Addressing Network Packet-based Cheats in Multiplayer Games: A Secret Sharing Approach

2025-01-18

AI Summary

To address fairness and revenue threats posed by network packet forgery and timing-based cheating (e.g., lag injection) in multiplayer online games, this paper proposes a lightweight, real-time detection mechanism based on Verifiable Secret Sharing (VSS). The method requires no trusted third party and imposes no modifications to existing game protocols. It is the first work to formally model VSS for anti-cheating applications, enabling joint verification of packet authenticity and temporal compliance for critical game operations. Formal security proofs are conducted using the AVISPA tool, and a Python-based simulation system evaluates practical performance: the scheme efficiently detects typical packet tampering and delay attacks, with per-verification overhead under 5 ms. Experimental results demonstrate both theoretical rigor—validated through formal methods—and engineering feasibility, establishing a novel paradigm for client-side behavioral verification in online gaming environments.

Technology Category

• Multiagent Systems: Mechanism Design
• Game Theory and Economic Paradigms: Adversarial Learning
• Humans and AI: Game Design — Virtual Humans, NPCs and Autonomous Characters

Application Category

• Responsible Web: Social and technical mechanisms of refusal for web technologies and applications
• Web Mining and Content Analysis: Web data provenance, reliability, and authenticity
• Security and Privacy: Large-scale security measurements

Abstract

Multiplayer online gaming has witnessed an explosion in popularity over the past two decades. However, security issues continue to give rise to in-game cheating, deterring honest gameplay, detracting from user experience, and ultimately bringing financial harm to game developers. In this paper, we present a new approach for detecting network packet-based cheats, such as forgery and timing cheats, within the context of multiplayer games using an application of secret sharing. Our developed protocols are subjected to formal verification using AVISPA, and we present simulation results using a Python-based implementation. We show that our proposal is practical in addressing some widely used attacks in online gaming.

Problem

• Online Gaming
• Cheating Prevention
• Network Packet Inspection

Innovation

• Secret Sharing
• Online Gaming Security
• Cheat Prevention