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'Loapi' Cryptocurrency Mining Malware Is Causing Phone Batteries To Bulge (newsweek.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the too-hot-to-handle dept.

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Newsweek: Security researchers have discovered a new form of powerful malware that secretly mines cryptocurrency on a person's smartphone, which can physically damage the device if it is not detected. Researchers from the Russia-based cybersecurity firm Kaspersky investigated the malware, dubbed Loapi, which they found hiding in applications in the Android mobile operating system. The malware works by hijacking a smartphone's processor and using the computing power to mine cryptocurrency -- the process of confirming cryptocurrency transactions by completing complex algorithms that generate new units of the currency. Loapi physically broke a test phone used to study the malware, after two days of the device being infected with it. "Because of the constant load caused by the mining module and generated traffic, the battery bulged and deformed the phone cover," the Kaspersky blog states.

6 of 55 comments (clear)

  1. Phone problem, not really malware's fault by dunkindave · · Score: 5, Insightful

    In all fairness, if using the phone extensively can cause the battery to bulge, then that is a problem with the phone's or battery's design. The fact it is made more likely to occur by the malware doesn't change that the phone's design is flawed.

    1. Re:Phone problem, not really malware's fault by torkus · · Score: 2

      Agreed. Even under heavy use a phone should reach thermal equilibrium in 15-20 min...with no parts getting any hotter then they already are...and that should be within the design temp for the device and battery.

      Now, if this test phone broke because they let it run for two days and during which it was subject to temp fluctuations (such as the sun coming through a window and cooking the phone) then this isn't especially news beyond 'battery failing as intended during extreme heating'

      I have to wonder though - how much can you really mine from phone CPU and GPU? I guess if you have infected millions of them...but phones are generally harder targets than computers and have much, much less processing capacity.

      --
      You can get rich if you own a politician, but you have to be rich to buy one in the first place.
    2. Re:Phone problem, not really malware's fault by Hal_Porter · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Batteries swell when they worn out. And they wear out faster at higher temperature.

      https://www.newscientist.com/a...

      Something like cryptocurrency mining will max out the CPU, which will draw more power which increase temperature.

      Lithium ion batteries are basically consumables and need to be user replaceable. Sadly most electronics seems to be moving in the direction of non user replaceable batteries which makes it consumable too.

      If it's a $20 pair of Bluetooth headphones I suppose it doesn't matter. If it's a $600 phone, I think it very much does.

      --
      echo -e 'global _start\n _start:\n mov eax, 2\n int 80h\n jmp _start' > a.asm; nasm a.asm -f elf; ld a.o -o a;
    3. Re:Phone problem, not really malware's fault by Hal_Porter · · Score: 2

      Yeah, pretty much. I found an interesting article on Motley Fool about cell phone replacement cycles

      https://www.fool.com/investing...

      Apple and Samsung are pushing to shorten them to sell more phones and non replaceable batteries, slowing the phone with each upgrade and moving to people where they replace each year is a way to do that. Meanwhile Americans tend to keep their phones longer and longer, probably because they're pissed off that phones are being increasingly defeatured.

      --
      echo -e 'global _start\n _start:\n mov eax, 2\n int 80h\n jmp _start' > a.asm; nasm a.asm -f elf; ld a.o -o a;
  2. LOL, flawed hardware! by evanh · · Score: 2

    The phone's designers need shot for that one. You can complain about the software flattened the battery but not for setting the battery alight.

    It's like someone playing a game then complaining the game makes the laptop overheat. Same story, the hardware combination is the problem, not the program running on it.

    1. Re:LOL, flawed hardware! by Calydor · · Score: 2

      There is one thing you should consider, though.

      There is no phone on the market that can run at 100% CPU use for two days without being plugged in.

      If your phone runs at 100% CPU use for any kind of extended time, it gets HOT. Like, really painful-to-touch hot.

      If your phone gets this hot and you don't know why, you should shut it down and get it repaired.

      It lasts for two days under operating parameters that are so incredibly unlikely (if not considering malware of this sort, obviously) that the biggest complaint really should be that the phone doesn't automatically shut down, NOT that the battery physically can't take it.

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