Used Ryzen 7 5800X3D came with an unexpected extra: a Riot hardware ban
Buying used hardware usually involves checking for stability, temperatures, or bent pins. However, one AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D buyer encountered a much stranger issue: the CPU arrived with a 'legacy' in the form of a hardware ban from Riot Games.
Hardware ID restrictions
According to Heise, the processor itself functioned without any technical issues. The problem surfaced only when the user launched Valorant. The Riot Vanguard anti-cheat immediately blocked access to the game, even though the user's previous CPU had worked perfectly fine.
Upon contacting Riot support, the buyer was informed that the previous owner had been caught cheating, resulting in a hardware ID (HWID) ban. This means the specific hardware identifiers of the processor were added to Vanguard's blacklist. The buyer also reported that other system components subsequently became associated with these restrictions.
The role of TPM in hardware bans
The exact method used by Vanguard to identify the Ryzen processor in this instance has not been officially confirmed. However, Riot has previously explained that Vanguard can utilize TPM 2.0 as part of its hardware identity system. Specifically, an fTPM-based (firmware-based TPM) hardware ban can effectively force a cheater to replace their CPU to avoid detection. This type of restriction persists through OS reinstalls and game re-installations, as it targets the physical identity of the component.
While there are currently no widespread reports of similar hardware bans affecting GPUs, this incident highlights a significant risk when purchasing second-hand CPUs: there is no way to verify if a processor is already blacklisted until it is installed and connected to the internet.
Гика
