Information Security
network python programming
Updated Sun, 02 Oct 2022 06:32:42 GMT

How do I keep Python Sockets secure for Multiplayer Games?


I'm making a simple multiplayer game in Python. No personal/important data will be transferred between the server and client. I am using the Python sockets library to communicate between the client and the server.

However, I have done nothing special for security. I'm worried that someone could hijack the client-server connection of another player and control their actions in the game. Is this possible? Should this be a security concern, or are Python sockets safe from tampering?

Solution

Assuming this is a TCP connection, generally another player wouldn't be able to hijack the established client-server connection of another player.

However, someone controlling their network (the ISP of the player, the owner of the wifi it uses to connect, etc.) would be able to:

  • view the contents of all packets transferred (including any authentication data)
  • modify the commands sent
  • replace their connection with its own
  • MITM connections to the server

You could avoid this by doing your communication on top of TLS, instead of bare sockets.


References