Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Watch_Dogs torrent secretly installing a Bitcoin miner on thousands of computers

neogaf.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

1–10 of 16 posts

Re: Watch_Dogs torrent secretly installing a Bitcoin miner on thousands of computers

#3

Post by mischanix »

jarnix wrote: post #2

Well, that's ironic: hacking a game about hacking and getting hacked.

Air quote "hacking" but yes.

I've commented on this in the past, but I saw a bitcoin miner in a supposed SimCity torrent over a year ago, so this is nothing new.

Re: Watch_Dogs torrent secretly installing a Bitcoin miner on thousands of computers

#5

Post by gabemart »

[deleted] wrote: post #4

[deleted]

> CPU mining is so slow in comparison to ASCI mining that the attacker is probably making pennies on this

Given that a decent proportion (most?) of people downloading and running a modern PC game like Watch_Dogs will have high-end discrete graphics cards, it seems odd that the malware doesn't take advantage of GPU mining.

Re: Watch_Dogs torrent secretly installing a Bitcoin miner on thousands of computers

#6

Post by jradd »

[deleted] wrote: post #4

[deleted]

I think you meant to type “ASIC mining.” Which certainly is the most efficient way to mine bitcoins; but would it really be more effective in this respect?

I didn't realize there enough ASIC–chip powered devices out there running to make that a more effective method (even considering the fact that ASIC–powered devices are roughly 50x more effective).

Re: Watch_Dogs torrent secretly installing a Bitcoin miner on thousands of computers

#9

Post by broodbucket »

smtddr wrote: post #8
[deleted] wrote: post #4

[deleted]

http://www.middlecoin.com/ Assuming PC gamers have better-than-average graphics cards, the pennies here could be $500+/mo depending on how many people got fooled by this.

Yeah, but you use different mining programs based on the GPU vendor, and then there's the configuration for each card that makes it efficient. Is the code smart enough to look up the GPU vendor and run CUDAminer/cgminer or a CPU miner?

Re: Watch_Dogs torrent secretly installing a Bitcoin miner on thousands of computers

#10

Post by smtddr »

broodbucket wrote: post #9
smtddr wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

http://www.middlecoin.com/ Assuming PC gamers have better-than-average graphics cards, the pennies here could be $500+/mo depending on how many people got fooled by this.

Yeah, but you use different mining programs based on the GPU vendor, and then there's the configuration for each card that makes it efficient. Is the code smart enough to look up the GPU vendor and run CUDAminer/cgminer or a CPU miner?

Though kinda unlikely(too much trouble imho), it could be possible to scrape this page to pull the best command line for known hardware... https://litecoin.info/Mining_Hardware_Comparison
Post reply on HN