Gamers Warned: COD WWII on Game Pass hit by serious hacking exploit

by

New Delhi: Call of Duty WWII players on Xbox PC Game Pass are dealing with something way more serious than lag or bugs. Some users are reporting strange pop-ups, trolling Notepad messages, and even forced PC shutdowns. All signs point to a dangerous vulnerability in the game: an unpatched RCE (Remote Code Execution) exploit.

This comes at a pretty bad time for Microsoft, especially after it announced fresh layoffs impacting the Xbox division. The bug has caused a mini panic in the gaming community, with some players warning others to uninstall the game until it’s fixed.

COD WWII players hit by bizarre pop-ups, forced shutdowns

The alarm was first raised by gamer and YouTuber @Wrioh, who was streaming Call of Duty WWII live when he noticed something strange happening. A command line window suddenly appeared while he was playing, followed by a Notepad message with a trolling statement: “Marc E Payer just RCE’d your a**, please contact Mitchell Silberberg and Knupp LLC.”

Moments later, the game crashed, going back to the Windows desktop. He posted the video clip on X (formerly Twitter), where it quickly gained attention. “I JUST GOT HACKED PLAYING WW2! EVERYONE DO NOT PLAY WW2 ON GAMEPASS!” he warned.

The game was added to Xbox PC Game Pass in the last week of June.

What is an RCE exploit?

RCE stands for Remote Code Execution. It means an attacker can run code on your system without permission. If a game has an RCE vulnerability, hackers can potentially access your files, run programs, or shut down your PC, all without you knowing until it’s too late.

In this case, it seems attackers are using the exploit to display funny messages, but it can easily turn more dangerous. If they can open Notepad on your PC and type messages, the hackers can open other apps and access data. PC gamers are especially vulnerable to such exploits in multiplayer titles where systems interact with remote servers.

The game is not safe to play on PC right now, there’s an RCE exploit
byu/spluad inWWII

Players take to X and Reddit

The situation has exploded on social platforms. Many users are now asking whether they should uninstall the game or wait for an official patch. One Reddit post asked, “Is this Notepad thing real? My PC froze after launching WWII yesterday.”

Some believe it’s just trolling, but others aren’t taking chances.

Microsoft layoffs add to the chaos

All of this is happening just hours after Microsoft confirmed layoffs impacting around 9,000 employees globally, with Xbox and gaming studios affected. According to reports, teams behind games like Forza Motorsport and Everwild have seen job cuts.

That makes the timing of this exploit even worse. Security response teams might be smaller now, and players are wondering how quickly Microsoft can respond to such threats.

What to do if you were hit COD WWII exploit

If you think you’ve been affected, Microsoft has a support page where users can report issues. You can visit: https://support.xbox.com/en-GB/help/family-online-safety/online-safety/report-issue-in-microsoft-store

It’s also a good idea to:

  • Disconnect from online servers if playing the game
  • Avoid launching the title until the exploit is patched
  • Scan your system for malware or suspicious processes

Hackers and PC games: a long history

This isn’t the first time PC gamers have had to deal with vulnerabilities. Unlike consoles, PCs are more open and customizable, which also makes them more exposed to such attacks. Multiplayer games, especially older ones or those not actively maintained, are easier targets.

Till the fix arrives, it might be better to steer clear of WWII on Game Pass. We’ll update the story if Microsoft or Activision release a patch.