Hackers use both phones and TVs to mine virtual currency
Chinese security researchers have discovered that hackers are turning any Internet-connected device into a tool to mine the cryptocurrency Monero.
Hackers have attacked thousands of phones and TVs using the Android operating system to turn these devices into cryptocurrency mining tools. This is the conclusion just released by a security research firm.Netlab360announced
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According to the article posted onZDNetThe attack affected 7,000 devices in the world's most populous country, turning them into part of the Moreno cryptocurrency mining network run by hackers.
According to security experts, these types of attacks will appear more and more because hackers want to make money from computers, phones or any Internet-connected device (LoT) by secretly using them to mine virtual currency.
Netlab360 said the hackers took advantage of an open port in the operating system that allows devices to connect to the Internet. They scanned port 5555 and discovered unsecured devices. They then spread a worm-like malware that turned the device into a tool to search for other vulnerable devices to infect.
Google, the publisher of Android, has not commented on this issue.
Security experts confirmed that hackers did not open the port but used the already opened port 5555, "we do not know why and when this port was opened".
After taking over the devices, the hackers ran a Monero mining program. They created a network with thousands of smartphones and Android TVs to mine coins without having to buy hardware or worry about network connections.