On Tuesday, Microsoft addressed an unprecedented number of security vulnerabilities across its software range, largely thanks to AI assistance in identifying flaws, both internally and from external researchers.
Among the vulnerabilities addressed was one found in the updated edition of the iconic 25-year-old strategy game, Age of Empires II. This security issue allowed hackers to potentially take control of a user’s computer simply by sending them a crafted malicious game invitation, as per cybersecurity experts.
A video shared on social media demonstrates how this vulnerability could be exploited by cybercriminals.
As noted by the cybersecurity company Rapid7, a successful exploit could have allowed hackers to place harmful files on the victim’s machine, enabling the execution of malicious code and granting them control over the compromised system.
This implies that an attacker could have gained complete access to the victim’s computer.
Currently, there is no indication that this vulnerability was exploited in the wild. However, targeting gamers is often an effective tactic for spreading malware and harvesting sensitive information such as passwords.
