Rockstar Games reportedly faces a new security issue, with the source code of Grand Theft Auto 5 and various other sensitive materials potentially compromised and leaked online.
Reports are circulating that the entire source code of the popular video game Grand Theft Auto 5 has been leaked. Additionally, there are indications that this leak may include material related to Grand Theft Auto 6 and files from a potential sequel to the 2006 game Bully.
This news comes on the heels of the sentencing of a hacker involved in a previous GTA 6 gameplay leak to an indefinite term in a hospital prison.
Due to multiple security lapses that have disrupted its business, Rockstar Games has had a turbulent year. A network attack that shook the corporation last year resulted in the unapproved publication of almost an hour of gameplay from the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto 6.
The issue deteriorated lately when the developers were forced to release the video ahead of schedule after another leak upset their preparations for a big trailer premiere. With the most recent GTA 5 source code leak, it seems that Rockstar Games is up against an even bigger obstacle.
Decoding the GTA 5 Source Code Leak
The GTA 5 source code has allegedly been made public on the dark web after an earlier exchange between individuals, according to a recent tweet from GTA Focal. It has been stated that the 4GB file that was leaked on Tuesday, which mostly contained codes.
This large source file, which contains 3D models and assets, would probably make it possible to build and run the game. The whole source appears to be more difficult to release due to its size—it is estimated to be roughly 200GB.
Also, the GTA 5 source code leak has purportedly exposed the confidential employee data of around 1158 of Rockstar Games’ staff containing email addresses. The source code reportedly surfaced on a Tor website and was later distributed through Telegram pages like “GTA V Leaks”. The leak was distributed via onion links and only a limited amount of people had access to the stolen data.
The Problem Persists
Even though the initial link has been taken down, the source code is already doing the rounds on Telegram channels.
Take-Two Interactive is allegedly working hard to take down online links that lead to the Grand Theft Auto 5 source code in the meantime. Despite this, there are rumors circulating that hackers are discussing whether or not to make this massive 200GB source file public.
The significant difference is that the files have only recently been made public, but otherwise, the incident is thought to be related to the same security breach that happened a year ago.
The problem worsens with the revelation that the leak contains parts of the code from GTA 6 and files from the much anticipated Bully 2. The GTA 5 data leak also exposes several unpublished DLCs, such as the GTA 5 Trevor expansion, which was also mentioned in earlier leaks.
Consequence
The consequences of the GTA 5 leak are particularly bad since it gives hackers the ability to find and take advantage of security loopholes in the source code, which might allow them to remotely run code on players’ computers. This puts players’ safety at grave danger because GTA Online may quickly turn into a dangerous place to be.
Fans have also pointed out that the time falls during the holidays, when a lot of developers are probably on vacation, which might make things worse for Rockstar Games and its production staff.
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