Mozilla Firefox Adds Feature to Block Crypto-Jacking Malware

By Prashant Jha

Crypto-Jacking has become a nuisance in the cryptocurrency space, where hackers inject a mining malware in the form of JavaScript onto the website and when users land on that page it automatically starts using their computational power to mine cryptocurrencies. In the majority of the cases, the users never even know that they have been a victim of the crypto-jacking attack.

While there have been numerous attempts to minimize such cases, the output has not been that efficient. Now, Mozilla in its latest update has introduced a feature which can detect any malicious JavaScripts inserted into user’s browser and block the same. Mozilla has introduced a privacy toggle to protect the users from such attacks.

In 2018 Mozilla partnered with an online Privacy company Disconnect, to create crypto jacking blocker for its browser. The Disconnect is an open-source platform which built the pay-what-you-want software, which was declared as the best privacy tool in 2016.

The Disconnect has created a database with the hat contains numerous domains associated with malware for fingerprinting and crypto jacking. The blacklisted database of various domains has already helped in blocking in-browser mining malwares of Coinhive and CryptoLoot.

Mozilla is looking to implement the Disconnect API for fingerprinting of user activities which can help in detecting various interaction of the users on the internet and subsequently help them figure out and then blacklist websites and services which possess threats of crypto-jacking.

The Disconnect software track the hackers who embed the mining malware in the victim’s system after an attack. The feature helps in alerting the potential target whose system has been affected.

Crypto-Jacking Related Attacks Are On The Rise

A recent report suggests that there has been a 4000% rise in the detection of mining-malware activities on Android-based system in 2018. There have been various cases in Europe, among which the most significant one has been the hijacking of the operational systems of Europe’s water control system.

In Russia, crypto jackers hijacked supercomputers used for maintaining the nuclear power plants, which was used for mining Bitcoins by the hackers. When state protected supercomputers are being hijacked, the attacks on the computers of domestic citizens look like a joke. Thus, many more software solution providers need to come up with better security features, at least to contain the problem.

Prashant Jha

As a content writer Prashant believes in presenting complex topics in simple laymen terms. He is a tech enthusiast and an avid reader.

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