Microsoft Patches Critical Vulnerability in Age of Empires II
Photo: TechCrunch
Quick answer
Microsoft patched a critical CVE-2026-50663 vulnerability in Age of Empires II, enabling hackers to execute arbitrary code on a victim's PC through malicious in-game invitations.
Microsoft has fixed a critical vulnerability in the remastered version of the classic strategy game Age of Empires II, released 25 years ago. The bug, identified as CVE-2026-50663, allowed attackers to gain control over a player's computer via a specially crafted in-game invitation.
According to a report by cybersecurity experts at Rapid7, the attack began with the victim receiving an invitation to the game lobby. After automatically or manually accepting the invitation, malicious files were downloaded to the device, enabling remote arbitrary code execution. In theory, this could lead to a full system takeover.
Microsoft confirmed that the vulnerability was patched during July's Patch Tuesday, when the company addressed a record number of bugs. A significant portion of these vulnerabilities were identified using AI-based tools, utilized both by the corporation and independent researchers.
While there is no evidence of real-world exploitation, experts note that gamers are often targeted by cybercriminals. Malicious programs, designed to steal passwords and personal data, frequently spread through gaming platforms.
Common questions
- What vulnerability was discovered in Age of Empires II?
- The game contained a bug allowing hackers to gain remote control over a victim's computer via a specially crafted invitation in the game lobby.
- How could users protect themselves from this vulnerability?
- Microsoft released a patch as part of its July security update. Users were advised to install it immediately.
- Was this vulnerability exploited by hackers?
- No evidence of real-world exploitation has been found, though such vulnerabilities are frequently targeted by cybercriminals.
Dzen feed: /feed/dzen.xml · RSS: /feed.xml