What Happens When Your Assetto Corsa Server Is Attacked

An Assetto Corsa server talks to drivers over UDP and TCP on the game port, and to Content Manager and the lobby over HTTP. VibeSHIELD, the anycast DDoS protection network built into every VibeGAMES server, has a filter for each of the three. This article explains what happens when your Assetto Corsa server is attacked and what you can see and do.

1What VibeSHIELD Does for Your Assetto Corsa Server

• A UDP game filter protects the game port UDP 9600, where the car positions and race traffic flow.
• A TCP game filter protects TCP 9600, which the client uses alongside UDP.
• An HTTP filter protects the HTTP port 8081 used by Content Manager and the lobby, so a flood against the server page does not reach the server.
• The filters run at the VibeSHIELD point of presence nearest to the traffic source. Only clean traffic continues to your server.
• All of this is automatic. There is nothing to enable.

2What Players Notice

• In most attacks nothing. The race continues.
• During a very large attack there may be a few seconds of higher ping or packet loss while filtering ramps up.
• If drivers cannot join, look at the console in the game panel first. A crash, running out of memory or a wrong port are more common than the attack.

3Where to See the Attack

• Open the website dashboard and click your Assetto Corsa server.
• Choose the DDoS protection tab. It is in the website dashboard at vibegames.com, not in the game panel at game.vibegames.com where the console and files live.
• Status reads Active. Attack status reads Not under attack or Under attack.
• The Attack history table lists the attacks of the last 30 days: ID, peak size in Mbps or Gbps, start time and stop time.
• Expand a row to see a traffic chart over time, the source countries, source networks (ASN), source ports, destination ports, protocol, TTL and packet sizes.

4The Email You Receive

• When an attack targets your server's port, the email address on your account receives a message with the subject DDoS attack detected on your server <ip>.
• It says VibeSHIELD is filtering the traffic and that no action is needed.
• The IP is shared by several servers on the node, each with its own ports. The attack is attributed to your server by the attacked port.

5What to Do

• Nothing is needed for the attack itself.
• Do not share your server IP in response to threats, and never pay anyone who claims they will stop an attack.
• Do not change the game or HTTP port. It does not help against attacks and is not needed.
• Do not request a move to another location. Every location is behind VibeSHIELD.
• If drivers report problems during an attack, open a ticket and include the attack ID from the history table.

Good to Know

• Content Manager keeps working. The HTTP port has its own filter, so the server page and lobby entry stay reachable for real clients during an attack.
• The protocol column tells you what was hit. The breakdown shows whether the attack used UDP, TCP or HTTP traffic and which destination port it aimed at.
• Read more. See how VibeSHIELD protects your game server for the general article.