Research report: Crypto mining hackers earn additional income from intercepted metadata

According to CoinDesk, a report released by cybersecurity company Carbon Black shows that the famous Monero cryptocurrency mining botnet in 2018 contains a secondary component that can obtain IP addresses, domain name information, usernames and passwords.

Carbon Black researchers Greg Foss and Marian Liang said the 2018 botnet operation, dubbed "Access Mining," had been collecting secret data for the past two years, raking in millions of dollars in the process.

Hackers have turned security data into a second source of income. An infected machine sells for an average of $6.75 on dark web markets. Infected machines can even be rented out for 24 to 48 hours as a passive income source for hackers. Depending on the location and owner of the machine, the value of the machine can soar. The two researchers said Access Mining is likely the result of lowered Monero (XMR) prices following the 2018 bear market.