How to block Crypto Miner (javascript)

[Indorama_Ventures]

This week I noticed a "CoinHive Javascript Detection" in the logs of our Palo Alto.

When reading on the subject I noticed that there are websites around that use Javascript to start mining Crypto coins on the users' computer.

https://live.paloaltonetworks.com/t5/Community-Blog/Unauthorized-Coin-Mining-in-the-Browser/ba-p/183...

Detailed description can be found here :

https://researchcenter.paloaltonetworks.com/2017/10/unit42-unauthorized-coin-mining-browser/

I noticed in the Palo Alto blog that : PANDB is able to block URLs hosting Coinhive JavaScript.

My question:

How does one actually block this?

When I visit for example https://coinhive.com/ and push the button "Start Mining" the CPU goes up to 100%.

[Sergey.Ivashkin-PL]

thank you! 

[Rags]

Thank you!

I'm really surprised this is classified as low severity? This can get onto servers and spike CPU to 100% to take down applications. 

Also, I don't think these mining websites should be listed as 

 URL nanopool.org
Category Financial Services

Auctions?? coinhive malware was going around injecting user's PCs......

URL coinhive.org
Category Auctions

URL minexmr.org
Category Computer and Internet Info

URL minexmr.com
Category Malware

They're saying minexmr.com is malware because it was recently used in a malware mining injection incident, however couldn't you use any miner website with the injection?

Needs to be a new URL PAN-DB category for Cryptocurrency, in my opinon.

Clean this up PAN, this is going to be one of the biggest issues in 2018 against networks in my opinion. Make this a priority.

Thanks, -Rags

[kalakai]

I feel that the Palo Alto Networks response to crypto jacking is disappointing. There is a security reaseacher that is actively tracking cryptomining domains and (as of now) is maintaining up-to-date lists of these domains. You can add the first two lists "all domains" and "all optional domains" to an External Dynamic List and then edit your exsiting Anti-Spyware policies to sinkhole those domains. As of this post, there are 3,898 domains in those two lists (combined).

https://zerodot1.github.io/CoinBlockerLists/

[Stevobot]

I see the two CoinHive signatures have have had their severity increased to medium which is set to reset-both in our environment.

[Rags]

Thanks @kalakai for the links. Good stuff.

What is the advantage over using a sinkhole over just using a DBL and setting the rule to block completely?

Thanks, -Rags