• Some users have recently had their accounts hijacked. It seems that the now defunct EVGA forums might have compromised your password there and seems many are using the same PW here. We would suggest you UPDATE YOUR PASSWORD and TURN ON 2FA for your account here to further secure it. None of the compromised accounts had 2FA turned on.
    Once you have enabled 2FA, your account will be updated soon to show a badge, letting other members know that you use 2FA to protect your account. This should be beneficial for everyone that uses FSFT.

Anyone using the WoW Android auth app?

Wrench

Wrench

[H]F Junkie
2FA
Joined
Sep 9, 2004
Messages
10,915
I don't play anymore but I keep my nephew's account active for him when he comes and hangs out on weekends. I also play off and on here and there. I've heard that hacked accounts are becomming the norm. Anyone here use this app for android phones? If so how well does it work? Either going to use the free app or order the keychain deal. Is the app as good as the key chain?
 
It is tied to your account then generates a new quasi-random number based on a seed value shared with the server. When you log in you have to provide that number in addition to your password. The number changes every 30 seconds or so, so even if someone gets your password they can't login without the other device. There are hacks that get around this, but it has to have something running on your system to intercept the call and then log-in from the hacker system instead.
 
sdy284 said:
out of curiosity, what exactly does this app do?
Click to expand...

Basically it is a another layer of protection. Not particularly sure how this one works, but it looks other keys like this I've used for remote access.
1. A server knows with HW key is tied to which account.
2. When queried the HW key generates a numeric code/password. (Random passcode/number generated by the HW's internal timer.) The user has to put this in along with the normal account information.
3. The server then checks to see if the numeric code/password is valid for the time frame allotted and that HW key.

Hope that makes sense. The ones I've used had like a 1 to 5 minute pass timeout.
 
Yep, I think a unique algorithm in each authenticator is used to generate codes. The server will be able to identify which algorithm is used based on the serial number you associate your account with. Both the server and the authenticator generate the same codes periodically in synchronization, independant from eachother. I also think once you enter the code, it immediately becomes invalid right after authentication to prevent keyloggers from using that same code to get in.

My guess is that once you install the software into your mobile phone, itll apply a unique algorithm and provide a serial number that you can associate your account with. The FAQ on battle.net describes the process pretty well. If you device stops working or you lose it, you can not dissociate your authenticator with a "backup device," and will have to contact the billing department to get it removed.
 
ya the authenticator works very well, and it doesn't just secure your wow account, it secures your entire battle net account.

Just to log into your account and view what games are tied to the account or to renew/cancel your wow subscription ect. requires the authenticator. It also works on starcraft 2. The beta wont let you log in without the authenticator code just like wow.
 
Holy shat, the app is free? I don't see a reason to not use it. I didn't even know this existed.
 
Yah, there is a free version for the iphone as well I've been using for about 6 months.
 
Jutsu said:
Holy shat, the app is free? I don't see a reason to not use it. I didn't even know this existed.
Click to expand...

Stumbled onto it by accident. Than researched what it was for. Figured it beats getting hacked. I play maybe once or twice a month just BG's the nephew every weekend when he comes over. He's only 11 I'd hate to tell him all his stuff is gone one day.
 
I wish I could get an authenticator for my Steam account lol. Has anyone tried the Blackberry authenticator app, if it's released that is?
 
Wrench said:
He's only 11 I'd hate to tell him all his stuff is gone one day.
Click to expand...

Well it's not the end of the world if the account gets compromised, but its annoying. It happened to me twice consecutively, which completely baffles me since I'm pretty tech savvy. Apparently there's some exploits that can install into your system without me ever knowing it. Not even a single suspicious UAC prompt tried to prevent it from happening.

You just gotta contact Blizz to get all the stuff recovered. Sometimes it's a quick and timely restore (within the day), sometimes it's a long wait and not every item lost gets accounted for (which may require more petitions).

After that, you gotta nuke up whichever computer may have had a keylogger on it just to be safe.
 
I had a problem. My android phone died and I had to flash it.. Losing the authenticator code. So I couldn't detach the authenticator. And it took blizzard two months to get it removed

So if you use it be sure to save the Authenticator ID somewhere...
 
k0m said:
I had a problem. My android phone died and I had to flash it.. Losing the authenticator code. So I couldn't detach the authenticator. And it took blizzard two months to get it removed

So if you use it be sure to save the Authenticator ID somewhere...
Click to expand...

You didn't go about this the right way. If you call up the account dept at Blizzard, they will go through a bunch of security questions that you have to answer and then they will remove it.

I have had to do this a number of times for friends and it usually takes longer on hold than it takes to actually get it removed.

The physical authenticator is $6.50 plus a few for shipping.
http://us.blizzard.com/store/details.xml?id=1100000822

Way worth it if you have played WoW in length at all. Your time invested must surely be worth less than $10.

Anyone who plays wow on a regular basis and does not have some form of this is just asking for trouble.
 
