Join game feature exposes user's IP address when launch pad is open

Mr. Epic

<div class="IPBDescription">just a heads up</div>edit- We believe this was the result of an errant NS2 process rather than launchpad or the editor, probably a false alarm.

Heads up for folks using the editor tools, if you leave launch pad open you are exposing your ip address should somebody attempt to join what steam considers your "game". If anyone tries to join you it will attempt to connect to your ip address, return the error, and thus expose your local ip even though you aren't running a server or playing ns2.

TychoCelchuuu

You're also exposing your IP address right now by being on the Internet. YOU MIGHT BE HACKED BY HACKERS.

Plasma

Sounds like a bug that using the editor shows up as a game server though.

Camron

<!--quoteo(post=1825655:date=Jan 20 2011, 02:33 AM:name=Plasma)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Plasma @ Jan 20 2011, 02:33 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1825655"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Sounds like a bug that using the editor shows up as a game server though.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I wasn't able to reproduce the "bug". Also, I checked out Editor.exe and Launchpad.exe and didn't see any network or steam calls. OP may have had a rogue instance of NS2 running. This happens sometimes when the game crashes.

Raza.

My firewall intercepts both the editor and the launchpad, pretty sure they use some network functionality.

gotmuff

<!--quoteo(post=1825654:date=Jan 20 2011, 09:29 AM:name=TychoCelchuuu)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (TychoCelchuuu @ Jan 20 2011, 09:29 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1825654"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->You're also exposing your IP address right now by being on the Internet. YOU MIGHT BE HACKED BY HACKERS.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

I'm not afraid, I have the cyberpolice headquarters on speed dial

Mkk_Bitestuff

Because of how you launch the GamePad/Laucher, steam shows you as being in a game of NS2, however since your not, it shows your local IP.

HL1/HL2 have the same 'glitch'. If you create a local game, it will show your local IP. For most people this will end up being their lan address (like 192.168.1.1), so its mostly harmless.

Mr. Epic

Hey guys, thanks for checking this out- I tried to reproduce it and could not. Evidently there must have been an errant NS2 process running after I was testing out a map. For those joking at the "oh noes the ip is exposed!" bit, it wasn't that the address was exposed (it normally is when you run a local server) but that if it was one of the other tools acting as a server it was a bit out of the ordinary. No problems now, thanks guys.

Thaldarin

<!--quoteo(post=1825654:date=Jan 20 2011, 08:29 AM:name=TychoCelchuuu)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (TychoCelchuuu @ Jan 20 2011, 08:29 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1825654"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->YOU MIGHT BE HACKED BY HACKERS.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

I thought Internet Explorer 8 was the most secure version?

Chris0132

Worse still, when you play a game, you allow the server to send things to your computer over the internet.

dun dun dun

Bandanna

Oh, this thread is now worth a locking, but lets play:

My house is exposing my home address to robbers.

Max

The only networking the tools do is to check for updates on startup.

Mr. Epic

yeah we can close this, the issue was not what the tools do but what steam does when the tools are open- it shows up as "in game" but evidently it leaves it as unjoinable so all is well.