The vulnerability in question appears to stem from a secret option within Borderlands that allows users to “mod” (or modify) their characters: attaining skill levels beyond what they’ve earned (or even what’s technically allowed by the game) as well as special weapons and armor.
The company acknowledged the attacks on Friday, saying that “a few users” were “using an external application” to “maliciously disrupt” the game and “sabotage characters of legitimate Borderlands 2 players on Xbox 360,” according to a message posted by Gearbox community manager Chris Faylor in the game’s user forum.įaylor said Gearbox has submitted an update to Microsoft to correct the problem. The culprit? A software flaw that appears to be spreading, STD-like, from Borderlands 2 “modders” to other law-abiding gamers they play with.
Gearbox Studios, the maker of the popular game Borderlands 2, is warning Xbox 360 users to be careful of who they play with, following a rash of reports of unexplained character deaths.
