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Motherboard Flaw Exposes Games to Cheats
19 Dec, 2025
Summary
- A motherboard security flaw could bypass anti-cheat systems.
- BIOS updates are now available to fix the exploit.
- This vulnerability threatened all existing DMA detection methods.
A significant security vulnerability affecting numerous recent motherboards has been identified, posing a threat to the integrity of anti-cheat systems in video games. This flaw could be exploited by cheaters using Direct Memory Access (DMA) hardware, potentially bypassing crucial security protections. The vulnerability specifically targeted input-output memory management unit (IOMMU) protections that were not fully initializing, creating a loophole that anti-cheat software could not detect.
In response, major motherboard manufacturers including Asrock, Asus, Gigabyte, and MSI have begun releasing BIOS updates to patch this pre-boot loophole. Riot Games highlighted that had this issue gone unnoticed, it would have completely nullified all existing DMA detection and prevention technologies on the market, impacting multiple gaming companies.
Riot's Vanguard anti-cheat software may now require players to update their system's BIOS to a patched version to play Valorant. This move is described as a necessary step in the ongoing effort to combat hardware-based cheating, ensuring a fairer gaming environment by neutralizing previously untouchable cheat methods.
