The file-sharing website The Pirate Bay has reportedly launched a cryptojacking script, which hijacks visitors’ unused CPU processing power to mine cryptocurrencies. This is not the first time The Pirate Bay has done this, and although the community has been vocal about their dissatisfaction with the cryptojacking activities, it is unclear how much of an issue it actually is.

As a brief preface, The Pirate Bay (TPB) is one of the most well-known P2P file-sharing websites on the internet. However, it started experimenting with cryptojacking activities in September of 2017, which it revealed in a subsequent post.

At the time, TPB was operating a Monero JavaScript miner, which was labeled as a ”test”. TPB argued that it wanted to eliminate ads on the platform, and proposed cryptojacking as a viable alternative to this. Moreover, TPB stated that this miner was intended to use around 20 – 30% of a client’s CPU.

This test was eventually concluded, although it would now seem as if TPB is at it again. A TPB forum post from early June identified the presence of a new mining script on the platform.

What’s more, this new script would seem to have a throttle value of 0.9, equalling 90%. This would constitute a major increase over the mining script launched last September, and users are even reporting that this major CPU usage is causing some computers to overheat.

Whilst it is unclear exactly why TPB has engaged in cryptojacking activities once again, it could very well be the need for increased revenue. Ad-related revenue is sure to be dwindling for TPB, as an increasing portion of users has taken to enabling ad-blocking software whilst browsing.

Nonetheless, the online TPB community has not accepted these changes quietly. Many have been vocal to the fact that there’s no way to opt-out of the mining script, as well as how TPB did not reveal that they had resumed their web mining activities to the public.

However, one of the ”super moderators” on the TPB online forum, by the name of Sid, has condemned this development but has also taken the opportunity to suggest that this may not be as much of a problem as it is made out to be.

More specifically, Sid argued that users should only visit TPB for a brief period of time, to retrieve a magnet link. Due to this, users would only be subject to the miner for such a short moment that is should hardly be noticeable, and definitively not harmful.

Cryptojacking is becoming increasingly common, and something users should be aware of whether TPB continues its cryptojacking activities or not. An easy way to protect oneself is by downloading browser extensions such as ScriptBlock or NoScript.

Image Source: “Flickr”