Known Hackers

[Colt]

I do not like this sudden trend of posting private support request conversations.

I realize you want an answer instantly, but troubleshooting is appropriate.

Not necessarily instant - but within 24 hrs is cool

Ticket submitted at Sun, Nov 24 2013 1:14pm

Let's try and fix this together -- wulf has many screenshots of the process if you would like them. I hope we can help resolve this.

[stryfe]

I've confirmed too that IP banning doesn't seem to be working. I've added 2 IPs and tested it with my client and another person they disconnected & reconnected and was still able to join.

[.=QUACK=.Major.Pain]

Can you not get his EA_guid? or pb guid?

He might be changing his ip.

Here yah go.

EA_38E7DD13D4D4E717B5C36C19A012EC4A

bf24411dcd4c01d63ff78bdf65522f5b

71.199.190.39:3659

essd0t

Just add all of these to your ban list.
One of them should block him.

[wulfengrav]

Can you not get his EA_guid? or pb guid?

He might be changing his ip.

Here yah go.

EA_38E7DD13D4D4E717B5C36C19A012EC4A

bf24411dcd4c01d63ff78bdf65522f5b

71.199.190.39:3659

essd0t

Just add all of these to your ban list.
One of them should block him.

Did that all you get from the console of the server is "ReadonlyCommand" as this is an "Official" server EA decided to take the rights of the server admins away. You cant Kick/Kill/Ban on a Official server. So the hope was to block the person via the Firewall.

[.=QUACK=.Major.Pain]

Ok - Got it.

[Edge100x]

Not necessarily instant - but within 24 hrs is cool

It would be lovely to be able to solve all high and low priority issues within 24 hours, I agree! But, that is not always realistic for very complicated problems. I understand that we do set a very high bar for ourselves because most concerns here are handled immediately.

The support request that I saw was from a few hours ago. I fully investigated and resolved it. Here's what I said.

I continued researching this and the problem is due to a combination of a Windows design flaw and a BF4 design flaw.

Specifically, Windows silently creates an invisible and unmodifiable firewall exception when a local application attempts an outbound connection, allowing inbound traffic from the same IP address and port that the application is trying to connect to. Traditionally such connections are used to get around NATs and the technique is called "hole punching"; it seems that Microsoft decided to allow it more generally in the OS, as well, even when there's an explicit firewall rule blocking such traffic. Presumably their thought was that this was a good way to allow users to do stupid things like blocking all inbound traffic without breaking their internet connections, but it makes no sense from a hosting standpoint, and it definitely makes no sense to fail to expose the option of disabling that behavior.

That wouldn't normally matter, but BF4 is designed to punch those holes. The game might be expected to perform hole punching on the client, but DICE apparently built it into the server, as well. This was clearly unnecessary, since servers are not behind deny-all-incoming-traffic firewalls. DICE did not build in a way to override this errant behavior, at least that I can find.

In any case, the workaround that I've found is to create an outbound firewall rule that also blocks traffic *to* the blocked IP address. It seems that Windows respects this one, and it prevents the hole from being punched. I've applied that adjustment to the system and confirmed that it is working.

Also, working around EA's intentional ban/kick limitation for Official servers is a legal gray area. I can't guarantee that you will always be able to do this, as it's possible they'll put a stop to it (I hope not).

[stryfe]

Ok, cool thanks for looking into it! At least we have an option for now until something can get resolved. I'd love to see the look on the peoples faces when the server stops responding the traffic to them, they'll just think the server crashed.

[ThatGuy3141]

So they really did remote the ability to kick cheaters from official servers? What's the point in running a server at all if cheaters can come in a ruin everyone's fun? I am paying a crazy amount of money every month. I should be able to decide when someone gets kicked or banned.

[plasma]

Is there a way to get the IP using the CP? all I can seem to get is the guid

[stryfe]

Just run that pb_sv_plist command mentioned earlier and it'll give you the IP:PORT of the users. From there you can edit the firewall to add the IP. Technically Edge I was thinking about this earlier it doesn't "violate" the agreement as you're denying IP traffic could always play it off it's a client side issue, contact your ISP!

[10-78 Busterking]

Is there a way to get the IP using the CP? all I can seem to get is the guid

It's all in your logs.

[Colt]

Not necessarily instant - but within 24 hrs is cool

It would be lovely to be able to solve all high and low priority issues within 24 hours, I agree! But, that is not always realistic for very complicated problems. I understand that we do set a very high bar for ourselves because most concerns here are handled immediately.

The support request that I saw was from a few hours ago. I fully investigated and resolved it. Here's what I said.

I continued researching this and the problem is due to a combination of a Windows design flaw and a BF4 design flaw.

Specifically, Windows silently creates an invisible and unmodifiable firewall exception when a local application attempts an outbound connection, allowing inbound traffic from the same IP address and port that the application is trying to connect to. Traditionally such connections are used to get around NATs and the technique is called "hole punching"; it seems that Microsoft decided to allow it more generally in the OS, as well, even when there's an explicit firewall rule blocking such traffic. Presumably their thought was that this was a good way to allow users to do stupid things like blocking all inbound traffic without breaking their internet connections, but it makes no sense from a hosting standpoint, and it definitely makes no sense to fail to expose the option of disabling that behavior.

That wouldn't normally matter, but BF4 is designed to punch those holes. The game might be expected to perform hole punching on the client, but DICE apparently built it into the server, as well. This was clearly unnecessary, since servers are not behind deny-all-incoming-traffic firewalls. DICE did not build in a way to override this errant behavior, at least that I can find.

In any case, the workaround that I've found is to create an outbound firewall rule that also blocks traffic *to* the blocked IP address. It seems that Windows respects this one, and it prevents the hole from being punched. I've applied that adjustment to the system and confirmed that it is working.

Also, working around EA's intentional ban/kick limitation for Official servers is a legal gray area. I can't guarantee that you will always be able to do this, as it's possible they'll put a stop to it (I hope not).

Thanks for the email. I agree, your team's response time is fantastic. One of the many reasons I have been doing business with you for several years, Advertising for you & referring you. Thanks again, let us know of any updates you may come across.

[Dixa]

Not entirely sure why this is even an issue atm.

It's a common-sense business practice that if EA/Dice were going to let you label your server as official, they were going to want to exert some control over what you were allowed to do. They don't want admins rage-banning people for reasons that EA/Dice may not consider acceptable.

Clearly they can't be expected to field a CSR force to police every.single.server. that goes online trying to use official presets, therefore they have to make blanket decisions. It does not MATTER at all if YOU don't like it, because you have an option - stop using official.

[stryfe]

It's an issue because we're spending money on something trying to populate a server. And we have ZERO control over the issues that show up in the server. So based on what you're saying is run Official let the hackers run free let the racist pricks run free and let EA/DICE handle it. I guess you would enjoy playing with a hacker that went 111 - 5 and called you every racist term in the book?

[ADKGamers]

There was just a Blaze in Chicago. . . all of my chicago servers emptied!