Warning! Steam Family Sharing: Bypassing id-based bans

Omega_K2Omega_K2 Join Date: 2011-12-25 Member: 139013Members, Reinforced - Shadow
edited October 2013 in Server Discussion
This also affects NS2, read below:
Using Steam's new Family Sharing feature, Server Bans can be easily bypassed, along with other Steam based bans. This is due to the fact that the launched game doesn't use the owner's Account ID, rather the newly created account id. This impacts CS:GO's banning mechanisms (blocked friends, abandon match timeout), all Community Server based bans, and many other community based stat tracking functions. Bypassing bans has been a rampant problem in TF2 since the game went F2P, and hasn't been addressed since the change.

Please add a Function to any public interface so server operators can get the primary holder AccountID, or glue the Primary User's accountid onto launched games. The former would be nice to preserve the idea of different accounts, but this is a pretty significant problem for everyone going forward...

Kyle.

This isn't really something UWE can fix to my knowledge, but Valve has to. I'm mainly posting this for awareness.


TL;DR: Using Family Sharing (Beta) you can essentially get a new SteamID to bypass ID-based bans.
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Comments

  • HamletHamlet Join Date: 2008-08-17 Member: 64837Members, Reinforced - Shadow
    Beta, anyone?
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  • SeeVeeSeeVee Join Date: 2012-10-31 Member: 165206Members
    They'll fix it... steam that is.
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  • BalmarkBalmark Join Date: 2002-11-01 Member: 3476Members, Constellation, Reinforced - Silver, Reinforced - Shadow, WC 2013 - Shadow
    edited October 2013
    yeah.. doesnt seem like something that'll make it past beta

    Beginning to wish I didn't get a steam account for my toddler now and load it up with kiddie games last steam sale heh (wallace n gromit, sonic etc ... btw .. WORLD OF GOO .. get it .. great fun for 4+ ... er and older 'kids' :D )

    Glad they're doing this tho .. guess with the coming of the steam box they kinda have to .. cant complain
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  • ZEROibisZEROibis Join Date: 2009-10-30 Member: 69176Members, Constellation
    edited October 2013
    I warned them of this as soon as they announced it. There must be made a way to see the origin account ID and be able to ban that and if that origin account ID is banned than that accounts "family and friends" who try to use a copy from that origin account are banned.

    Honestly, I am very worried about valve not fixing this. For many of their games such as cs:go for example they are making it clear they do not really care about gaming communities or admins. They want to rely on VAC to catch all the hackers ect as they are focused on how the system works for their official servers.

    Currently the largest difference from official to non official servers is that non official servers have a better ability to ban users. By implementing a system that dramatically limits and breaks this valve can dramatically reduce the differences between community run servers and their own. This benefits them as players will then be less likely to use community servers or support said servers.
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  • turtsmcgurtturtsmcgurt Join Date: 2012-11-01 Member: 165456Members, Reinforced - Supporter
    family sharing is still the best thing ever.
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