Recent reports reveal that domain service provider Cloudflare has initiated actions against websites operating concealed cryptocurrency mining scripts.
Cloudflare, the internet domain provider, has started taking action against websites that secretly run cryptocurrency mining scripts.
The news surfaced yesterday when the administrator of the torrent platform ProxyBunker informed TorrentFreak that Cloudflare had taken action to suspend all associated domains because of a hidden mining script embedded in the site’s code. ProxyBunker, which serves as a gateway to various torrent websites, had been operating the “Coinhive” Monero miner for four days before the takedown occurred.
According to reports, Justin Paine, Cloudflare’s head of trust and safety, explained to ProxyBunker that the decision was based on the miner operating secretly, offering no way for site visitors to opt out, which resulted in it being classified as “malware.”
Multiple domains in your account were injecting Coinhive mining code without notifying users. … We consider this to be malware, and as such the account was suspended, and all domains removed from Cloudflare.
Paine was quoted as saying:
Website miners operate by harnessing the computing power of visitors’ devices to generate cryptocurrency. This approach has recently sparked significant attention, especially after torrent site The Pirate Bay encountered criticism for deploying a browser-based miner—an effort that was later retracted following intense public backlash.
More significantly, major companies like TV content provider Showtime have reportedly had concealed mining malware embedded within their websites, secretly exploiting users’ processing power without permission.
Additionally, reports indicate a growing number of torrent websites have started implementing cryptocurrency mining scripts.
The rise of website miners has received a range of reactions, though TorrentFreak noted that such tools might offer a new way to fund services with limited revenue streams, like torrent platforms. On that note, the torrent site PassThePopcorn revealed plans yesterday to implement an “opt-in” version of the mining software as a means of supporting its operations.
