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Quake Champions > Guides > wiuuuh's Guides
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How to block the REDSHELL spyware (new steam spyware)
By wiuuuh
Redshell is a Spyware that tracks data of your PC and shares it with 3rd parties. On their website they formulate it all in very harmless language, but the fact is that this is software from someone i don't trust and whom i never invited, which is looking at my data and running on my pc against my will. This should have no place in a full price PC game, and in no games if it were up to me.
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Created by
wiuuuh
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Category: Achievements, Characters, Classes, Co-op, Crafting, Game Modes, Gameplay Basics, Loot, Maps or Levels, Modding or Configuration, Multiplayer, Secrets, Story or Lore, Trading, Walkthroughs, Weapons, Workshop
Languages: English
Posted
Updated
21 Jun, 2018 @ 7:31am
25 Aug, 2018 @ 9:03am
24,356 Unique Visitors
429 Current Favorites
Guide Index
Overview
Original Sources / Useful info & Links 
Video explaining about RedShell. 
Very simple and fast script to help you see if RedShell is present in any of your Steam games 
Blocking redshell with batch file. 
Games that are still using Redshell 
Games who USED Redshell 
Update 23.6.2018: Regarding to redshell on Quake Champions 
Update 24.6.2018 
Update 26.6.2018 (Hotfix to Quake Champions which removes RedShell from the client) 
Update 27.6.2018 
Update 28.6.2018 
Update 1.7.2018 
Update 4.7.2018 
Update 7.7.2018 
Update 10.7.2018 
Rockstar Games using redshell? - Update 11.7.2018 
Update 13.7.2018 
Update 14.7.2018 
Update 20.7.2018 
Comments
Original Sources / Useful info & Links
Blocking redshell with batch file post was originally made by user Bitvar on reddit. Original source: https://www.reddit.com/r/pcgaming/comments/8s3zy2/how_to_create_a_batch_to_block_redshell/ Bitvar's reddit profile: https://www.reddit.com/user/Bitvar -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Very simple and fast script to help you see if RedShell is present in any of your Steam games post was originally made by use B-Knight on reddit. Original source: https://www.reddit.com/r/pcgaming/comments/8s3rq7/very_simple_and_fast_script_to_help_you_see_if/ B-Knight's reddit profile: https://www.reddit.com/user/B-Knight -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- More useful links / info about redshell: https://www.reddit.com/r/technology/comments/8rpq2a/psa_red_shell_spyware_spyware_packaged_in_popular/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Steam/comments/8pud8b/psa_red_shell_spyware_holy_potatoes_were_in_space/e0fuixl/
Video explaining about RedShell.
Very simple and fast script to help you see if RedShell is present in any of your Steam games
This post / script code was made by user B-Knight on reddit. Original source: https://www.reddit.com/r/pcgaming/comments/8s3rq7/very_simple_and_fast_script_to_help_you_see_if/ B-Knight's reddit profile: https://www.reddit.com/user/B-Knight

I've mucked around for a few minutes and just threw together this simple script that checks your Steam installation for any mention of either RedShell.dll or RedShellSDK.dll. If it comes across it then it'll tell you the full path of the file.

IT DOES NOT DELETE THE FILE AUTOMATICALLY - YOU WILL NEED TO DO THIS.

Here's the code:

@ECHO OFF echo Checking Steam\SteamApps\common directory for REDSHELL.DLL CD "%PROGRAMFILES(X86)%\Steam\SteamApps\common" echo. dir /s /b RedShell* echo. echo Checking Steam\SteamApps\common directory for REDSHELLSDK.DLL echo. dir /s /b RedShellSDK* echo. pause

Just paste this into a .txt file and save the file as a .bat file. After that, locate the new .bat file you just made and run it. There a console window will open and information will be shown (or not).

The script assumes that Steam is installed at Program Files (x86)\ and therefore assumes you have a 64bit install with the normal installation directory. If this is different to your PC then you'll need to edit line 2 accordingly. It also doesn't search through libraries that are installed on a different drive - again, edit line 2 accordingly.

Note: RedShell can be implemented directly into game code and this script will not be able to detect nor fix that. This only helps you search for the files I mentioned above without having to wait 5 hours for Windows to decide it wants to show you the results of a search or not.
Blocking redshell with batch file.
This batch file post was originally made by user Bitvar on reddit, but i decided to share it on here as well to help more gamers get rid of the redshell spyware Original source: https://www.reddit.com/r/pcgaming/comments/8s3zy2/how_to_create_a_batch_to_block_redshell/ Bitvar's reddit profile: https://www.reddit.com/user/Bitvar

Follow the steps below to block Redshell.

1: Press Start
2: Type "Folder Options" and press Enter.
3: Click the "View" tab.
4: Make sure your checked boxes look like this: https://i.imgur.com/I5p2diA.jpg
5: Press Start
6: Type "Notepad.exe" and press Enter
7: Copy and paste the below code into your notepad.

