Cryptojacking
Un tipo de ciberdelito donde un atacante usa en secreto la potencia informática de una víctima para minar criptomonedas.
La minería de navegador tuvo su pico en 2017 con Coinhive. La defensa incluye monitorización de red, bloqueadores de anuncios y políticas estrictas de IAM en la nube.
graph LR
Center["Cryptojacking"]:::main
Rel_cryptographic_hashing["cryptographic-hashing"]:::related -.-> Center
click Rel_cryptographic_hashing "/terms/cryptographic-hashing"
Rel_cryptocurrency_investigations["cryptocurrency-investigations"]:::related -.-> Center
click Rel_cryptocurrency_investigations "/terms/cryptocurrency-investigations"
Rel_blockchain_forensics["blockchain-forensics"]:::related -.-> Center
click Rel_blockchain_forensics "/terms/blockchain-forensics"
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classDef pre fill:#0f172a,stroke:#3b82f6,color:#94a3b8,rx:5,ry:5;
classDef child fill:#0f172a,stroke:#10b981,color:#94a3b8,rx:5,ry:5;
classDef related fill:#0f172a,stroke:#8b5cf6,stroke-dasharray: 5 5,color:#94a3b8,rx:5,ry:5;
linkStyle default stroke:#4b5563,stroke-width:2px;
🧒 Explícalo como si tuviera 5 años
Imagina que alguien conecta una manguera al tanque de tu coche para hacer funcionar su generador. Tu coche va más lento y pagas mucha más gasolina. El cryptojacking roba la potencia de tu ordenador para 'fabricar' dinero digital para los hackers.
🤓 Expert Deep Dive
El cryptojacking rara vez ataca a Bitcoin (requiere ASICs). Su objetivo principal es Monero (XMR), ya que su algoritmo RandomX está optimizado para CPUs estándar. Vectores: en el host (malware), en el navegador (WebAssembly como Coinhive) y Cloud-jacking (compromiso de cuentas de AWS/Azure).
❓ Preguntas frecuentes
How do I know if my computer has been cryptojacked?
Common symptoms include: the cooling fan constantly running at high speed, the device overheating, the battery draining unusually fast, and the CPU usage sitting at 90-100% even when you aren't running heavy applications.
Why do cryptojackers mine Monero instead of Bitcoin?
Bitcoin requires expensive, specialized hardware (ASICs) to mine profitably. A regular computer CPU cannot mine Bitcoin effectively. Monero uses an algorithm (RandomX) specifically designed to be mined on standard CPUs, making regular computers perfect targets for hackers.
Can cryptojacking happen just by visiting a website?
Yes. This is called 'browser-based' or 'drive-by' cryptojacking. The hacker injects a JavaScript or WebAssembly mining script into a compromised website. While you have the tab open, the script uses your CPU to mine. It stops as soon as you close the browser.