Skip to main content

415,000 routers worldwide reportedly infected with cryptojacking malware

online Bitcoin courses
Image used with permission by copyright holder

A new report suggests that more than 415,000 routers globally could be affected by a malware that allows hackers to steal the computing power of connected PCs to mine for cryptocurrency in a scheme known as cryptojacking. The number of affected routers has more than doubled since the malware was initially discovered in August. At the time, it was reported that around 200,000 routers were affected.

Even though the malware threat is expanding, it only affects users who use MikroTik routers. “It is worth pointing out that the number of breached devices might be slightly off, since the data reflects IP addresses known to have been infected with cryptojacking scripts,” The Next Web reported. “Still, the total amount of compromised routers is still pretty high.”

Most of the initially compromised routers were concentrated in Brazil, but as the infection threat expanded, we’re seeing that routers in North America, South America, Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia have also been affected since August, according to a new threat detection map. MikroTik routers are largely sold to internet service providers and organizations, and the surge in router infections shows that not many organizations had installed the latest router firmware.

By exploiting a security flaw in older versions of the router’s firmware, the attacker was able to inject Coinhive script onto every web page that a user visits. “MikroTik RouterOS through 6.42 allows unauthenticated remote attackers to read arbitrary files and remote authenticated attackers to write arbitrary files due to a directory traversal vulnerability in the WinBox interface,” the National Vulnerability Database said of the flaw behind MiktroTik’s firmware. Though Coinhive was initially conceived as legitimate software to allow websites to temporarily borrow a visitor’s hardware to mine for Monero, abuse of the script has led many antivirus software to block Coinhive.

However, the good news is that a patch was made ready within a day of discovery to rid affected routers of the cryptojacking malware. Security experts recommend that users of MikroTik routers download the latest firmware from the company’s website to stay ahead of the malware.

Although the cryptocurrency bubble has burst, leading to an excess of graphics cards that were stockpiled during the height of the crypto boom, cryptojacking remains a serious security threat. In a separate incident last month, Nova Scotia’s St. Francis Xavier University in Canada was forced to shut down its entire network after consultation with cybersecurity experts after it was discovered that a hacker had hacked the university’s system to steal computing resources to mine for Bitcoin.

Fortunately for cryptojacking attacks, personal information on or transmitted across the network is generally not compromised, unlike the Russian-linked Wi-Fi malware story from earlier this year. With cryptojacking, the attackers are mainly interested in the computing power that’s connected to the Wi-Fi network to mine for cryptocurrency.

Editors' Recommendations

Chuong Nguyen
Silicon Valley-based technology reporter and Giants baseball fan who splits his time between Northern California and Southern…
The best gaming PC Cyber Monday deals on AMD and Intel rigs
Gaming PC on a desk.

Today is the perfect day to start building your new gaming PC because of the bargains that you can get from Cyber Monday deals. To help you out, we've rounded up our favorite deals from two leading (and rivaling) computer parts makers, AMD and Intel, so you can instantly spot your favorites. When you're done shopping, we also recommend you check out the best Cyber Monday gaming laptop deals as a way to start "using up" some of the savings your making on building your desktop at this time of the year.
Best gaming PC Cyber Monday deals (AMD)

While AMD isn't as well-known as Intel regarding processors, it makes just as good, if not better, CPUs. They also tend to be a bit cheaper for the same power, so going with an AMD CPU makes sense if you want to keep your prices down. Luckily, Cyber Monday has further seen a decrease in overall prices, and you can nab very budget-friendly AMD gaming PCs.

Read more
How to save your data from Google’s purge of inactive accounts
The Google "G" logo on an Android phone.

Google is about to begin deleting inactive Google accounts, which could mean you’re about to lose photos, documents, and other data that you actually want to keep.

The good news is that there’s a way you can safely hold onto everything, but you’ll need to take action this week to be sure.

Read more
Best MacBook deals: Get an Air for $750 and save on M3 MacBook Pro
A MacBook Pro M2 sits on a wooden table with a nice bokeh background.

If you're looking for great laptop deals, you've almost certainly considered buying a MacBook. The MacOS running systems typically offer fantastic battery life, exceptional performance, and a level of quality that lasts for many years. They're far from cheap though with many Apple deals still proving costly. A worthy investment either way, we've picked out some of the best MacBook deals around at the moment. We've focused solely on Apple silicon chips as previous Intel-based models are too dated these days. The M1 chip continues to perform very well for the price but we've also looked at the newer M2 chip and the latest M3 which is still seeing some discounts despite being so new. Read on while we take you through your options.
Best MacBook Air (M1) deals

The Apple MacBook Air (M1) started a seismic shift for Apple being the first of its Airs to have an Apple-based processor. We took a look at the differences between the M2 and M1 and the M1 is still looking pretty great. It's also a touch nearer to affordable than anything else here. Fast yet fanless so it's silent to use, you gain an 18-hour battery life, a gorgeous looking 13.3-inch Retina display along with all the effortless style you'd expect from an Apple device. These laptops are best for students or those who want something stylish yet reasonably powerful to use on the move. Nowadays, deals are becoming a little harder to come by unless you're willing to consider a refurbished/renewed model.

Read more