{
  "family": "cryptominer",
  "sample_count": 1,
  "category": "trojan",
  "description": "<h3>Executive Summary</h3>\n\"Cryptominer\" (often flagged as Riskware.CoinMiner, Trojan.Miner, or PUA.Miner) is a generic detection classification for software that utilizes the infected host's computing resources (CPU or GPU) to solve complex cryptographic equations, thereby \"mining\" cryptocurrency (most commonly Monero) for the benefit of the attacker. This process is known as \"Cryptojacking.\"\n\n<h3>Technical Architecture and Capabilities</h3>\nCryptominers can be distributed as standalone executables (Trojans), bundled within Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUPs), or even executed entirely within a web browser via malicious JavaScript (Web-based Cryptojacking).\n\nKey behavioral characteristics include:\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Resource Exhaustion:</strong> The primary signature of a cryptominer is the immediate, sustained maximization of CPU or GPU usage. The malware is designed to push the hardware to its thermal limits to generate cryptocurrency as rapidly as possible.</li>\n<li><strong>Pool Communication:</strong> Miners do not operate in isolation; they connect to \"Mining Pools\" using the Stratum protocol (often over standard HTTP/HTTPS ports or custom TCP ports) to receive work algorithms and submit computed hashes.</li>\n<li><strong>Defense Evasion:</strong> Advanced miners (like those deployed by the LemonDuck botnet) contain routines to monitor for the execution of Task Manager or Resource Monitor. If the user attempts to check system performance, the miner will temporarily pause its operations to hide the CPU spike.</li>\n</ul>\n\n<h3>Threat Impact</h3>\nWhile cryptominers typically do not steal data or encrypt files, they cause severe operational degradation. The extreme load on the hardware leads to system freezing, application crashes, increased power consumption, and significantly reduced hardware lifespans due to thermal stress. Furthermore, a miner on a corporate network indicates a fundamental breach of endpoint security.\n\n<h3>Incident Response and Advanced Analysis</h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Performance Monitoring:</strong> Utilize enterprise monitoring tools to identify endpoints exhibiting sustained, unexplained 100% CPU/GPU utilization during normal business hours.</li>\n<li><strong>Network Blocking:</strong> Identify and block network connections to known mining pool domains (e.g., `minexmr.com`, `nanopool.org`) at the corporate firewall to immediately render the miners useless.</li>\n<li><strong>Eradication:</strong> Isolate the endpoint and perform a deep system scan to remove the miner executable, its associated persistence mechanisms (Registry `Run` keys, WMI subscriptions), and any secondary backdoors dropped by the initial infection vector.</li>\n</ul>",
  "cta": "Published by the SystemHelpdesk team.",
  "aliases": [
    "Riskware.CoinMiner",
    "Trojan.Miner",
    "PUA.Miner"
  ],
  "enrichment_level": "insufficient_information",
  "faq": [],
  "faq_count": 0,
  "mitre_attack": [
    "T1496",
    "T1059",
    "T1562.001"
  ],
  "cisa_advisory": null,
  "last_updated": "2026-07-01T17:04:40Z",
  "type": "Cryptominer",
  "target_industries": [
    "Global / Opportunistic"
  ],
  "motivation": "Opportunistic",
  "threat_actors": [
    "Unknown / Cybercriminal"
  ],
  "target_geographies": [
    "Global"
  ]
}