huntrule

Windows Network Connections to Known Crypto Mining Pools

Flags Windows hosts making outbound connections to known cryptocurrency mining pool domains.

FreeReviewedSigma · High · v2
Product
windows
Category
network_connection
Author
Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published
2021-10-26
Updated
2026-07-31
AnalysisDetection

ATT&CK techniques

Impact

  1. Recon

  2. Resource Dev

  3. Initial Access

  4. Execution

  5. Persistence

  6. Priv Esc

  7. Defense Evasion

  8. Cred Access

  9. Discovery

  10. Lateral Movement

  11. Collection

  12. C2

  13. Exfiltration

  14. Impact

What it detects

This rule flags outbound network connections where the destination hostname matches a hardcoded set of crypto mining pool domains. Such traffic is a strong indicator that a system may be running mining software or participating in pooled cryptocurrency mining. It relies on Windows network connection telemetry containing destination hostnames, with matching performed against the listed pool hostnames.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1496 — drag to rearrange
Malicious Hadooken Cryptominer Execution via Masqueraded Binaries (via process_creation)
Suspicious Lucifer Botnet Mining Pool Domain Resolution (via dns_query)
Suspicious Proxyjacking Service Resolution Observed in perfctl Campaign (via dns_query)
Malicious PureMiner Persistence Executable in AppData HResult Folder
Suspicious T-Rex CoinMiner Binaries in Windows NT Program Files Folder (via file_event)
Malicious Cryptocurrency Miner Execution (via process_creation)
Possible Cryptomining Beacon to c3pool Mining Domain
Malicious XMRig Cryptominer Execution with NiceHash Pool Arguments
Suspicious Payload Execution From systemd-private Temporary Directory on Linux
Windows Network Connections to Known Crypto Mining Pools
Pivot detection · T1496 · 9 related

Changelog

v2
  1. v2
    Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
  2. v1
    No changelog recorded for this version.2026-07-30

Detection content is published as a reviewed draft. Tune thresholds and exclusions against your own telemetry before enabling this rule for alerting.