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An active cryptojacking campaign is targeting Internet-exposed Kubernetes API servers that permit anonymous authentication and grant excessive permissions. Attackers deploy malicious Docker Hub images impersonating legitimate Kubernetes components, abusing container deployment capabilities to run a UPX-packed DERO miner named pause; Kubernetes workloads can also enable deployment across multiple nodes and expand the attacker’s reach.
The miner stores encrypted, hardcoded wallet and mining-pool settings, avoiding conspicuous command-line arguments and configuration files. Supporting Linux tooling kills rival miners, selects GPU or CPU payloads, and modifies shell startup files for persistence. Defenders should remove public Kubernetes API exposure, disable or tightly restrict anonymous access, apply least-privilege RBAC, and permit only trusted, verified container images; Docker Hub removed the reported dockerproxys and nohuppo accounts.
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9 events from the most recent confirmed update back to the earliest known activity.
The malicious container images hosted by dockerproxys were last updated on Docker Hub.
A related Linux dropper script, ddns.sh, was uploaded to VirusTotal; it killed competing miners, selected GPU or CPU payloads, and established shell-profile persistence.
The Docker Hub account dockerproxys, which distributed malicious pause-themed images, joined Docker Hub.
A UPX-packed Windows DERO miner containing the same hardcoded wallet address as the Linux pause samples was uploaded to VirusTotal.
The Docker Hub account pausehubs, associated with the malicious container-image set, joined Docker Hub.
The Docker Hub account nohuppo, which hosted a malicious pause image, joined Docker Hub.
The domain windowsupdatesupport[.]link, later used in encrypted DERO mining-pool configuration, was created.
Docker Hub removed the reported dockerproxys and nohuppo accounts that hosted malicious DERO-mining container images.
Attackers exploited Internet-exposed Kubernetes API servers with anonymous authentication and excessive anonymous permissions, deploying masquerading cryptomining workloads across multiple namespaces. The workloads used Docker Hub images containing a UPX-packed DERO miner named pause with encrypted hardcoded wallet and pool configuration.
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Researchers identified a large cryptojacking operation that abused public container registries by uploading **30 malicious images** across **10 Docker Hub accounts**, which collectively recorded more than **20 million pulls**. The images were designed to deploy cryptocurrency miners on victim systems, with most samples mining **Monero** and frequently using the open-source miner **`XMRig`**. The campaign was tied to multiple Docker Hub accounts, including **`azurenql`**, **`021982`**, **`dockerxmrig`**, **`ggcloud1`**, and **`ggcloud2`**, which researchers assessed as part of the same broader operation. Attackers used multiple image tags to support different CPU architectures, operating systems, and miner variants, increasing compatibility and reach, and the observed mining activity was estimated to have generated roughly **$200,000** in cryptocurrency while indicating a wider malicious-image problem across public registries.
Aug 14, 2026
Threat actors were observed targeting exposed Docker APIs by deploying a malicious container image named **`gin`** with the **`--privileged`** option, then abusing the Linux **`cgroups` `release_agent`** mechanism to escape the container and execute code on the host. Trend Micro detected the activity in a honeypot after the environment was identified by the **`zgrab`** scanner, showing how internet-exposed container management interfaces can be rapidly discovered and exploited. The attack chain used a script called **`calm.sh`**, which dropped another script named **`cmd`** and launched a fake **`nginx`** binary that was actually an ELF cryptocurrency miner. If the container escape attempt failed, the attackers still tried to mine cryptocurrency directly on the vulnerable server, underscoring that misconfigured privileged containers can turn a Docker deployment into a host-level compromise and that image security requires more than basic vulnerability scanning alone.
Aug 15, 2026
Linux-focused cryptocurrency-mining malware has increasingly targeted servers, cloud workloads, and Docker environments, with attackers abusing the platforms’ reliability, prevalence, and processing power to mine privacy-centric coins such as **Monero**. The activity reflects a broader shift in cryptojacking operations toward Linux systems and exposed applications or APIs that can be leveraged to gain unauthorized access and sustain mining activity. Researchers reported that newer Linux cryptominers are not only designed to consume victim resources but also to detect, disable, and remove rival miners already present on compromised machines, effectively turning infected hosts into contested infrastructure. The behavior mirrors tactics seen in earlier malware families including **KORKERDS** and **Skidmap**, underscoring how cryptojacking campaigns have evolved from simple resource theft into more persistent and competitive operations aimed at monopolizing compromised compute capacity.
Aug 14, 2026