Cryptominers, also spelled as crypto-miners, are a type of malware that secretly uses your device’s processing power to mine cryptocurrency for someone else. Instead of stealing your data, cryptominer malware hijacks your CPU or GPU to solve complex mathematical problems that generate digital currency—usually without your knowledge or consent. This can slow down your device, overheat hardware, drain battery life, and increase electricity costs. Cryptominers can infect systems through malicious downloads, compromised websites, or even browser-based scripts. While they don’t always cause direct data loss, they can degrade performance and security over time.
Some known examples include Coinhive, a browser-based cryptominer that was embedded into websites without users’ consent; CryptoLoot, which operates similarly but has been used in more aggressive campaigns; and XMRig-based malware variants, which are often bundled with other malicious software and designed to mine Monero. Kinsing is another example—it targets cloud environments and Linux systems, exploiting vulnerabilities to spread and deploy cryptominers. Another example is Kovter, a fileless malware that has been used in cryptomining campaigns while avoiding traditional detection methods.
Unlike legitimate crypto mining, where users knowingly dedicate their hardware to mine digital coins, malware cryptominers operate in the background without permission. The key difference is consent—regular mining is intentional, while cryptominer malware exploits your system for someone else’s profit.