Hackers bypass Denuvo protection in Stellar Blade and Mafia: The Old Country

Despite the departure of the legendary hacker EMPRESS, enthusiasts continue to attack Denuvo, one of the most resilient security systems. Recently, two relatively recent titles—the action game Stellar Blade and the crime drama Mafia: The Old Country—lost their digital protection thanks to hackers using the pseudonyms 0xZeOn and Andreh.

In both cases, a similar bypass technique was used through the Windows hypervisor, which requires temporarily disabling some of the operating system's built-in security mechanisms. The method involves replacing verification files so that Denuvo continues to function but falsely identifies the pirated copy as legitimate. This allows the game to be launched without purchasing it, without completely breaking the protection itself.

This approach has already been criticized by other members of the hacker community. For example, hacker voices38 called it unreliable because a simple Windows update could patch the exploit at any time, making the game once again inaccessible to pirates. However, the critic himself has been silent lately: voices38 hasn't been in touch for over three weeks, fueling rumors of his possible retirement or legal troubles.