Network Uptime

Under the Surface of Azeroth:

A Network Baseline and Security Analysis

of Blizzard's World of Warcraft

Written by James Messer

Table of Contents

• An Overview of this Analysis
• What This Analysis is Not

• Architecting World of Warcraft
• The World of Warcraft Client
• Architecting Bandwidth

• Overview
• Step 1: The World of Warcraft News of the Day
• World of Warcraft News: Network Analysis
• Step 2: Version Checking
• PatchSequenceFile.txt
• Step 3: Downloading the Software Update
• The Update Process
• Upgrading the World of Warcraft Launcher
• Upgrading the World of Warcraft Client
• Retrieving the Blizzard Downloader
• The Blizzard Downloader
• Downloading the Patch
• Step 4: The Blizzard Updater
• Isn't BitTorrent Evil?
• Step 5: Authenticating into the World of Warcraft
• Verifying the Username and Password
• The Available Realms
• Step 6: Loading the Character Select Screen
• Step 7: Entering the World of Warcraft

• Selling Virtual Money
• The World of Warcraft Client Paradox