[revolvingocelot]

Keep in mind that this is the same game whose client-update-handshake-dance largely consisted of an enormous JSON of all the updates that had ever been done to the gamestate, which then got parsed naively. This situation was recognized and patched [0] by an interested third party [1].

Not a slight against the code monkey that implemented it that way, because they surely didn't bother to think about complexity consequences when the gamestate was new and the JSON wasn't 10MB yet, but a slight on Rockstar, because the cash cow that GTA:O turned out to be deserves some fuckin' maintenance, doesn't it? Then again, the eye-popping abilities (and prevalence!) of hax0rs in Rockstar games probably ought to signify priorities to even the most casual observer. As others in these comments observe, with what those hackers can achieve, it's not surprising to learn there's RCEs too.

[0] https://github.com/tostercx/GTAO_Booster_PoC

[1] https://nee.lv/2021/02/28/How-I-cut-GTA-Online-loading-times...

[ehnto]

I appreciate that you note the capabilities of hackers in GTAO. Someone who doesn't play might just hear that there are a lot of them, but hackers in GTAO are essentially omnipotent and games are unplayable very regularly. The online world is essentially in sandbox mode for them.

Aimbots, a buzzkill, but I can play around it. Remotely spawning a cage on my player and lighting me on fire every time I spawn is unplayable. Teleporting everyone on the server to one location and blowing them up, over and over again, unplayable. Etc. You just have to quit. There are so many hackers that every server eventually succumbs to one.

[5e92cb50239222b]

Don't forget donating loads of generated cash to everyone around. I was banned for receiving a "gift" like this. Several weeks of gameplay and some difficult achievements down the drain. The email that notified me of the ban said that they are final and appeals will not be considered, which was confirmed by them ignoring any of my attempts to resolve the issue. Turned my opinion of Rockstar very sour indeed, definitely won't be playing anything "online" from them anymore.