back to article AMD Steam-game offer suspended after keys pilfered

Data security problems have led to the suspension of a free-videogame-with-every-Radeon-graphics-card offer from AMD and Codemasters. Three million activation codes that allowed gamers to play a free copy of DiRT 3 on Steam have leaked. AMD's redemption site, AMD4u, was left vulnerable to a .htaccess exploit. This website …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Facepalm

    AMNESTY!

    Someone cracked the original cd-key for Windows XP, thus allowing the crackers to generate keys that were already in boxes across the planet. As a result, authentic buyers were left with already used keys, despite they were legitimate buyers, and no XP legitimacy to them.

    What did MS do? Amnesty to the lot of them. That's consumer concern to you. Later they contacted all the clients that were harmed and assigned new CD-keys to them, AND ONLY THEN, voided the snatched CD-keys. And introduced a new cd-key system with SP2.

    Yes, stolen codes should be voided, but only after you certified the last of your valued costumers. It is the burglars that should be harmed, not the consumers.

    Shame if they don't do exactly that.

    1. Robert Carnegie Silver badge

      If you have an amnesty, then how do you get paying customers?

      How about this, make an edition of the software that is free, but only runs on the graphics adapter that it was supposed to be a free gift for.

      Anyone remember the Amstrad PC? My employer at the time bought a database title - I think I found it for them, I think it was a database - that was a budget-priced Amstrad-branded edition. You see where the story's going, it only ran on an Amstrad PC, if you were filthy rich and had a real IBM PC then you were out of luck. Yes, PCs are compatible, but market segmentation could still be done.

    2. IsJustabloke
      Stop

      gosh! titles no longer required???

      Anywhooooo.....

      It seems to me that they are in fact going to honour the legitimately obtained keys and null the stolen ones.

      So I guess that harms the bad guy's and not the good guy's so I@m not really sure what your point is?

  2. hazzamon
    Holmes

    I actually bought a new Radeon 6950 at the weekend that came with a code for Dirt 3 which I redeemed on Steam, so I'm hoping I don't get affected by this, even though I can reasonably prove my purchase.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    optionally

    they could detect the card on the machine at the time of redeeming the code. If it is one of the cards that was issued with a code, then issue a new code to the user to replace is existing one. They could take it a step farther and detect the installation date of the card.

    P.S. why the flip can't an AC choice one of the other icons? this is discrimination I tell you (yes, it's been a slow day).

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Uh, no one here is curious what an ".htaccess exploit" is? Sounds to be they left their htaccess file visible, and got pwnd. I say that because I have never herd of this "0day .htaccess vuln". Maybe that wasnt the focus of this article, but i'd sure like to know when a company is known for bad sys admin practices.

  5. Palebushman
    Coat

    DiRTy snatch leaves gamers worried

    Anyone playing with a dirty snatch, deserves to be worried!!!

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