Call of Duty: WWII hit by remote code exploit, PC version removed from Game Pass | Technology News

The PC version of Call of Duty: WWII was recently made available on the Microsoft Store and via Game Pass, a subscription that provides access to numerous games based on a monthly fee.

Reportedly, Activision took the game offline owing to the hacks, as it has been working towards patching the issue. Meanwhile, several players took to Reddit to share their experiences; some of them even said that the game is ‘not safe’ to play on PC. They mentioned a type of bug named remote code execution that allows hackers to deploy malware which can take over a person’s device.

Why only some players were affected

The game’s publisher only pulled the plug on the Microsoft Store and Game Pass versions. These were actually distinct versions from the ones available on Steam, and they unfortunately still had an old bug that had already been patched in other versions of the game. As of now, Activision’s status page states that the game is offline on Microsoft Store and Game Pass.

Activision’s cybersecurity struggles

Several video game companies are strengthening their cybersecurity teams along with their anti-cheat teams. Activision, nonetheless, has experienced multiple rounds of layoffs in recent years, some of which have specifically impacted its cybersecurity teams. 

In recent years, Activision has faced multiple hacking incidents. In November 2024, a cybercriminal discovered a vulnerability in Call of Duty’s anti-cheat mechanism that enabled them to exclude thousands of genuine players. Earlier this year, the firm looked into a hacking campaign aimed at players using infostealer malware, which is a kind of harmful software created to purloin a victim’s passwords.