One of the largest Minecraft server hosting providers has a serious security issue

One of the biggest Minecraft server hosting providers has reportedly leaked access to its website source code, potentially putting gamers at risk.

Australian company Shockbyte, which amasses annual revenues of as much as $10 million, provides hosting for a range of popular games, including Minecraft, Counter-Strike, and Assetto Corsa.

But according to the Cybernews research team, the website’s source code private repository location, its credentials, and Shockbyte’s Git index file, were all leaked.

Minecraft server provider leaked source code

Cybernews says that attackers exploiting the vulnerability could not only have manipulated the company’s website, but also moved laterally to the game servers hosted by Shockbyte, thus manipulating code running on the Minecraft servers and affecting gamers directly.

Other concerns are that attackers could modify the code to skim payment information or to install malware.

The leaked token was already expired, but attackers can use this and the other leaked information to ascertain how the website operates, potentially getting access when the website undergoes an update.

Shockbyte told Cybernews that measures had been taken to address what it admits to as having “mistakenly deployed .git directories.” The company did not immediately respond to TechRadar Pro’s request for comment on how this happened, and the steps it’s taking to protect customers and prevent future attacks.

Cybernews said: “Considering the rapid growth of the gaming industry and the increasing reliance on server hosting providers, the security and privacy of users should be a top priority for companies operating in this space.”

Those likely to have been affected are being urged to access their accounts exclusively in secure environments, where cookie attacks are unlikely to happen. More generally, the advice to use strong passwords and two-factor authentication (2FA) still stands.