Activision is currently investigating significant exploits that have emerged in the recently released PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 ports of Call of Duty: Black Ops. The issues surfaced shortly after the games became available on current-generation PlayStation consoles, with players reporting that modders and exploiters were compromising game lobbies.
These exploits allow for rapid rank progression, effectively nullifying the game's core progression systems. While Activision has responded by removing certain playlists to mitigate the problem, concerns persist among the player base. The situation has been exacerbated by the discovery that many of these exploits are remnants from the PlayStation 3 version of the game, which were apparently not addressed in the new ports.
According to interviews with one of the modders, the process involves copying save data to a USB drive and using a website to decrypt it on a jailbroken PlayStation console. The modder stated that the save data is identical to that of the PS3 version, and the reason for the exploit's availability is that "Iron Galaxy and Activision didn't bother changing the encryption on the files." This oversight has led to services being offered that mod players' stats and in-game progress. While the current exploits do not include features like aimbots, their ease of implementation has significantly impacted the player experience.
Activision has confirmed to Tdawgsmitty that it is actively investigating these issues and working towards a resolution for the affected ports. The timeline for these fixes remains uncertain, but the company's acknowledgment indicates a commitment to addressing the problems plaguing the rereleased titles.