Information-Stealing Malware Has Been Released Through 2K Game Support Emails

2K is a video game development company known for its creation of WWE 2K, NBA 2K, and Civilization. It's a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive, along with Zynga (Words With Friends 2), Private Division (The Outer Worlds series), and Rockstar Gaming (Grand Theft Auto). 

How Did the Attack Occur?

The attack occurred through a hack on the 2K game support division of the company. It's been sending emails to 2K gamers, telling them they had opened special support tickets on 2ksupport.zendesk.com, its online support, and ticketing system. Email recipients began stating through social media platforms like Reddit and Twitter that while the tickets had indeed been created through Zendesk, the players were not the ones to open them. The messages also sent forth a zip file referred to as a new "2K game launcher".

What Information Was Viewed or Stolen?

If you downloaded the zip file attached to the message, your information is most likely in the hands of the hacker. The zip files contained Redline malware. This identifies the personal information on said device and then sends it to the hacker. This can include the saved passwords, IP addresses, and account information of anything you may have had on your phone or computer. The information can then be sold on dark web auctioning sites, resulting in many more unsavory actors having access to very personal information.

How Did 2K Admit to the Breach?

So far, it doesn’t seem as if 2K has made many comments regarding the cyber attack. When asked by Bleeping Computer, 2K refused to comment. That's not to say that 2K hasn't done anything. It wrote a Twitter post saying it had "become aware that an unauthorized third party illegally accessed the credentials of one of our vendors to the help desk platform that 2K uses to support our customers." It has since shut down the game support portion of its contacts. No one reaching out has been receiving answers, but no one has received malware-laced zip files, either.

What Will Become of the Stolen Information?

As much as we'd like to tell you that there's nothing to worry about, many things can happen with stolen information. It can be sold, leveraged, or used. If you had any credit or debit card information on the hacked device, you could find yourself in a bottomless financial hole. They likely wanted your banking information or other PII. If you use Google Maps, they most likely have your location. If your bills are through websites instead of paper, your personal and identifying information is in their hands.

What Should Affected Parties Do in the Aftermath of the Breach? 

Your best bet is to download software that will scan your device, letting you know if there is any form of malware on your device so that you can delete it. Who knows, you may have gotten lucky. You may have nothing to worry about, or you could have malware you had no idea was there. It's a good idea to use software like this, in general, to protect yourself from well-hidden phishing campaigns.