ShowtimeAnytime.com Hacked To Mine Monero Cryptocurrency Using Coin Hive Miner

It looks like another major hack has been perpetrated against a major company, this time the hack was of pay TV network Showtime's streaming platform, ShowtimeAnytime.com. The platform allows users with a subscription via a cable network to stream shows via a browser from anywhere. People with no TV subscription can also pay for the streaming service alone making it appealing to cord cutters.

Word is that last week the ShowtimeAnytime platform was hacked and code created by Coin Hive that runs on JavaScript was inserted into the platform. Interestingly, this is the same Coin Hive code that was put into The Pirate Bay (TPB) recently (and on purpose) to harness the browsers of TPB users to mine cryptocurrency. TPB didn't bother to tell users, and it was only discovered when site visitors noticed a significant uptick in CPU usage.

The ShowtimeAnytime hack mines for Monero coins, trading for about $90 each as of this week, and was then transferring the coins mines back to an unknown user. The code was spied on ShowtimeAnytime.com over the weekend and was pulled from the website on Monday. The big question remaining right now is who exactly installed the software on the site and who was making off with the coins.

It is highly doubtful that Showtime would use its paying subscribers to mine cryptocurrency. At this point it's unclear where the Coin Hive code came from. There is no indication that the hacker who installed the miner code made off with any unaired episodes of Showtime series. HBO saw its servers hacked and pirates made off with Game of Thrones and Curb Your Enthusiasm episodes that were later leaked online.