GTA Online status: PC exploits ruin the game while Rockstar works on a security update

The PC versions of Grand Theft Auto 5 and GTA Online are currently in a dangerous state, and fans are temporarily abandoning the game for security reasons.

A few days ago, several game data miners reported a malicious mod menu that could severely damage users’ PCs. Since then, the community has been filled with rage and concern for the game.

Although Rockstar Games acknowledged the problem and promised players that a security update patch would be available soon, several players have already been affected and lost access to their multiplayer accounts.

While the majority of PC players are away from the game, data miners attempted to peek into the lobbies to show the horrific situation inside. This article provides a summary of the current state of GTA Online on PC and why players should avoid it until the patch is released.

The RCE Mod for GTA Online jeopardizes players’ personal security in the game

On January 21, 2023, popular Rockstar Games data miner Tez2 alerted Grand Theft Auto Online PC players via a series of tweets about the game. Tez2 revealed a new mod exploit known as Remote Code Execution, which has the potential to corrupt players’ in-game data as well as their computers.

#GTAOnline PC High Alert

New extreme exploits have appeared allowing cheaters to remotely add/remove/modify your stats and permanently corrupt your account aka ban/delete.

Avoid playing without a firewall rule or playing at all!

Thanks to @HarryGotTaken for notifying.

#GTAOnline PC High Alert⚠️New extreme exploits have appeared allowing cheaters to remotely add/remove/modify your stats and permanently corrupt your account aka ban/delete.Avoid playing without a firewall rule or playing at all!🚨Thanks to @HarryGotTaken for notifying. https://t.co/tyh4tCInML

The user shared two images that depict what the modders can do with the exploits. One of the images shows that the following exploits can be done in GTA Online:

• Give players XP and ranks
• Unlocks (specific details are unknown)
• Put players in a Badsport lobby
• Corrupt players’ accounts
• Remove in-game money from players’ accounts
• Give free money to players’ accounts (up to $15 million at a time)
• Reset mission cooldowns

Another image shows several players in the GTA Online lobby who have been ranked as high as 7999.

While hackers and modders can unfortunately circumvent Rockstar Games’ official security for the game, it will automatically detect innocent players who have been affected and will result in a ban on their accounts or, in the worst-case scenario, complete data removal.

Tez2 advised players to either completely abandon the game until the issue is fixed, or to use a firewall service on their PCs before logging into the multiplayer version.

GTA Online players band together to uninstall and boycott the game

The news spread like wildfire, and players all over the world called out Rockstar Games, threatening to uninstall and boycott the game forever. Many players also mocked the billion-dollar American gaming studio for failing to provide a safe and secure online gaming experience on PC.

Data miners revealed how corrupted accounts would function and the in-game condition of GTA Online

While Grand Theft Auto Online is currently unsafe for regular players, data miners snooped into modder-infested servers and revealed how the game would function under their effect.

Popular data miner, floorball, posted a video showing how a corrupted account behaves when attempting to join any multiplayer session.

As seen in the video, the game will remain stuck on the loading screen indefinitely, preventing users from doing anything.

Another Rockstar Games informant, Ben, shared in-game footage of GTA Online in which they were pursued by a modder who eventually crashed their game when threatened with being reported.

Although Rockstar Games announced a security patch, the PC servers are still operational, putting uninformed players at risk of having their security compromised.