Crypto Mining Under Threat: Unveiling 算力劫持 Risks and Mitigation Strategies

Concerns are rising within the cryptocurrency mining community regarding the potential for算力劫持, where miners’ computational power is diverted to other parties, diminishing their profits. This article delves into the prevalent practice of ‘抽水’ (water extraction), a Chinese term referring to the siphoning of hashing power in the crypto mining industry, and offers insights into how miners can protect themselves.

Understanding 算力劫持 (Hash Power Theft)

When miners utilize third-party nodes or mining pool relays, they face a heightened risk of having their hashing power hijacked. The transcript highlights several key aspects of this issue:

• Prevalence: 算力劫持 is a widespread concern in the crypto mining sector.
• Mechanism: Miners unknowingly contribute their computational resources to others, effectively working for them.
• 抽水 (Water Extraction): This term describes the practice of taking a percentage of a miner’s hashing power, reducing their potential earnings.

Mining Pool Vulnerabilities and Connection Methods

Due to regulatory restrictions, direct connections to many mining pools are often blocked within China. Miners resort to alternative methods, each with inherent risks:

• Direct Connection (Unstable): Connecting to pools not yet blocked, but this is unreliable.
• VPN/Proxy Nodes (算力劫持 Risk): Routing mining data through VPNs or proxy nodes, but this exposes data to potential interception and 算力劫持.
• Mining Pool Relays (算力劫持 Risk): Utilizing intermediary servers to relay data to mining pools, creating another point of vulnerability.

Both VPN/proxy nodes and mining pool relays introduce the risk of 算力劫持. The operator of the node or relay can manipulate the data stream to divert hashing power to their own benefit.

Real-World Demonstration of 算力劫持

The transcript outlines a practical demonstration of how算力劫持 can occur:

1. Initial Setup: The miner connects to a mining pool via a seemingly legitimate node or relay.
2. Interception: The attacker, controlling the node or relay, intercepts the mining data stream.
3. Redirection: The attacker redirects a portion of the hashing power to their own mining address.
4. Concealment: The attacker may implement a system where the miner’s hashing power is periodically diverted, making it difficult for the miner to detect the theft.

Mitigation Strategies and Best Practices

While the stratum+tcp protocol is used for mining, this transmits information in plain text, without encryption. The industry is slow in adopting stratum+tls that encrypts, so there is an open window for 算力劫持. To mitigate the risk of 算力劫持, miners should consider the following:

• Self-Hosted Nodes: Setting up and maintaining their own nodes to eliminate reliance on third-party services.
• Monitor Mining Activity: Closely monitor mining activities to detect any anomalies in reported hash rate or earnings.
• VPS option: Use a trusted VPS to host your own nodes and relays.

By taking proactive steps, miners can significantly reduce their exposure to算力劫持 and protect their investments in the cryptocurrency mining ecosystem.