Attack Method in the G2A Exploit

The attack method used in the G2A exploit is a combination of time-

based manipulation and payment system vulnerabilities to deceive the
platform and payment processor into processing an order while also
triggering an automatic refund. Here's how the attack works and the
vulnerabilities it targets: Attack Method in the G2A Exploit
The attack method used in the G2A exploit is a combination of time-
based manipulation and payment system vulnerabilities to deceive the
platform and payment processor into processing an order while also
triggering an automatic refund. Here's how the attack works and the
vulnerabilities it targets:

1. Time Zone Manipulation

 Method:
o The attacker uses a Tampermonkey script to alter the browser's
time zone at a critical point during the transaction process.
o This manipulation occurs just as the payment is being processed
by Bitbay, G2A's Bitcoin payment processor.
 Targeted Vulnerability:
o Time Synchronization Discrepancy: The vulnerability
exploited here is a lack of robust time synchronization and
validation between G2A’s order processing system and Bitbay’s
payment processing system.
o When the time zone changes unexpectedly, Bitbay misinterprets
the transaction as expired due to the time discrepancy, while
G2A’s system still processes the transaction as successful.

2. Payment Process Exploit

 Method:
o After placing an order and changing the time zone, the attacker
completes the payment using Bitcoin.
o The transaction is recorded and processed by G2A, which then
delivers the product or service to the attacker.
o Due to the altered time zone, Bitbay’s system marks the
payment as expired and automatically triggers a refund for the
amount paid.
 Targeted Vulnerability:
 o Payment Processing Logic Flaw: The exploit takes advantage
of Bitbay’s automated refund process for expired transactions.
The system incorrectly refunds payments for transactions it
believes have expired without verifying the actual status of the
order with G2A.
o Lack of Cross-System Validation: The payment processor and
G2A's order system do not effectively cross-check the
transaction status before the refund is issued. This lack of
validation allows the attacker to receive both the product and
the refund.

3. Exploit Execution Steps:

 Step 1: Install a Tampermonkey script that will change the browser's

time zone when a payment is initiated.
 Step 2: Add products to the cart on G2A with a value above 0.0015
BTC to ensure the automatic refund is triggered.
 Step 3: Initiate the payment using Bitcoin, at which point the script
alters the time zone.
 Step 4: G2A processes and delivers the order, while Bitbay’s system
marks the transaction as expired due to the time discrepancy and
issues an automatic refund.
 Step 5: The attacker ends up with both the product and the refunded
amount, effectively getting the product for free.

How the Exploit Manipulates the Payment Process:

 The key manipulation lies in creating a desynchronization between the

payment process (handled by Bitbay) and the order fulfillment process
(handled by G2A).
 By altering the time zone at a precise moment, the attacker exploits a
flaw in the payment processing logic, causing Bitbay to believe the
payment was never completed and thus triggering a refund.
 Since G2A processes the order normally without recognizing the time
zone manipulation, they send the product to the attacker without
detecting the fraud.
Conclusion

This exploit targets specific vulnerabilities in the synchronization and

validation processes between G2A and its payment processor, Bitbay. By
manipulating the browser's time zone, the attacker tricks the system into
processing an order and then refunding it, resulting in the attacker receiving
the product without payment. This method is both illegal and unethical,
highlighting the importance of robust time validation and cross-system
communication in payment processing systems.

Potential Financial and Reputational Damages from the

G2A Exploit

1. Short-Term Financial Damages:

Immediate Revenue Loss:

The exploit allows users to obtain products without paying for them, directly
reducing G2A's revenue. If the exploit becomes widespread, the cumulative
losses could be significant.

Chargebacks and Refunds:

The company may face a high volume of chargebacks and refunds from the
payment processor (Bitbay) due to the manipulated transactions, leading to
additional financial losses.

Operational Costs:

G2A might incur increased operational costs related to investigating the

exploit, patching vulnerabilities, and implementing security measures to
prevent further exploitation.

Increased Fraud Detection Costs:

G2A may need to invest in more advanced fraud detection systems or hire
additional staff to monitor and mitigate fraudulent activities, leading to
higher operating expenses.

2. Long-Term Financial Damages:

Loss of Trust and Decreased Sales:

If the exploit becomes public knowledge, customers may lose trust in G2A's
platform, fearing potential security risks or exploitation by others. This loss of
trust could lead to a decrease in sales and a shrinking customer base.

Higher Insurance Premiums:

G2A may face higher insurance premiums for cyber liability insurance as a
result of increased risk exposure from the exploit.

