[GUIDE] How to check for and remove simple backdoors

THIS DOES NOT WORK ON ALL BACKDOOR METHODS

Right, now that we have that out of the way, lets get on with the guide.

If you are concerned about potential backdoors in your Garry's Mod addons from the Steam Workshop, there are a few steps you can take to try and detect or remove them. Here is a guide on how to do so using the CPE tool.

Before we start:

Known incompatibility: SNTE (Create net considered harmful by CPE, which in itself is the purpose of the addon, we advise you to uninstall it)

Potential incompatibilities: Every addon using DRM (Billy's Addons, VCMod, ...)

You should really disable every addons using DRM before using CPE. Some people have reported that it might cause license loss.
(All leaked addons that have DRM most likely have them removed)

First, you need to install CPE, you can do this by adding https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/f...1714628992 to your collection or using any other method you prefer.
Now, restart your server and join your server.
CPE is now installed and will block most backdoors.

If you suspect that you have a backdoor:
Open the console (using ` on your keyboard in game)
Type cpe_menu and press enter
Go to the detections tab
If you see something that says /Backdoor on it, you have a backdoor. However, if it says /Exploit, then there is an exploit in one of your addons. If there is nothing there, then your server is fine. Note that some DarkRP versions will trigger a false positive, generally, check the file for any links and delete them.

If you have a backdoor:
You can either press Allow on the backdoor's card (NOT RECCOMENDED) or you can go to the path and check the file for any malicious code.
If you find an obscurificated file (wikitionary), delete the addon, there is nothing you can do. If not, look for any links or known methods of backdoors, and just delete the code.

If you have an exploit:
There is nothing you can do, just delete the addon

What even is a backdoor?
In the context of a game server, a backdoor is a method of bypassing normal authentication or security controls in order to gain unauthorized access to the server. This can be done intentionally by the game developers or system administrators as a way to quickly and easily access the server in the future, but it can also be introduced unintentionally through software vulnerabilities or by malware.

A game server backdoor can be used by an attacker to gain unauthorized access to the server and potentially manipulate the game or its data. This can lead to a variety of negative consequences, including cheating, griefing, and the disruption of the gaming experience for legitimate players.

Game servers should be carefully secured to prevent the creation or exploitation of backdoors. This can include measures such as regularly updating software and plugins, implementing strong authentication and access controls, and monitoring for suspicious activity.

I hope this guide was helpful in detecting backdoors and exploits on your Garry's Mod server! If you have any further questions or need assistance, feel free to send me a message or leave a reply and I will do my best to help as much as possible.