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Home News Secret Watermarks With User Information Found In World Of Warcraft Screenshots

GAMING NEWS

Secret Watermarks With User Information Found In World Of Warcraft Screenshots

Posted on Thursday, September 13 @ 16:35:33 Eastern by Jonathan_Leack

What you see above isn't the matrix, and it definitely isn't Hideo Kojima's latest tease. Instead, it's something that's been injected into every World of Warcraft screenshot taken since 2007.

A user by the name of Sendatsu on OwnedCore.com posted a series of bone-chilling screenshots—okay, maybe they're just hair-raising—that show secret markings on all World of Warcraft images. These markings are actually watermarks that reportedly show a user's ID, the IP of the server that they are connected to, as well as a timestamp. Most surprisingly, it appears Blizzard has been doing this since 2007.

So why are we just now finding out about this? Well, the watermarks are extremely subtle and require a few steps to reveal. Actually, it's completely reproducible. In order to see it for yourself, just take a screenshot in a very bright area of the game and open the image in an editing program before increasing sharpness to its highest value. Congratulations, you've just found a secret that has been hidden for five-years.

As far as the purpose of this strange information injection goes, some say it's to locate and identify players on private servers. While that sounds unlikely, Blizzard has refused to comment on the matter. More importantly, it's a potential security issue now that hackers have five years of screenshots to play with.
Related Games:   World of Warcraft
Tags:   World of Warcraft, Blizzard


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Comments
  • De-Ting
    De-Ting
    Joined: Nov 2006
    Posted: Sep 13th, 2012 at 5:37 pm
    Haha, stupid WoW players.

    ...but now I'm worried about playing D3 ever again.
    0 2
  • Sourdeez
    Sourdeez
    Joined: Feb 2012
    Posted: Sep 13th, 2012 at 5:51 pm
    Another reason for me to hate on blizzard?

    Wait now Im going to have to look for this in every mmo!
    0 1
  • Heath_Hindman
    Heath_Hindman
    Joined: May 2011
    Posted: Sep 13th, 2012 at 6:32 pm
    Inching me one step closer to quitting gaming altogether.
    2 0
  • Chunibrow
    Chunibrow
    Joined: Mar 2010
    Posted: Sep 14th, 2012 at 12:41 am
    Sounds like you're looking for a reason to
    0 1
  • Heath_Hindman
    Heath_Hindman
    Joined: May 2011
    Posted: Sep 14th, 2012 at 1:15 am
    Well yeah?
    0 0
  • Lien
    Lien
    Joined: Feb 2008
    Posted: Sep 13th, 2012 at 8:01 pm
    The information that can be taken from the screenshots are: The server IP (not related to your personal info), your account ID (now called battle tag... that everyone can already get it, via your screenshot or no... since 2008!) and the time and date this screen was taken. In one word... wait let me write that in caps.

    THE INFO FOUND IN YOUR SCREEN CANNOT HARM YOU NOR CAN IT BE EXPLOITED!

    Now watch as every non-wow player start to point and laugh at us thinking this is as big as a tragedy as the sony hacking. *sigh*
    0 0
  • NecroWolf
    NecroWolf
    Joined: Oct 2005
    Posted: Sep 13th, 2012 at 10:13 pm
    This whole thing is being overblown. Every bit of information it provides can already be found easily, nothing in it can compromise your account. There is nothing to be afraid of, or worried about. Your precious WoW account is just as safe as it was before this information was figured out.
    0 0
  • De-Ting
    De-Ting
    Joined: Nov 2006
    Posted: Sep 14th, 2012 at 6:39 am
    But why? WHY?! Why is it there?!?!
    0 1
  • Lien
    Lien
    Joined: Feb 2008
    Posted: Sep 14th, 2012 at 12:00 pm
    It is implemented to know the legitimacy of your screen. To know that the screenshots you've taken is from a Blizzard server and that it hasn't been altered. All the information given in your screen can be already accessed... by searching your character's name in the WoW armory.

    Stop freakin' out for no reason here, De-ting. here have some hot cocoa.
    0 1
  • De-Ting
    De-Ting
    Joined: Nov 2006
    Posted: Sep 14th, 2012 at 1:27 pm
    Only if it has little marshmallows.
    0 0
  • MasterRabbi
    MasterRabbi
    Joined: May 2007
    Posted: Sep 14th, 2012 at 5:40 am
    While the effect is overblown, the action is not. Yes, this information is not all that important. However, the fact that Blizzard has done this, without knowledge or consent (not sure on this from EULA, but let's assume it was secret), and could include information that is meant to be more secure, leads to a valid concern about how your information can be obtained and the lengths Blizzard and other companies will go to get it.
    0 0
  • xavier_2000_ie
    xavier_2000_ie
    Joined: Jun 2007
    Posted: Sep 14th, 2012 at 7:17 am
    love how anything happens to do with blizzard and its instantly "end of the world/omg i hate them more/those bastards" etc etc etc crap
    people really need to grow up
    3 1
  • NecroWolf
    NecroWolf
    Joined: Oct 2005
    Posted: Sep 14th, 2012 at 8:35 am
    Actually, incorrect. Jonathan (the guy who posted this) is a big fan of WoW, and is very knowledgeable about it in general. So, while it is overblown a bit, he isn't hating on Blizzard, because he's a big fan of Blizzard. He's stating concerns about one of his favorite games.
    0 0
  • Jonathan_Leack
    Jonathan_Leack
    Joined: Jan 2012
    Posted: Sep 14th, 2012 at 11:13 am
    Yeah, it isn't a big security risk but it still gives potential hackers a new outlet. UserIDs are half the battle to getting into accounts.

    Oh, and yes I'm a big fan of Blizzard. I have 3 85s that I plan to get to 90 in MoP. :)
    0 0
  • Lien
    Lien
    Joined: Feb 2008
    Posted: Sep 14th, 2012 at 11:57 am
    Actually, you are both incorrect, Xavier is talking about people posting the comments under any WoW news in this site for the past months. Not about you alex.

    And darn it alex, like almost every blue post on the wow forum responding to this news, it is NOT a security risk and the only risk you can get by posting your screen shot on the web, is letting "hackers" know if either the screen is legitimate or not (I.e if the screen been photoshop or not).

    Side not, please tell me you are horde.
    0 0
  • Chunibrow
    Chunibrow
    Joined: Mar 2010
    Posted: Sep 15th, 2012 at 12:43 pm
    Lien is correct in all assertions other than whoever he is talking to, since I see no one named Alex in here lol
    0 0

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