Legal and Regulatory Costs:

The company could face legal action from affected parties or regulatory
bodies, resulting in fines, legal fees, and potential settlements.

Loss of Business Partnerships:

Business partners, including game publishers and other digital content

providers, might sever ties with G2A if they perceive the platform as
insecure or ethically compromised, leading to a loss of valuable business
relationships.

3. Reputational Damages:

Customer Trust and Brand Image:

Exploits like this can severely damage G2A's reputation, leading to negative
press and customer sentiment. A tarnished brand image can be difficult to
recover from and may lead to a long-term decline in customer loyalty.

Perception of Security Weakness:

The exploit could create a perception that G2A is unable to secure its
platform effectively, making customers and partners hesitant to engage with
the company.

Negative Media Coverage:

The exploit could attract media attention, leading to negative coverage that
amplifies the reputational damage. This can be particularly harmful if the
story is picked up by mainstream media outlets or influential industry voices.

Loss of Competitive Edge:

Competitors may exploit G2A's weakened reputation to attract its customers,

especially if they can offer more secure or trustworthy platforms.

4. Long-Term Reputational Impacts:

Customer Attrition:

Long-term damage to the company's reputation could result in sustained

customer attrition, as users migrate to platforms perceived as more secure
and ethical.

Employee Morale and Recruitment Challenges:

A damaged reputation can also affect employee morale and make it difficult
for G2A to attract and retain top talent, further impacting its operations and
innovation potential.

Mitigation and Recovery:

Security Enhancements:

G2A would need to invest heavily in enhancing its security measures,

including fixing the vulnerabilities exploited and improving its payment
processing systems to prevent similar issues in the future.

Public Relations Campaigns:

To repair its reputation, G2A might need to engage in public relations

campaigns, including transparency about the exploit, steps taken to fix it,
and initiatives to rebuild customer trust.

Customer Compensation:

Offering compensation to affected customers, such as discounts, refunds, or

loyalty rewards, could help mitigate some of the reputational damage.

Legal and Compliance Improvements:

Ensuring compliance with legal standards and regulations, and being

proactive in addressing vulnerabilities, would be essential to prevent further
damages and restore confidence.

In conclusion, the G2A exploit could cause significant short-term financial

losses and long-term reputational damage. The impact could extend beyond
immediate revenue loss to include weakened customer trust, negative media
coverage, and strained business relationships. Recovery would require
substantial investment in security, public relations, and customer
engagement effort
EXPLOIT TESTING:

Firstly, i installed the tampermonkey chrome extention as described in the

G2A blog post:

Made a new script and downloaded the script from given link and pasted it in
tampormonkey then saved it.

Then i went to G2A website and added some gift card as mentioned in the
blog but i was unable to add them to my cart and it doesnt even asked me to
login it just said page not found error

So i tried adding some diffrent region gift cards but failed as well and i also
tried to add some other games and software from G2A website and getting
the same error, so i was unable to test the exploit in my virtual machine
envoirment,

The screenshot of this is added to the google drive

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/10NCd1xnit0jIDSoWPdH-
TDvYEyncAwaI?usp=sharing

Mitigation Strategies

After reading and understanding the vulnerability i can say that To prevent
exploits like the one seen in the G2A case, a comprehensive security plan
must be implemented. This plan should focus on secure coding practices,
regular security audits, user education, and robust system architecture.

1. Secure Coding Practices

a. Input Validation and Sanitization:
Ensure all inputs, including time zones, are properly validated and
sanitized to prevent unauthorized manipulation.
Implement strict checks on the format, length, and content of input
data

b. Secure Time Handling:

 Use server-side time verification instead of relying on client-side data,

such as browser time zones, to avoid manipulation.
  Implement time-based controls on the server-side to ensure
synchronization between different systems.

c. Robust Error Handling:

 Implement secure error handling to avoid revealing sensitive

information through error messages.
 Use generic error messages that do not give away details about the
underlying system or potential vulnerabilities.

d. Encrypted Communication:

 Ensure all communication between the client and server, especially

during payment processing, is encrypted using SSL/TLS.
 Regularly update and audit encryption protocols to prevent exploits.

e. Tokenization and Secure Authentication:

 Use tokenization for payment transactions to ensure that sensitive

payment information is not directly exposed.
 Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) for critical actions,
especially payment-related ones

2. Regular Security Audits

a. Code Reviews and Penetration Testing:

 Conduct regular code reviews to identify and fix potential

vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.
 Employ third-party penetration testers to simulate attacks and uncover
weaknesses in the system.

b. Automated Vulnerability Scanning:

 Implement automated vulnerability scanning tools to continuously

monitor the codebase and identify potential security risks.
 Use tools like static and dynamic analysis to detect issues such as
insecure time handling, input validation flaws, and others.

c. Security Patch Management:

  Establish a rigorous patch management process to ensure that all
components, including third-party libraries and software, are up-to-
date with security patches.
 Monitor for security advisories and ensure timely updates to mitigate
risks.

d. Incident Response Planning:

 Develop and maintain an incident response plan to quickly and

effectively respond to security breaches or exploit attempts.
 Conduct regular drills to ensure that the team is prepared to handle
security incidents.

