Minerbat

Overview

Trojan:BAT/Minerbat (or simply Miner.bat) is a classification for extremely simple, script-based cryptojacking malware. Instead of complex compiled executables, Minerbat utilizes basic Windows Batch scripting (`.bat` or `.cmd` files) (`T1059.003`) to download, configure, and execute a command-line cryptocurrency miner (like XMRig or CGMiner) on the victim's machine, stealing their CPU/GPU resources to mine Monero (XMR) or other altcoins (`T1496`).

Understanding Minerbat (Script-based Cryptojacking)
To an end-user, the computer will suddenly become sluggish, the fans will spin up to maximum speed, and battery life will plummet. For a SOC analyst, Minerbat represents a 'low effort, high reward' attack. The attackers rely on the simplicity of batch scripts to evade complex EDR heuristics, capitalizing on environments that fail to monitor basic command-line execution.

Execution and Mining Mechanics
Minerbat is often delivered via phishing links, dropped by other malware, or executed via exploited vulnerable services (like an exposed Redis or Tomcat server). Upon execution, the batch script (`T1059.003`) typically uses built-in tools like `bitsadmin`, `certutil`, or PowerShell (`T1105`) to download the actual mining binary (e.g., `xmrig.exe`) and a configuration file containing the attacker's wallet address. It then executes the miner silently in the background, often passing arguments to limit CPU usage to 80% to avoid immediately crashing the system and arousing suspicion. Persistence is usually achieved by adding the batch script to the Startup folder or creating a simple Scheduled Task (`T1053.005`).

Indicators of Compromise & Impact
The impact is hardware wear and tear, significantly increased power consumption, and degraded system performance. Host-based IoCs include EDR alerts for suspicious command-line execution (e.g., `cmd.exe /c start /B xmrig.exe -o pool.hashvault.pro...`), high CPU utilization by unknown or generic executables, and the presence of malicious `.bat` files in user directories or Startup folders. Network IoCs involve continuous outbound traffic (often utilizing the Stratum protocol) over non-standard ports (e.g., 3333, 5555, 14444) to known cryptocurrency mining pools.

MITRE ATT&CK Techniques

Observed techniques used by this family, mapped to the MITRE ATT&CK framework:

Tactical Mitigations

Based on the techniques used by this family, consider the following defensive strategies:

• T1059.003: Restrict execution of Windows Command Shell (cmd.exe) and block unauthorized batch scripts.
• T1105: Implement network intrusion detection systems (NIDS) and host-based firewalls to block unauthorized inbound or outbound file transfers.

Generated Detections (Boilerplate)

These YARA and Sigma rules are auto-generated based on the family name and aliases. They must be heavily tuned before deployment in a production environment.

YARA Rule

rule MALWARE_WIN_MINERBAT {
    meta:
        description = "Detects Minerbat (trojan)"
        author = "SystemHelpdesk Boilerplate Generator"
        date = "2026-07-06"
    strings:
        $s1 = "minerbat" ascii wide nocase
    condition:
        uint16(0) == 0x5a4d and any of them
}

Sigma Rule

title: Suspicious Minerbat Activity
id: 9ac0a0883b6f67df47abecd722af5a0b
status: experimental
description: Detects generic indicators of the minerbat malware family.
logsource:
    category: process_creation
    product: windows
detection:
    selection:
        Image|endswith:
            - '\cmd.exe'
            - '\powershell.exe'
        CommandLine|contains:
            - "*minerbat*"
    condition: selection
level: medium

Containment & Response Steps

Ordered checklist for responders. Adapt to your environment and engage professional support for active incidents.

1. Identify the process consuming the high CPU (often the mining executable launched by the script) and terminate it.
2. Locate and delete the malicious batch script and the downloaded mining binary.
3. Remove any Scheduled Tasks or Startup folder shortcuts created by the script to ensure it does not return on reboot.
4. Block access to known cryptocurrency mining pools at the corporate firewall/proxy level.

What to Avoid

Common mistakes during response to this family that can destroy evidence, spread the infection, or worsen recovery.

1. Do not ignore instances of `bitsadmin` or `certutil` downloading files, as this is a primary technique used by these scripts to fetch the miner.
2. Avoid allowing unsigned scripts to execute freely from user profile directories.

References & External Analysis

• Search "minerbat" on VirusTotal (External Analysis)

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Families (Category: trojan)

Explore other malware families in the same category:

• Staser
• Hostspatcher
• Moleboxvs
• Smshoax
• Mosucker

Machine-readable

Get this profile as JSON: https://jordanricky1604-ship-it.github.io/malware-families-catalog/api/minerbat.json

Ecosystem & Interactive Environments

This profile is part of the Malware Families Catalog, a public dataset of 2,899 malware families. The catalog is also published across our ecosystem: Hugging Face, Kaggle, Zenodo, Replit, StackBlitz, CodeSandbox, and CodePen.