Quote Originally Posted by Discordia View Post
The process to exploit the game, the memory and data being sent back to the server is not that difficult as it requires a creative method. Malwares and zero-day exploits are notorious for hijacking clients and the OS. The cheaters do the same. They use Windows zero-day exploits (think of Stuxnet) by injecting their own computer with these malwares that they engineered (or others have) and then "remote in" with another process on the same machine and manipulate the code/data. It's a lot easier than reverse-engineering the actual client as this gets around most client-side security and attacks the OS architecture itself. Part of the problem (or most) of game hacks, especially on the PC side, has to do with Windows shipping full of holes and legacy exploits from god knows when. This makes it so challenging for software developers to secure their products when the OS that it is being installed to is as insecure as leaving a door open in the middle of a crime infested neighborhood.
Quick fix: Only make a x64bit build that runs on Windows Vista or 7. Though in all seriousness, I think you're off the mark, nothing fancy is going on. The hackers are using off-the-shelf hooking software that I won't name, that creates it's own exe's and most of these EXE's are detected as malware by antivirus software:
Bkav HW32.Stranact.rqso
Comodo Worm.Win32.P2P-Worm.Palevo.fghk
TrendMicro-HouseCall TROJ_GEN.F47V0919
etc

I also wouldn't doubt the people running the bots get their accounts hacked as well.