Game Guardian (GG Modifier) is a widely used cheating tool that allows players to modify in-game data and game speed, undermining game fairness and driving up development costs. It utilizes memory manipulation, automated Lua scripting, and advanced root permission bypass methods, such as Magisk and Android virtual containers. This paper examines the impact of GG Modifier on mobile games and how ACE’s memory-based anti-cheat technology effectively detects and counters these cheats, ensuring fair competition and ongoing protection for developers and players.

Analysis of Attack-Defense Game in Mobile Game Cheating and Anti-Cheat Technologies

Game Guardian (often referred to as GG Modifier) is a widely recognized cheating tool in the mobile gaming industry, celebrated for its cross-game compatibility and dubbed the "universal modifier" by players. This tool primarily enables cheating by modifying in-game memory data and also features the ability to adjust game speed. Players can utilize it to arbitrarily alter in-game points, virtual asset values, character attribute parameters, and even activate disruptive features such as OHK (One-Hit Kill) and God Mode. The speed adjustment feature allows players to accelerate game processes to save time or slow down the game to simplify operational difficulty.

For game developers, GG Modifier poses a significant threat to the balance and fairness of the gaming ecosystem. Its negative impacts are evident in three areas: Firstly, it undermines the fair competition environment within games, driving away legitimate players; secondly, it diminishes players' willingness to pay, thereby harming commercial revenue; thirdly, it raises the R&D and maintenance costs for game companies to continuously combat cheating. Particularly in competitive games, cheating can easily trigger a mass exodus of players, a phenomenon that has been repeatedly observed in various well-known games.

Memory Modification Principle and Implementation Paths

GG Modifier can be used to modify game code, constants, and variables. When a game is running, it allocates heap memory space for temporary data such as character attributes and scene objects. By monitoring changes in memory values (e.g., the increase or decrease of gold coins), GG Modifier can quickly identify the memory address of target data and subsequently tamper with the data stored at this location to achieve cheating effects.

The tool offers exact search (for known values) and fuzzy search (for unknown values), while also supporting joint retrieval of multiple data types (Dword/Float, etc.). Once the target address is locked, players can modify the data in real-time or freeze the value. For example, in RPGs, by continuously tracking HP changes, players can ultimately locate and lock the parameter address to achieve the "infinite health" effect.

In addition to the manual operation with GG Modifier, developers of cheating tools commonly employ Lua (a scripting language) to enabling automated operations, thus enhancing the usability of cheating tools. By invoking the APIs of GG Modifier, Lua scripts can automate various features of GG Modifier, significantly lowering the threshold for users. On the official website of Game Guardian, not only are different versions of GG Modifier available for download, but also an active Lua script sharing community has been established. This platform allows developers to conveniently share custom scripts tailored for different games, while end-users can obtain fully automated cheating functions by simply loading the corresponding scripts.

Attack-Defense Analysis on GG Modifier's Requirement for Root Permission

The requirement for root permission in older versions of GG Modifier leads to high device unlocking risks and usage barriers. However, with technological advancements, alternative methods have emerged to make GG Modifier more accessible to users.

1. System-level disguise with Magisk: Magisk obtains the root permission by creating virtual image files to overlay system partitions while disguising system integrity. Its modular design can selectively hide root traces, effectively evading anti-cheat detection in games.

2. Android virtual container (VM): Sandbox applications like VMOS create isolated Android subsystems to provide a more covert cheating environment for players. Users can run GG Modifier directly within the virtual container and obtain the root permission without compromising the host system. This way, they can avoid detection risks and cheat more safely. Common Android VMs include VMOS, Parallel Space, and VirtualXposed. These tools, known for their ease of use and efficiency, have become popular solutions for many players to evade anti-cheat detection in games. However, the misuse of this technology not only undermines game fairness but also poses greater challenges to game developers' anti-cheat endeavors.

How ACE Effectively Intercepts GG Modifier

Right now, ACE's mobile game anti-cheat solution, built in with its self-developed memory-based cheat detection technology, can identify GG Modifier and its variants without relying on sample data. This helps game developers fight against mobile game modifiers, guaranteeing fair competition for players, and providing ongoing protection for games.

If you want to learn more about how Anti-Cheat Expert intercepts Game Guardian and various types of mobile and PC game cheats, do not hesitate to click here or contact support@anticheatexpert.com.