CARY, N.C. – A major security flaw in a popular video game exposed millions of players to hacking risks, according to Forbes.
More than 80 million players around the world are obsessed with Fortnite, a multiplayer game of survival that allows players to use real money to buy video game currency.
Last fall, a security flaw allowed hackers to log into accounts without a password, according to information security group Check Point Research. The group published this video explaining their findings on the smash hit by Epic Games:
Check Point Research said hackers could then make in-game purchases, record in-game conversations and eavesdrop on conversations in the players’ in home.
In a statement to the Washington Post Wednesday, Epic spokesman Nick Chester said hackers “were never able to eavesdrop on conversations.”
Researchers discovered the problem in November. Epic Games says the security flaw has been fixed and urges users to update their accounts with strong passwords.
On Jan. 9, the Better Business Bureau announced that they had assigned parent company Epic Games an “F” rating “due to unanswered customer complaints.”
The North Carolina game maker has 279 complaints on file with the BBB over the last three years, with 271 in the last year. Only 32 have been answered, according to the BBB.
“Epic Games failed to protect customer security, resulting in several unsanctioned charges over mine and my partner’s account,” wrote one person. Another added that, “There is no phone number or proper email response time to return my unauthorized charge of $160. Nobody will answer, and I feel cheated.”
SomeFortnite forums have pages of complaints about Epic Games from players who say they have been hacked multiple times.
