Computer security researchers have recently revealed that the Coinhive miner is the sixth most common malware, a situation that has raised concerns about the expansion of these mining tools that generate revenue for hackers and various websites at the expense of users’ hardware resources.
HiddenMiner, the mining malware that could cause irreparable damage to your smartphone
Hackers not only seek to affect our desktop computers but also feel a particular affinity for mobile devices with Android operating systems. The last miner to be discovered is called HiddenMiner, and in addition to mining the crypto money Coin, it is affecting the full functioning of various devices, even with reports from users themselves.
The first to discover the malware were the experts at Trend Micro, who point out that when HiddenMiner is installed on the smartphone, the mining of crypto money occurs without any control. In this way, the malware uses 100% of the hardware resources of the device, to the point of draining its battery in a short time and slowing down its functions completely.
Users have reported slow startup of their apps and management of operating system resources, plus overheating of the computer. As we well know, in the case of networks, users encounter malware in emails or websites that undermine crypto coins from their computers, however, in Android, the problem is more serious.
HiddenMiner can change the lock setting of the mobile screen, proving that the user has no way to access the device, forcing him to make a wipe and lose all his data stored on the smartphone.
Trend Micro claims that this threat is spreading through unofficial Android app stores and that even though official stores don’t offer full security guarantees when downloading apps, it’s much better than doing it from other sites just for a better price.
Security analysts also said hackers have managed to raise up to 26 Monroe (XMR) with this malware, currently valued at US$5,400. Considering that the miner is only two weeks old, this is a highly successful figure for hackers.
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