Share this article
Hackers Mined Crypto on GitHub's Servers: Report
The activity was first noticed in November, according to the report.
Updated Sep 14, 2021, 12:35 p.m. Published Apr 5, 2021, 11:52 a.m.
Make us preferred on Google
Hackers have been using GitHub cloud infrastructure to covertly mine multiple cryptocurrencies, The Record reported.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters
The attacks were first spotted by a French software engineer in November, a fact the development platform's team confirmed to The Record last week via email.
The attack abused a GitHub feature called GitHub Actions, which allows users to automatically execute tasks and workflows triggered by a certain event happens inside their repositories. To launch crypto mining software, the attackers would fork an existing repository, add malicious GitHub Actions element to the original code, and then file a Pull Request with the original repository to merge the code back into the original, The Record wrote.
The original project owner didn't have to approve the malicious Pull Request because right after it was filed GitHub’s systems would read the attacker’s code and launch a virtual machine, which would download and run crypto-mining software, as Dutch security engineer Justin Perdok told The Record. He added that "attackers spin up to 100 crypto-miners via one attack alone, creating huge computational loads for GitHub’s infrastructure."
The mining software, according to screenshots published by The Record, included SRBMiner, a software for mining multiple cryptocurrencies using easy-to-buy consumer hardware, namely GPUs and CPUs.
In any case, it looks like the attackers didn't look to damage the repositories in any way, only to get free coins using GitHub servers, the report reads.
More For You
KuCoin captured a record share of centralised exchange volume in 2025, with more than $1.25tn traded as its volumes grew faster than the wider crypto market.
What to know:
- KuCoin recorded over $1.25 trillion in total trading volume in 2025, equivalent to an average of roughly $114 billion per month, marking its strongest year on record.
- This performance translated into an all-time high share of centralised exchange volume, as KuCoin’s activity expanded faster than aggregate CEX volumes, which slowed during periods of lower market volatility.
- Spot and derivatives volumes were evenly split, each exceeding $500 billion for the year, signalling broad-based usage rather than reliance on a single product line.
- Altcoins accounted for the majority of trading activity, reinforcing KuCoin’s role as a primary liquidity venue beyond BTC and ETH at a time when majors saw more muted turnover.
- Even as overall crypto volumes softened mid-year, KuCoin maintained elevated baseline activity, indicating structurally higher user engagement rather than short-lived volume spikes.
More For You
How a 'perpetual’ stock trick could solve Michael Saylor’s $8 billion debt problem
The bitcoin treasury firm is using perpetual preferreds to retire convertibles, offering a potential framework for managing long-dated leverage.
What to know:
- Strive upsized its SATA follow on offering beyond $150 million, pricing the perpetual preferred at $90.
- The structure offers a blueprint for replacing fixed maturity convertibles with perpetual equity capital that removes refinancing risk.
- Strategy has a $3 billion convertible tranche due in June 2028 with a $672.40 conversion price, which could be addressed using a similar preferred equity approach.
Top Stories
