Hackers Targeting Crypto Miners With Help From NSA Leak

According to a recent report by the Cyber Threat Alliance, hackers today are able to target crypto miners by exploiting a software flaw that was leaked from the government, researchers say.

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After others became aware of this tool and the flaw that it helped to uncover, they are now allegedly using it to commandeer computing power of others in an effort to generate cryptocurrency.

Researchers suggest that the majority of illicit cryptocurrency mining is targeted toward Monero, roughly 85 percent they estimate. The hacks are taking place worldwide, though researchers note that a significant portion of those being targeted are from the U.S.

One previous study by Group-IB suggested that Americans are the main target for crypto hackers today. It's estimated that 1 in 3 targets are from the U.S. and to date there is tens of millions of dollars that has been stolen.

Aside from funds being targeted on various exchanges, hackers today have also discovered ways to tap into the processing power of unsuspecting computer users and they can then use that power to generate cryptocurrency.

According to Neil Jenkins, the chief analytic officer for the Cyber Threat Alliance, the agency behind the recent report, he says that this sort of illicit crypto mining is the canary in the coal mine.

“Illicit mining is the 'canary in the coal mine' of cybersecurity threats,... If illicit cryptocurrency mining is taking place on your network, then you most likely have worse problems and we should consider the future of illicit mining as a strategic threat.” - Jenkins

Aside from about 85 percent looking to mine monero, the researchers estimate that it's about 8 percent for bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies account for 7 percent. Overall, they estimate that illicit cryptocurrency mining has increased roughly 459 percent this year alone.

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