Hijacking of Popular Minecraft Launcher by Rogue Developer Raises Malware Fears
Members of the Minecraft community using the PolyMC custom launcher switch to another launcher after the owner removes a contributor from the project in an attempt to “reclaim” PolyMC from those promoting queer and left-wing ideologies online are instructed to
According to a report from Gaming on Linuxthe owner with the username LennyMcLennington on the developer hosting site GitHub, yesterday revoked permission for these contributors. alongside the update Titled “Reclaiming Polymac from the Leftoid”.
When the update went live, members of the Minecraft community initially believed it was due to security issues. Main key holder compromisedbut Lenny McLenington has since posted an update on the PolyMC Discord (confirmed by IGN) linking the two paste.gg page When GitHub files Signed with a PGP signature, stating that the account was not compromised and ‘just didn’t hide anything’ [they] I already believe ”
IGN was able to see updates to the GitHub, page.gg, and GitHub files, but a screenshot of the original Discord message included in GamingonLinux’s report shows that LennyMcLennington “promotes a radical left-wing queer ideology.” “has” indicated that we removed contributor permissions from people, but it did not appear on our site. That means it may have been deleted or posted to his private channel on the server, but as of this writing this is yet to be confirmed.
After the takeover, members of the Minecraft community, both on an ideological level and as a precautionary measure, are urging others to switch to another launcher. As GamingonLinux points out in its original report, PolyMC requires certain permissions to be given to the launcher in your Microsoft account, and although LennyMcLennington is recruiting new contributors through his PolyMC Discord server. , basically the launcher is now running by one person.
Some people are concerned that PolyMC is unreliable, but LennyMcLennington said on Discord that “there is no risk of malware” after the acquisition, adding that the launcher is safe for users. , which plans to scrutinize the work of new contributors.
“You can’t contribute code to PolyMC unless you check all your code and make sure it’s safe,” one user wrote on Discord. “All I do now is see if anyone is interested in contributing. If you need help contributing or have questions about the code base, talk to them You can contact me.”
Earlier, LennyMcLennington was seen on GitHub arguing that modifiers to protect marginalized people should be removed from PolyMC’s code of conduct. back in maythe inclusion of descriptions of race, religion, sexual orientation, and others is “repeating” when it has already been said that these protections apply to “everyone.” That said, users were quick to point out that some people were free to loosely interpret “everyone” because the details weren’t written.
While this story has plagued the community, Minecraft has been a haven for fan creations, mods, and launchers that have contributed to the game’s longevity over the years. You have created the entire known universe in Minecraft. The developer, Mojang, is pretty meddling in what players create, but earlier this year he took a tough stance on NFTs and blockchain technology.
Kenneth Shepard is a writer covering games, entertainment and queerness across the internet. Find him on Twitter (@shepardcdr) and listen to his bi-weekly video game retrospective his podcast Normandy FM currently covering Cyberpunk 2077.
