GTA Online Casino Heists Disabled As Rockstar Races to Fix Critical Exploit

Grand Theft Auto Online has once again found itself in the crosshairs of miscreants. Despite the game’s decade-long run, it continues to draw millions of players and, unfortunately, its fair share of malicious actors. To wit, Rockstar Games has been forced to pull the plug on one of the game’s most beloved features: Casino Heists.

On June 13, alarm bells started ringing when Rockstar insider TezFunz2 spotted a backend update indicating that Casino Heist planning had been temporarily disabled on PC. Shortly after, Rockstar Games confirmed the community’s worst fears via its Support account on X (formerly Twitter), citing a “vulnerability with GTA Online on PC.”

But what exactly is this vulnerability? While Rockstar has been tight-lipped about the specifics, calling it only a “critical exploit,” the rumor mill is churning with speculation. Some players on GTA Forums have reported incidents eerily reminiscent of the January 2023 exploit.

These claims point towards a remote code execution (RCE) exploit, potentially allowing hackers to alter in-game character stats like money, appearance, or reputation. Even more concerning, there are assertions that the exploit might let attackers access files on players’ computers or open applications without permission (talk about taking “grand theft” to a whole new level!).

We have identified a vulnerability with GTA Online on PC and made a temporary change to protect players. More information available here: https://t.co/3g8uN7w2Rg

— Rockstar Support (@RockstarSupport) June 13, 2024

In response to this, Rockstar has not only shut down access to Casino Heists but also restricted players from setting up the Arcade Property. The good news (depending on the audience) is that console players can breathe a sigh of relief. This whole drama is currently a PC-exclusive problem, leaving Xbox and PlayStation users free to continue their heisting hijinks.

For PC players, however, the wait for a fix could take a while. Rockstar hasn’t provided a timeline for when normalcy will be restored, but if history is any indicator, it could be days or even weeks before the Casino Heist reopens its doors.

In the meantime, Rockstar advises affected players to stick to closed sessions like invite-only lobbies, which are reportedly safe havens from this exploit. It’s not quite the same as pulling off a high-stakes heist with your crew, but it beats having your hard-earned GTA dollars swiped by a hacker.

As we wait for Rockstar to patch up this security hole, PC players can still make some money with Agency Security Contracts. In this week’s event, solving the case of Dr. Dre’s stolen cell phone in The Data Leaks will earn you a cool GTA$100,000.