Someone hacked a Tesla cloud account to mine cryptocurrency

[Suppressed]

Someone hacked a Tesla cloud account to mine cryptocurrency
BY JACK MORSE   7 HOURS AGO
https://mashable.com/2018/02/20/tesla-hacked-cryptocurrency-mining/#Ovcg91vqo5q9

There's digital gold in them thar computers, and hackers are digging their way in.

Tesla is hailed as a cutting-edge company known for setting the agenda in its field, but when it comes to being the victim of malicious hackers hijacking its computer resources to mine cryptocurrency, it turns out it's just like everyone else.

According to cloud security company RedLock, Tesla has joined the growing list of companies that have been subjected to what experts call cryptojacking — a practice involving the theft of computer processing power to mine cryptocurrencies like bitcoin or Monero.

Hackers reportedly took control of Tesla’s (non-password protected) Kubernetes console — something that helps to administer a Google-designed "managed environment for deploying containerized applications" — and installed and ran crypto-mining software.

[...]

Interestingly, whoever was behind the Tesla hack went to great pains to cover their tracks. According to RedLock, "the hackers had most likely configured the mining software to keep the [CPU] usage low to evade detection." Unexplained spiking CPU usage is often seen as a red flag for potential cryptojacking.

What's more, the attackers also "hid the true IP address of the mining pool server behind CloudFlare, a free content delivery network (CDN) service."

Basically, whoever was behind this really didn't want to get caught (surprise), and had some great tricks up their sleeve to evade detection. [...]

[the_doc]

Tesla is hailed as a cutting-edge company known for setting the agenda in its field, but when it comes to being the victim of malicious hackers hijacking its computer resources to mine cryptocurrency, it turns out it's just like everyone else.

The article seems to be saying that Tesla got its cryptocurrency wallet got opened by digital pickpockets.  Is this just a problem with the cloud Tesla used for for its cryptocurrency recordkeeping, or does it trace back to exchanges like coinbase? 

If I were to decide to make modest cryptocurrency investments, what would I need to do to keep this sort of theft from happening to me?  (I haven't invested yet, because I haven't had time to figure out the rigamaroles of digital security for cryptocurrency.  I guess I need a good youtube tutorial.)

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

The article seems to be saying that Tesla got its cryptocurrency wallet got opened by digital pickpockets.  Is this just a problem with the cloud Tesla used for for its cryptocurrency recordkeeping, or does it trace back to exchanges like coinbase? 

If I were to decide to make modest cryptocurrency investments, what would I need to do to keep this sort of theft from happening to me?  (I haven't invested yet, because I haven't had time to figure out the rigamaroles of digital security for cryptocurrency.  I guess I need a good youtube tutorial.)

That's not what I'm reading.  What I'm seeing is this:  "hijacking its computer resources to mine cryptocurrency".  Somebody compromised Tesla's computers and put them to work mining.  I see no indication that Tesla is involved in any way with cryptocurrency.

[Drago]

Yep, this is a crypto background mining hack (probably the NORKs mining Monero)...nothing to do with crypto wallets or Coinbase.

[Frank Cannon]

Just more proof that Tesla sucks.

[the_doc]

@Drago
@InHeavenThereIsNoBeer 

That's not what I'm reading.  What I'm seeing is this:  "hijacking its computer resources to mine cryptocurrency".  Somebody compromised Tesla's computers and put them to work mining.  I see no indication that Tesla is involved in any way with cryptocurrency.

Thanks for the clarification.  The hackers are borrowing Tesla's computational power to "mine" cryptocurrency.  But what would "mining crypto" be?

[Oceander]

@Drago
@InHeavenThereIsNoBeer 
Thanks for the clarification.  The hackers are borrowing Tesla's computational power to "mine" cryptocurrency.  But what would "mining crypto" be?

Doing the analysis necessary to validate a bitcoin transaction.  It’s called mining because the processor who validates the transaction gets a portion of a bitcoin for its efforts.  It’s basically how new bitcoins are “made” thus the analogy to mining. 

[the_doc]

Doing the analysis necessary to validate a bitcoin transaction.  It’s called mining because the processor who validates the transaction gets a portion of a bitcoin for its efforts.  It’s basically how new bitcoins are “made” thus the analogy to mining.

Thanks, Oceander.  I am a newbie when it comes to cryptocurrency.  I appreciate all of you guys.

[andy58-in-nh]

Someone hacked a Tesla cloud account to mine cryptocurrency

15 years ago, that entire sentence would have been incomprehensible.

[the_doc]

Someone hacked a Tesla cloud account to mine cryptocurrency

15 years ago, that entire sentence would have been incomprehensible.

LOL.  You're right about that!  (Hey, now I don't feel quite so dumb.  Just old.)

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

Someone hacked a Tesla cloud account to mine cryptocurrency

15 years ago, that entire sentence would have been incomprehensible.

15 years from now, 2/3 of it will be.