Beyond Client-Side Heuristics

Traditional anti-cheat mechanisms rely heavily on client-side heuristics: memory scanning, integrity checks, and Hardware ID (HWID) fingerprinting. While necessary, these methods face a fundamental limitation: they run on the attacker's machine. Sophisticated cheat developers utilize hypervisors and kernel-level drivers to spoof HWIDs, rendering device bans ineffective.

To close the loop on ban evasion, security architects must treat the network layer as an authoritative source of truth. Cheaters often rely on VPNs and residential proxies to bypass IP bans. By integrating real-time IP intelligence, you can detect high-risk connections before a session is established.

The Proxy Problem in Matchmaking

Ban evasion typically follows this pattern:

HWID Spoofing: The cheater modifies disk serials and MAC addresses.
IP Rotation: The cheater uses a VPN or Proxy service to acquire a fresh IP address.

Static blocklists are insufficient against modern threats. Cheaters increasingly utilize Residential Proxies—networks of compromised IoT devices or unaware peers—to route traffic through legitimate residential ISPs (e.g., Comcast, AT&T). To a basic geo-IP lookup, these appear as valid home users.

Implementation Strategy: The Handshake Gate

To minimize latency impact, IP intelligence lookups should occur asynchronously during the authentication handshake or matchmaking queue entry, not during real-time packet processing.

Integration Logic

Capture Client IP: Extract the IP from the socket connection (ensure you are reading the X-Forwarded-For header correctly if behind a load balancer).
Query IPASIS: Send a request to the IP intelligence API.
Evaluate Risk: Check boolean flags for is_proxy, is_vpn, and is_tor.
Enforce Policy:
- Strict: Block connection immediately.
- Shadowban: Place the user in a separate queue with other suspected cheaters.
- Flag: Mark the account for manual review.

Python Implementation Example

The following Python snippet demonstrates a synchronous check suitable for a login worker. For high-throughput game servers, use an asynchronous client (e.g., aiohttp).

import requests
import json

IPASIS_API_KEY = "your_api_key_here"
IPASIS_ENDPOINT = "https://api.ipasis.com/v1/lookup"

def validate_connection(client_ip):
    try:
        response = requests.get(
            f"{IPASIS_ENDPOINT}?ip={client_ip}&key={IPASIS_API_KEY}",
            timeout=0.5 # Strict timeout to prevent login hanging
        )
        response.raise_for_status()
        data = response.json()

        # Security Policy Definitions
        security_policy = {
            "block_tor": True,
            "block_vpn": True,
            "block_proxy": True
        }

        # Check for threats
        if security_policy["block_tor"] and data.get("is_tor"):
            return False, "TOR_EXIT_NODE_DETECTED"
            
        if security_policy["block_vpn"] and data.get("is_vpn"):
            return False, "VPN_DETECTED"
            
        if security_policy["block_proxy"] and data.get("is_proxy"):
            # Allowlist specific ASNs if necessary (e.g., cloud gaming providers)
            if data.get("asn") not in ["AS1234", "AS5678"]:
                return False, "PROXY_DETECTED"

        return True, "OK"

    except Exception as e:
        # Fail open or closed depending on architecture
        print(f"IP Intelligence Lookup Failed: {e}")
        return True, "FAIL_OPEN"

# Usage
is_allowed, reason = validate_connection("192.168.1.1")
if not is_allowed:
    print(f"Connection rejected: {reason}")

Handling False Positives and Edge Cases

Cloud Gaming Services

Users connecting via GeForce Now, Xbox Cloud Gaming, or Shadow PC will flag as datacenter or vpn because their traffic originates from server farms (AWS, Azure, etc.).

Solution: Implement ASN (Autonomous System Number) allowlisting. When IPASIS returns a positive VPN flag, check the asn field. If it matches a known cloud gaming provider, override the block.

Carrier-Grade NAT (CGNAT)

Mobile networks often group thousands of users behind a single public IP. Blocking a CGNAT IP based on one bad actor can cause collateral damage.

Solution: Rely on connection_type. If the IP maps to a cellular network (is_mobile: true), increase the threshold required for a ban, or combine IP intelligence with device fingerprinting before blocking.

FAQ

Q: What is the latency overhead for an API lookup? A: IPASIS endpoints are optimized for sub-100ms response times. However, you should always cache results in Redis or Memcached using the IP as the key for the duration of the user's session to eliminate redundant lookups.

Q: Can we block specific countries? A: Yes, the IPASIS payload includes ISO country codes. However, geoblocking is easily circumvented by VPNs. It is more effective to block the method of evasion (the VPN itself) rather than the geolocation.

Q: Should we block IPv6? A: No. IPv6 adoption is increasing, particularly among legitimate mobile and residential users. IPASIS supports full IPv6 intelligence. Blocking IPv6 entirely will result in significant false positives for legitimate players.

Secure Your Matchmaking

Stop ban evasion at the door. Integrate IPASIS to distinguish between legitimate gamers and bad actors using commercial proxies.

Get your API Key and start sanitizing your traffic today.

Real-Time IP Intelligence for Gaming Anti-Cheat Systems