longer used, it was tied to an active admin account. Consequently, the hacker was able to reset passwords for at least 66 players. This person effectively hid his/her actions, deleting records about account changes.
The hack described by Jonathan Rogers actually took place before the Path of Exile 2 public early access launch. The ramifications are ongoing, with endless forum posts about stolen accounts, in-game currency, and valuable items. Grinding Gear Games has added new security measures, including keeping player accounts separate from customer service accounts. However, these security breaches highlight the limitations of two-factor authentication while also serving as a yet another reminder that sometimes, the user is the weakest link, not the system.