Part 12/13:
In closing, the researcher emphasizes that while the Command & Conquer: Zero Hour source code offers a treasure trove for hobbyists, modders, and security analysts, it also exposes significant security shortcomings inherent in legacy codebases. The use of basic XOR encryption, reliance on IP address verification over cryptographic authentication, and simplistic packet validation make this game vulnerable to spoofing and injection attacks.
Nevertheless, the low-level inspection of such a codebase provides valuable insights into software development practices of the early 2000s. For modern security, developers should incorporate stronger cryptographic techniques, employ challenge-response authentication, and avoid trusting UDP packets solely based on IP addresses.