Couldn't you just use a really good password, and then not share it with anyone? Or are the WoW systems that easy to hack?
 
arentol said:
Couldn't you just use a really good password, and then not share it with anyone? Or are the WoW systems that easy to hack?
Click to expand...

It's not that WoW systems are easy to hack, the players who play WoW are easily hacked. There is enough things that can hijack your browsers primary keyloggers. Blizzard should make it mandatory by including an authenticator in each box it sells.
 
tronmaster said:
It's not that WoW systems are easy to hack, the players who play WoW are easily hacked. There is enough things that can hijack your browsers primary keyloggers. Blizzard should make it mandatory by including an authenticator in each box it sells.
Click to expand...

I had a very strong password and I still got hacked. I was actually on vaction. I got an email saying my account was banned for hacking. Called up Blizz, they got in sorted out in a day or two. Chinese Gold Farmer stole my account to use hacks on to collect a shotload of stuff then mail it to another account.


Got an authenticator, no problems since :)
 
I have the android authenticator too. I finally dumped my iPhone and got a Droid! Anyway, I like the safety of the authenticator, and I like the pet too :) However, its a bit of a hassle because you have to have your phone there when you log in. So, left your phone at work? cant log in. At a friends house without your phone? cant log in. Want to let your friend use your account while you're on vacation? its a giant hassle to coordinate.

In the end, I think its worth it, but it does add a bit of hassle, so keep that in mind.
 
Started using this android app instead of my keychain version. I noticed u have to enter 8 digits this way as opposed to 6 on the keychain keyfob. Works well.
 
I just got hacked, and I hadn’t played the account since last August. Maybe it was when I signed into Battle.net last to check for an SC2 invite? I got an email saying my account had been compromised and had been disabled, followed by a bunch of restoration emails for each character. They had all my items, gold, currency etc so I know they were valid.

I tried the recovery login but it said the email didn’t match the name. I figured maybe the hacker changed something, and so I filled out the recovery form and sent it off. Then I get an email last night saying that either the first or last name isn’t right. I didn’t think that could be changed, and I’m pretty sure I know my name LOL. I guess I’ll call them when I get home (and wait on hold for an hour) to see what can be done.

I'll be picking up the authenticator for sure after this, even though I don't play that account just now.
 
The authenticators keep you safe from things such as keyloggers and other nasty things that can be in an addon that you installed.

There has been a few cases of things being implanted in addons coming from curse.com a few times. There is just no way around it. Authenticator makes it so that if you get compromised, it doesn't matter as they don't have your codes.
 
There's still a tiny chance of man in the middle type of attacks, but the authenticator protects against 99.99% of all current password stealing methods.
 
Mif said:
The authenticators keep you safe from things such as keyloggers and other nasty things that can be in an addon that you installed.

There has been a few cases of things being implanted in addons coming from curse.com a few times. There is just no way around it. Authenticator makes it so that if you get compromised, it doesn't matter as they don't have your codes.
Click to expand...

the addon's cant steal your password, its the curse auto-installer that gives you virus's. never trust an addon installer/updater as they cause a ton of virus's
 
Ragenrok said:
the addon's cant steal your password, its the curse auto-installer that gives you virus's. never trust an addon installer/updater as they cause a ton of virus's
Click to expand...

lol You honestly think the Curse installer gives you virus' and steals your account? :rolleyes:
 
SixtyWattMan said:
lol You honestly think the Curse installer gives you virus' and steals your account? :rolleyes:
Click to expand...


No.. but it connects to the internet. You are an idiot if you think that any ounce of real security went into the software preventing holes for keyloggers to get your password through.
 
I've been using it on my iphone for a long time now. If you want it, its free. Search "Blizzard" in the app store. The Authenticator and Armory apps will show up (both free).
 
SixtyWattMan said:
lol You honestly think the Curse installer gives you virus' and steals your account? :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

no, i dont think the installer itself does, but i do believe its been used to get trojans onto computers before and used to steal passwords that way, i dont think its the curse installer itself.
 
This seems a bit far for a WoW account, especially for an 11 year old....
 
I just had an account hijacked that

a) had a strong, unique password
b) has been inactive since 2005

I had literally gone through a couple of entire computer builds and OS installs since I last installed WoW. I actually forgot the account existed until I got an email saying my account was banned!
 
lloose said:
No.. but it connects to the internet. You are an idiot if you think that any ounce of real security went into the software preventing holes for keyloggers to get your password through.
Click to expand...

hurr it connects to the internet hurr So does damn near every program on your computer.
 
Just a word of warning if you restore your phone for whatever reason (Going from 1.5/1.6 to the 2.1 update for example WILL wipe your phone) without first removing it from your account you will lose access to your account and have to call in and prove its your account.

Its a very annoying process and can take a long time if you dont happen to have the original keys.

Also its more digits than the actual keychain and if you get a code 2 seconds before it changes you have to cancel your wow login and do it again with the new key.

It really is worth the $10 to get the keychain.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top