3. User Education and Awareness

a. User Training and Best Practices:

 Educate users about the importance of security practices, such as

using strong passwords and enabling two-factor authentication.
 Provide clear guidelines on how to recognize phishing attempts and
avoid suspicious activities.

b. Secure Transaction Communication:

 Inform users about the importance of secure communication channels,

like ensuring they are on the correct and secure website (https), and
the risks of using public or shared devices for financial transactions.

c. Security Awareness Campaigns:

 Run regular security awareness campaigns to keep users informed

about the latest threats and how to protect themselves.
 Offer incentives or rewards for users who follow secure practices and
report suspicious activities.

4. Robust System Architecture

a. Multi-Layered Security Controls:

 Implement multi-layered security controls to protect the payment

gateway system, including firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and
monitoring tools.
  Ensure that security measures are in place at every level of the
architecture, from the application layer to the network layer.

b. Redundancy and Failover Mechanisms:

 Design the system to have redundancy and failover mechanisms to

maintain continuity and prevent single points of failure.
 Regularly test these mechanisms to ensure they function correctly
during an incident.

c. Secure API Integrations:

 Ensure that all API integrations, especially those with third-party

payment processors, are securely implemented with proper
authentication and encryption.
 Regularly audit API security to prevent exploitation of vulnerabilities in
third-party systems.

d. Continuous Monitoring and Logging:

 Implement continuous monitoring and logging of all transactions and

critical system activities.
 Use advanced analytics and machine learning to detect unusual
patterns that may indicate a potential exploit attempt.

5. Collaboration with Payment Processors

a. Shared Security Responsibility:

 Collaborate closely with payment processors to ensure that both

parties adhere to security best practices and regularly update their
systems.
 Establish clear communication channels for reporting and addressing
security issues.

b. Cross-System Validation:

 Implement cross-system validation checks to ensure that payment

status is consistently verified between G2A and Bitbay or other
payment processors before finalizing transactions.

c. Regular Security Audits:

  Conduct joint security audits with payment processors to identify and
mitigate vulnerabilities in the integration between systems.

DETAILED INCIDENT RESPONSE PLAN FOR G2A EXPLOIT:

1. Preparation
Establish an Incident Response Team :
Designate a team responsible for handling security incidents, including
representatives from IT, security, legal, and public relations.
Develop Communication Channels:
Set up secure communication channels to coordinate the response and
ensure that sensitive information is not leaked.

2. Identification

 Detection and Reporting:

o Monitor transaction logs, payment processor feedback, and
customer support tickets to detect unusual patterns that might
indicate the exploit is being used.
o Encourage employees and users to report any suspicious
activities related to the exploit.
 Incident Classification:
o Confirm the nature and scope of the exploit by analyzing
reported incidents, including the number of affected
transactions, and determine if customer data or financial assets
are at risk.
 Initial Assessment:
o Assess the extent of the exploit's impact, including identifying
the compromised systems and the potential financial loss.

3. Containment

 Short-Term Containment:
o Temporarily disable the Bitcoin payment option on the platform
to prevent further exploitation.
o Implement an immediate hold on all transactions that match the
exploit's profile, such as those involving large amounts or
specific time zone manipulations.
 Incident Isolation:
 o Isolate affected systems from the network to prevent the exploit
from spreading and to protect other systems.
 Communication with Payment Processor:
o Inform Bitbay and other relevant payment processors of the
exploit to coordinate containment efforts and block any further
fraudulent transactions.

4. Eradication

 Vulnerability Fix:
o Work with the development team to identify the root cause of
the vulnerability, such as the time zone manipulation, and
implement a fix.
o Deploy patches to affected systems and ensure that all client-
side and server-side vulnerabilities are addressed.
 Removal of Malicious Code:
o Remove any malicious scripts or unauthorized changes that may
have been introduced during the exploit.
 System Hardening:
o Strengthen security controls, including enforcing stricter time
synchronization mechanisms and validating payment
transactions server-side.