​
@echo off set hostspath=%windir%\System32\drivers\etc\hosts echo 0.0.0.0 redshell.io >> %hostspath% echo 0.0.0.0 api.redshell.io >> %hostspath% echo 0.0.0.0 treasuredata.com >> %hostspath% echo 0.0.0.0 api.treasuredata.com >> %hostspath% echo 0.0.0.0 in.treasuredata.com >> %hostspath% echo 0.0.0.0 cdn.rdshll.com >> %hostspath% echo 0.0.0.0 t.redshell.io >> %hostspath% echo 0.0.0.0 innervate.us >> %hostspath% echo Host file edited. pause exit

8: Click File and Save As.
9: In the "File name" field type "Remove.bat" and in the "Save as type" select "All Files" then click Save
10: Save it to your Dekstop (or wherever you want)
11: Go to your dekstop
12: Right-click the batch and select "run as administrator."
13: View the batch run.
14: Press enter to close it.
15: Be free of one less annoying data collector.

This is what you are blocking: https://redshell.io/home

First article in Google about this spyware (not great, just providing some sources):
https://www.csoonline.com/article/3282544/security/gamers-is-red-shell-spyware-being-used-in-the-games-you-play.html

These are a few games it is employed in: https://archive.is/LNdt2 (NOTE: blocking redshell could cause game instability. Use at your own risk).
Games that are still using Redshell
Games still using Redshell according to community reports (as of 20.7.2018):

Injustice 2

Shadowverse

SOS & SOS Classic

Krosmaga

Cabals: Card Blitz

CityBattle | Virtual Earth

My Free Farm 2

Stonies

League of Pirates

War Robots

Warriors: Rise to Glory!

Guardians of Ember (Publisher removed from Steam)

The Onion Knights (Publisher removed from Steam)

Astro Boy: Edge of Time (Publisher removed from Steam)

Heroine Anthem Zero ( might have removed it )
Games who USED Redshell
Games who used Redshell which removed or pledged to remove it (as of 20.7.2018):

Elder Scrolls Online
( Removed it )

Conan Exiles
( Removed it )

Ylands
( Removed it )

Holy Potatoes! We’re in Space?!
( Removed it )

All Total War games
( Pledged to remove it )

Warhammer: Vermintide II
( Removed it )

My Time At Portia
( Removed it )

Dead by Daylight
( Removed it )

Battlerite
( Pledged to remove it )

AER Memories of Old
( Pledged to remove it )

Magic the Gathering Arena (closed beta & not on Steam)
( Removed it )

Secret World Legends
( Pledged to remove it )

Hunt: Showdown
( Pledged to remove it )

Escapists 2
( Removed it )

Omensight
( Removed it )

Ballistic Overkill
( Pledged to remove it )

Vaporum
( Removed it )

Tales from Candlekeep: Tomb of Annihilation
( Removed it )

Yoku's Island Express
( Removed it )

Clone Drone in the Danger Zone
( Removed it )

The Wild Eight
( Removed it )

Desolate
( Removed it )

Trailmakers
( Removed it )

Raging Justice
( Removed it )

Dungeon Rushers
( Removed it )

Kerbal Space Program
( Removed it )

Indygo
( Removed it )

Nos Tale
( Pledged to remove it )

SoulWorker
( Pledged to remove it )

Rockshot
( Pledged to remove it )

Quake Champions
( Pledged to remove it )

Archangel: Hellfire
( Removed it )

Skyworld
( Removed it )

Eternal Card Game
( Removed it )

Survived By
( Removed it )

Doodle God
( Removed it)

Doodle God Blitz
( Removed it )

Doodle God: Genesis Secrets
( Removed it )

Sniper Ghosts Warrior 3
( Removed it )

The House Of Davinci
( Removed it )

Warhammer 40k Eternal Crusade
( Pledged to remove it )

Labyrinth
( Pledged to remove it )

Civilization VI
( Removed it )
Update 23.6.2018: Regarding to redshell on Quake Champions

Original source: https://www.reddit.com/r/QuakeChampions/comments/8swzq6/an_important_message_regarding_redshell/

Update 26.6.2018 (Hotfix to Quake Champions which removes RedShell from the client)

Original source: https://twitter.com/Quake/status/1011625852180877312
68 Comments
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White ⁧⁧Wolf 29 Oct, 2023 @ 12:26pm 
Doodle God & Doodle God Blitz at least still seem to have the RedShell DLL files, at least in my Steam folder.
White ⁧⁧Wolf 29 Oct, 2023 @ 12:25pm 
God's Trigger also seems to use it.
Combat Wombat 15 Sep, 2023 @ 8:59pm 
My preferred method: https://www.safer-networking.org/products/spybot-anti-beacon/ The paid version blocks redshell.
i know kung fu 8 Aug, 2022 @ 10:34pm 
inj 2 has been installed since i installed win10 am ihaxxored
rh_menc9re 19 Dec, 2020 @ 12:19am 
@CopperHead you're not too smart, are you?
JadeWing 17 Dec, 2020 @ 6:55pm 
If you have an active internet connection, you're at risk. I struggle to believe people are naive enough to think a single program will be the root of all their problems.
Minty Freshness 13 Dec, 2020 @ 4:09pm 
is this why my game stopped working and i still cant log in?
Drag0n 16 Nov, 2020 @ 6:00pm 
Just reading this now... so Quake Champions no longer "uses" it, but do actions need to be taken to remove it completely?
bonkmaykr 24 Oct, 2020 @ 3:06pm 
i agree. install linux
SMOKEKUSH420 20 Jul, 2020 @ 1:35am 
Install linux