Malicous Script Mods and Malware
January 2024 Incident
Beginning as early as mid-January 2024, we began seeing Sims 4 script mods with malicious executable .exe code hidden in them.
The mods masqueraded as being from e...
Forum Discussion
IMPORTANT
Do NOT download from MOD THE SIMS until further notice
More info to come.
Security breach at Mod the Sims; malicious script files uploaded to known modders' mods
On November 5, 2024, a security breach at Mod the Sims enabled someone to upload malicious versions of at least 4 mods. Unlike the earlier incident, no new accounts were involved, and one of the accounts breached was TwistedMexi's. It's not known (as of November 6) if any updates from before November 5 are also compromised. It is not yet known what the effect of any malware included or called up is, so assume it's very bad.
What to do NOW
- If you downloaded any mods with .ts4script files from Mod the Sims on November 5, delete the mod and run a virus scan.
- If you don't already have it, download TwistedMexi's tool ModGuard. It will not protect against all possible script-file exploits, but it will help. Note that your other system protections cannot see what's in a .ts4script file.
Downloading from Mod the Sims
I cannot in good conscience recommend that Simmers download script mods (any mod with a .ts4script file) from Mod the Sims, as this is the second incident there in a year. If you decide to continue using Mod the Sims, look at the files in the Zip folder. If they include a .ts4script file, find a different site the modder uses. Many modders have multiple places they upload, such as Patreon, Curseforge, itchio, or their own website.
IMPORTANT: Changes to Mod Update News
- I will no longer report on updates of mods/CC hosted only on Mod the Sims. The process of verifying that an upload is legitimate can be complex and time consuming, involving decompiling code, and I value my time. I didn't take that added time on November 5, and reports of these mod updates were on this site for at least an hour.
- I will continue to report broken mods even if they're on Mod the Sims. (Note that this doesn't mean I'll start reporting mods not previously reported here. There are still reasons that some mods/creators are not reported about on EA sites.)
- The mod list for November has already been adjusted to direct you to alternative places modders host mods.
- The mod list "Creator News" will report when modders using MTS add new hosts for their mods.
