The Most Realistic Threat to Growth-Based Games
Game Logic Manipulation Based on Rooting and Jailbreaking
"We played for the same amount of time, but why does that person grow so quickly?"
One day, a user playing an idle RPG posted on the community forum.
"There's a user who got a full set of legendary gear in one day. Is that even possible?"
At first, I thought it was due to a difference in in-app purchases. However, upon closer inspection, I began to notice a series of strange things.
• Attack power values were out of the normal range.
• Cooldowns were virtually nonexistent.
• Auto-killing continued 24/7. This wasn't a problem with skill or in-app purchases. It was a sign that the game's operating environment itself was being manipulated.
Actual Problem – Game Logic Manipulation Based on Rooting and Jailbreaking
This problem isn't limited to a specific game.
It occurs repeatedly across idle RPGs, growth-based RPGs, and MMORPGs.
Environment Where Attacks Occur
• Rooted or jailbroken mobile devices
• Or virtual environments or emulators
In these environments, the game app's internal memory can be directly accessed.
Where was the security gap?
The core of the problem was not the server, but the client execution environment.
Actual Attack Method
1. Running the game on a rooted/jailbroken device
2. Using a memory manipulation tool
3. Manipulating the following elements in real time:
o Attack power value
o Reward multiplier
o Skill cooldown
o Growth rate
If you run auto-hunts under these manipulations, you'll grow at a rate that humans can't keep up with.
As a result,
• Normal users are no match,
• Ranking and economic balance collapse,
• The perception that "this game has a lot of hacks" begins to spread.
How could this problem be prevented?
This type of attack is directly defendable with LIAPP.
Applied Solution: LIAPP
LIAPP verifies the game's execution environment.
How did LIAPP protect against this?
① Rooting/Jailbreak Detection
• Real-time verification of device rooting/jailbreak status
• Immediate blocking if determined to be a risky environment
② Virtual environments/emulator detection
• Identification of emulators used for multiple accounts and automation
• Restriction of execution on non-normal devices
③ Blocking execution of apps in risky environments
• Access is not limited to actions only
• Game execution itself is completely blocked
This prevents memory modification from reaching the level of protection.
Actual Changes After Defense
The changes observed after LIAPP implementation were clear:
1. A sharp decline in abnormal growth accounts
2. Elimination of hacking based on automated hunting
3. Stabilization of the top rankings
4. Decreased churn rate of legitimate users
Most importantly, the perception that "using hacks is profitable" has disappeared.
Lessons from this Case
First, a secure server does not guarantee a safe game.
Most game hacking begins in the client execution environment.
Second, rooting and jailbreaking are not "advanced hacking," but basic tools.
For attackers, rooting is not a barrier to entry.
If left unchecked, anyone can use it.
Third, if the execution environment is not controlled, the game's balance will be disrupted.
For games with a growth mindset, environmental control is crucial for the game's longevity.
In Conclusion
In idle RPGs and MMORPGs, "rapid growth" equates to competitiveness and revenue.
If this competitive advantage is lost on rooted and jailbroken devices, the game will ultimately be abandoned by legitimate users.
LIAPP is a security solution that protects the "environment" in which the game runs, before protecting the game logic itself.
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