Cyber Incident Victim: Blizzard Entertainment
Date:
Sep 2019
Location:
—
Summary
A distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack disrupted World of Warcraft Classic servers, causing connectivity issues for players, while also targeting Wikipedia, resulting in intermittent inaccessibility across multiple countries, particularly in Europe. The game's developer confirmed the attack, and a group identifying as UkDrillas claimed responsibility for both incidents via social media before its account was suspended. The Wikimedia Foundation condemned the attack as a threat to information access, and public backlash led to the alleged doxxing of one individual linked to the group. This followed prior DDoS incidents against the game, including a previous conviction of an attacker targeting its servers.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 1 motive | 1 technique |
| Threat Actor | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 actor | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
On or around September 6, 2019, World of Warcraft Classic experienced a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack that disrupted server connectivity for players. Blizzard, the game’s developer, confirmed via Twitter that its systems were impacted by a series of these attacks, though it did not specify the duration or technical scope of the disruptions. Players reported difficulties accessing the game during this period, mirroring connectivity issues faced by Wikipedia users in Europe during a separate but contemporaneous DDoS attack. A Twitter account named “UkDrillas” publicly claimed responsibility for both attacks, though no corroborating evidence of their involvement was provided in the public statements. The attacks occurred shortly after the high-profile launch of World of Warcraft Classic, which had drawn significant player interest, though the article did not quantify the number of affected users or duration of outages.
The UkDrillas account’s claims drew immediate attention from the gaming community, leading to the doxxing of one individual in the UK alleged to be associated with the group. Twitter subsequently suspended the UkDrillas account. Blizzard did not disclose specific mitigation measures but historically pursued legal action against DDoS perpetrators, as evidenced by a 2018 case where a Romanian hacker received a one-year U.S. federal prison sentence and restitution order for attacking World of Warcraft’s European servers. The incident highlighted recurring DDoS threats to online gaming platforms, particularly from actors seeking notoriety or competitive disruption. No law enforcement investigations or arrests related to the 2019 attacks were confirmed in the available source material. Service disruptions appeared resolved by the time of reporting, with no mention of lingering technical impacts or player data compromise.