[Edaily Reporter An Yu-ri ] "Goddess of Victory: NIKKE," which had been gaining popularity with major events and updates to mark its fourth anniversary, has been hit by a cybersecurity incident. External code was found to have been inserted into the PC launcher, prompting the operators to release an emergency update.

On the 4th, the *Nikke* operations team announced in a notice titled “Notice Regarding an Abnormal Situation with the PC Launcher” that they had “confirmed an anomaly indicating that the launcher’s script file may have been tampered with by a third party.” The team explained that they had patched and updated the client around 2:30 a.m. that day and are currently investigating the scope of the impact, with further details on follow-up measures to be provided separately.

This incident came to light after a technical report analyzing evidence of malware distribution via the NIKKE PC launcher was posted on the online code-sharing platform GitHub. The report’s author claimed to have discovered traces of tampering in four JavaScript files hosted on the Content Delivery Network (CDN) of Level Infinite—a subsidiary of global publisher Tencent—that called external malware. A CDN is a server system that delivers files necessary for running games to users.

According to the report, the files in question are believed to have been tampered with on September 27. It is possible that, starting on October 23, remote control software was installed and executed during the launch of some PC launchers. Given that the normal game launch process was exploited to deliver malware, this could constitute a software supply chain attack.

The report explained that this malicious program included features allowing attackers to execute arbitrary commands on users’ PCs, view files, and capture screenshots. There are concerns that passwords and authentication credentials stored in web browsers, as well as files related to cryptocurrency wallets, could also be targets for theft.

The report’s author recommended suspending use of the PC launcher for the time being and checking for signs of infection. The analysis currently available focuses on the PC launcher; it remains unclear whether the mobile version is affected.

NIKKE is a subculture game developed by #SHIFT UP, with global services handled by Level Infinite, a subsidiary of Tencent. To mark its fourth anniversary, the game underwent a major update and was hosting grand anniversary events, including large-scale advertisements in Akihabara, Tokyo, and Times Square in Manhattan, New York. Following the 4th-anniversary update on October 29, NIKKE reached No. 1 on the revenue charts for the Apple App Store in South Korea and Google Play in Japan.

Meanwhile, Level Infinite stated regarding this matter, “We are currently conducting an internal investigation.”