5. Recovery

 System Restoration:
o Gradually restore affected systems to normal operation, ensuring
that the vulnerability has been fully eradicated and that no
residual effects remain.
 Monitor for Re-Exploitation:
o Closely monitor the system for signs of re-exploitation or new
related vulnerabilities.
 Customer and Partner Communication:
o Inform affected customers and business partners about the
incident, outlining the steps taken to resolve the issue and
offering support or compensation if necessary.
 Post-Recovery Testing:
 o Conduct thorough testing of the payment gateway system to
ensure that the exploit cannot be replicated and that normal
operations can safely resume.

6. Lessons Learned

 Post-Incident Review:
o Hold a detailed review meeting with the Incident Response Team
to discuss the incident, including what went wrong, what was
done well, and what could be improved.
 Documentation and Reporting:
o Document the incident, including timelines, actions taken, and
the impact. This documentation should be used to improve the
incident response plan.
 Policy and Procedure Updates:
o Update security policies and procedures based on the findings
from the incident, focusing on preventing similar exploits in the
future.
 Training and Awareness:
o Conduct training sessions for employees to raise awareness
about the exploit and the importance of following secure coding
and transaction handling practices.
 Audit and Compliance:
o Schedule a follow-up security audit to ensure that all changes
have been correctly implemented and that the system is
compliant with security standards.

7. Continuous Improvement

 Feedback Loop:
o Implement a continuous feedback loop to refine the incident
response process and ensure that the organization is better
prepared for future incidents.
 Regular Drills:
o Conduct regular incident response drills to test the team’s
readiness and to identify any areas for improvement.
 Stakeholder Engagement:
o Keep stakeholders, including customers, partners, and
regulators, informed about the company’s commitment to
 security and the measures being taken to protect against future
incidents.

Reflection and Learning:

Reflections on Vulnerability Analysis, Mitigation, and Ethical Considerations
in Cybersecurity,

Vulnerability Analysis

 Understanding the Exploit Mechanisms:

o I learned the importance of dissecting an exploit to understand
its underlying mechanisms. The G2A exploit revealed how
seemingly small oversights, like relying on client-side time zones,
can be manipulated to bypass security controls.
 Identifying Systemic Weaknesses:
o This assignment reinforced the need to thoroughly analyze how
different components of a system interact, such as payment
gateways and third-party processors, to identify potential
weaknesses.

2. Mitigation Strategies

 Comprehensive Security Planning:

o The exercise of creating a security plan emphasized the
necessity of a multi-layered approach to security. Secure coding
practices, regular audits, and user education all play crucial roles
in building a resilient system.
 Incident Response Planning:
o Developing an incident response plan highlighted the importance
of being prepared for security breaches. Containment,
eradication, and recovery are not just technical challenges but
also require effective communication and coordination.
 Importance of Regular Updates:
o The assignment also underscored the importance of staying
updated with the latest security practices and patches, as
vulnerabilities can evolve over time.
3. Ethical Considerations

 Balancing Security and Privacy:

o The ethical dimensions of cybersecurity became apparent when
considering how to implement security measures without
infringing on user privacy or trust. For instance, while detecting
fraud is essential, it should not come at the cost of excessive
surveillance or data collection.
 Responsible Disclosure:
o The importance of responsible disclosure was highlighted,
emphasizing that when vulnerabilities are discovered, they
should be reported to the appropriate parties to prevent
exploitation, rather than being used for personal gain.
 Impact on Stakeholders:
o Understanding the potential financial and reputational damage to
companies like G2A reinforced the ethical obligation to protect
not just the organization, but also its customers and partners
from harm.

4. Impact on Future Work

 Enhanced Security Focus:

o This assignment will influence my future work by making me
more vigilant in identifying potential vulnerabilities, especially in
complex systems with multiple interacting components.
 Proactive Approach:
o I will prioritize a proactive approach to security, ensuring that
systems are not just reactive to threats but are designed with
resilience in mind from the start.
 Commitment to Ethical Practices:
o The ethical considerations discussed have reinforced my
commitment to uphold the highest standards of integrity in
cybersecurity. This includes practicing responsible disclosure and
always considering the broader impact of my work on users and
the public.
This assignment has deepened my understanding of vulnerability analysis,
mitigation strategies, and the ethical responsibilities that come with working
in cybersecurity. The knowledge gained will guide my future work, ensuring
that I contribute to building secure, trustworthy, and ethically sound
systems.