Major Web Browser Firefox by Mozilla Now Blocks Web-Based Cryptojacking

Major open-source browser Mozilla Firefox has launched new protections against crypto mining malware in its new browser versions, according to a blog post published on April 9.

In its latest Firefox Nightly 68 and Beta 67 versions, Mozilla has enabled a new level of protection against crypto mining and fingerprinting hack attacks in a part of the browser’s Content Blocking suite of protections.

The new browsing feature has been developed in collaboration with privacy and security software firm Disconnect, and represents a collection of blacklists of malware domains associated with fingerprinting and crypto mining scripts.

Disconnect’s blacklist is reportedly capable of blocking in-browser mining services such as Coinhive and CryptoLoot, according to tech news outlet BleepingComputer.

The new Firefox protection is currently not enabled by default, but can be enabled in the Privacy and Security settings’ section, the blog post notes, adding that the protections will be turned on by default in Nightly in the coming weeks.

As Cointelegraph reported at the end of August last year, Mozilla has already announced that it will block cryptojacking malware in future versions of Firefox.

Cryptojacking is a major hacking scheme that is defined as the secret deployment of users’ computing power to mine cryptocurrencies without users’ knowledge and consent. In December 2018, Bloomberg wrote that cryptojacking reportedly became the biggest cyber threat in many parts of the world, having overtaken ransomware threats.

Recently, a Japanese court acquitted a man who was accused of the illicit mining of crypto by using online crypto miner Coinhive. Previously, a Ukrainian man faced up to six years in prison for alleged placing crypto mining malware scripts on his own websites.

With additional reporting by Helen Partz.