EDIT: We have at least one user claiming that EAC and BattlEye can NOT see what programs are running on your computer via proton on Linux.

EDIT 2: According to brucethemoose@lemmy.world with comment https://lemmy.world/comment/24738141

"Yes and no.

If you run task manager or something in Proton? It just shows Proton processes:
ImagePlaceholder

But all linux process, and tons of information about them, are readable in the /proc directory. They’re just files, accessible to the program.

Try ls /proc yourself.

There’s nothing stopping anti cheat from checking that, if it’s configured to do it.

Which is pretty dang convincing to me.

If I have a good understanding, the Symlinks that Proton uses allow the games to view nearly your entire drive and see what software is running? Because Proton is explicitly NOT a virtual machine and merely a translation layer for Windows applications to run on Linux?

The reason I like to ask is because this is the general consensus, that Proton applications are not secure, but when searching online it doesn’t explicitly state anywhere if the games with EAC or BattlEye are capable of spying on Linux users. So I’m looking for confirmation on this.

  • UntimedDiffusion ( UntimedDiffusion@piefed.zip ) English
    7·
    3 months ago

    Supported kernel level anti-cheat (EAC and Battleye) are not actually kernel level under proton on Linux. They run only in userspace, which makes them less “effective” than on Windows. However, you said yourself that wine are proton are not designed to be secure, and while I’m far from a professional who can point to anything specific, I’m sure that there’s still plenty of non-kernel-level info that they’re able to suck up and send back.

  • Scoopta ( Scoopta@programming.dev ) 
    4·
    3 months ago

    As a fun aside, if you write some custom assembly into a windows program to issue syscall instructions directly you can issue Linux syscalls from inside windows binaries running in wine.

  • _‌_反いじめ戦隊 ( AntiBullyRanger@ani.social ) English
    4·
    3 months ago

    Symbolic links are like Windows shortcuts. You shortcut an address and it takes you there.

    The problem comes in abusing both, where a shortcut takes you, and how shortcuts are assigned.

    When programming for security, you never use shortcuts, as they are extremely easily to manipulate. Thus when Proton symlinks, it insecurely references files and utilities, which can allow espionage to be performed without your ability to trace it.

    It’s not that shortcuts are espionage, but they make espionage easier to perform.

  • JoshCodes ( joshcodes@programming.dev ) English
    4·
    3 months ago

    Why would you make this a proton/wine convo when you are clearly unhappy with the practices used by the companies making the software. This isn’t about the compatibility layer you’re using, reframe your thinking. If you ran malware, Proton would say “yeah sure bud let me get that for you” and would run that shit. Proton isn’t an antivirus or a security tool.

    Also, privacy and security are completely different. Privacy is the right to not be observed, think anonymity. Security is the control of access, think authentication and authorisation. If you’re attempting to run software on your user account, you’ve authorised it to run as you. Therefore every action you do that doesn’t require a password is possible, if improbable. But yeah, they can see other open software, it can view your files and it can see your hardware. It needs to. It’s a compatibility layer. It’s still just software you ran on your machine.

    I repeat, if you run spyware, you get spyware. You’ve just given it the tools to work cross platform.

    • FiniteBanjo ( FiniteBanjo@feddit.online ) OPEnglish
      3·
      3 months ago

      I repeat, if you run spyware, you get spyware. You’ve just given it the tools to work cross platform.

      Well that’s conflicting because at least one other user said that the spyware doesn’t function well enough to work as intended in Proton.

      To answer your question, Valve and Riot who provide these games made this a Proton discussion when they got these games running in Proton, and by discussing what is and isn’t possible in the current scope we can create a more informed community who can make their own decisions.

      • JoshCodes ( joshcodes@programming.dev ) English
        1·
        3 months ago

        Are you going to have a go at C++ then for compiling the game in the first place? Ooo let’s have a yell at assembly for running the game too. Maybe Intel or AMD could cop some shit for performing the instructions, Nvidia as well just to be sure.

        I’m not the other person, if it’s conflicting then idk what to tell you. I work in security, but I’m not the biggest expert on proton. I know enough to understand it’s not an emulator, it’s a compatibility layer, and that means it runs the code that was written to the best of it’s ability, on your hardware. Happens to run as you. You’re having a go at the environment, i.e. the packages and software that makes the game run, for the actions you and the game developers made. Don’t run spyware if you don’t like spyware, or run it elsewhere.

        Can the games scan your drive where your user can navigate? Yes, they have to. Can they see other programs that are running? Yes, they have to. Can they read, edit and make changes? Yes, they have to. Can they capture input in other software? Not unless you’re on Xorg, then probably. Can they make web requests and send your data outside the machine? Yes, obviously they have to.

        Congrats, it’s spyware if it wants to be.

  • lambalicious ( lambalicious@lemmy.sdf.org ) English
    2·
    3 months ago

    Is it feasible to run eg.: Steam, within a (s)chroot that does not have host /proc and /sys mounted? That wouldn’t do that much by itself but I guess it would help more when combined with running as a different user (and not mounting host /home).