Origin and Development

PunkBuster was created by Tony Ray, the founder of Even Balance, to address the increasing problems with cheaters in online games, which he particularly experienced in Team Fortress Classic. The first beta version of PunkBuster was released on September 21, 2000, for the game Half-Life. The first game to integrate PunkBuster was Return to Castle Wolfenstein by id Software.

How it Works

PunkBuster operates on a client-server principle

1. Client-side:
   The client runs on the player's computer and scans its memory and game files for known cheats and hacks. The system uses a built-in database to detect these known manipulations.
2. Server-side:
   The server regularly monitors the status of connected clients and can remove a player from the server if there is suspicion of violating the game's rules.

PunkBuster uses a two-stage auto-update system to ensure that the software is always up-to-date and that no false or corrupt updates can be installed.

Special Features

1. Screenshot Function:
   Server administrators can request screenshots to verify players if cheats are being used in the game. There is also a random screenshot function that automatically takes screenshots during the game.
2. Global GUID Bans:
   PunkBuster uses a "global banning" method, where either the GUID (generated from the CD key) or parts of the player's computer hardware are permanently banned from PunkBuster servers.
3. Hardware Bans:
   Since 2004, PunkBuster has also implemented hardware bans, where serial data from hard drives or other components are blocked, and players can be permanently banned from PunkBuster-protected servers.
4. Player Power:
   This feature allows trusted players or server administrators to warn or exclude other players from servers based on their behavior in the game.
5. MD5 Hash Checks:
   PunkBuster can verify the integrity of game files by comparing MD5 hashes of files within the installation directory.

Privacy and Security

PunkBuster places great importance on the security and privacy of players. The system does not collect personal data such as names or email addresses but only checks relevant game and system files. However, it should be noted that certain parts of a player's system can be permanently blocked through hardware bans.

Incompatibilities

1. Compatibility with 64-bit Games:
   Some games running on 64-bit architecture are incompatible with PunkBuster. In this case, players must use the 32-bit version of the game to play online.
2. Administrator Rights:
   Older games using PunkBuster often require administrator rights to function correctly. This can be an issue if the user does not have administrator rights on the computer.
3. Steam Overlay:
   The Steam Overlay feature causes issues with PunkBuster, so it is recommended to disable the overlay for PunkBuster-enabled titles.
4. Compatibility with Wine:
   PunkBuster does not work well with Wine and possibly other similar compatibility layers. This is partly due to the strict API entry signatures that PunkBuster checks.

False Positives and Attacks on PunkBuster

PunkBuster looks for known cheat program signatures and does not use heuristic detection. In 2008, a vulnerability was discovered where false positive reports were generated by transmitting fragments of text from known cheat programs into IRC clients. Even Balance confirmed the issue and resolved it shortly after.

In 2013, there was an incident where Battlefield 4 players were wrongly banned due to the error "(Gamehack #89265)." Even Balance explained the incident as a false-positive detection and fixed the issue as well.

Conclusion

Although the development of PunkBuster has not been actively pursued for years, the system is still active in some games. Players who want to play on servers with PunkBuster support should ensure that their installation is up-to-date to avoid potential issues or, if possible, opt out of the system.

Sources

Even Balance, Inc. - PunkBuster for Admins  
PunkBuster - PCGamingWiki PCGW  
PunkBuster Wikipedia