Ukrainian Police Close Illegal Mining Farm with 3800 PlayStation 4 Consoles

[Uskompuf]

The Ukrainian Security Service (USS) have recently exposed a large illegal cryptocurrency mining operation in the city of Vinnytsia. The mining farm was illegally connected to the power grid stealing power so efficiency didn't appear to be a major concern. The SSU seized 3800 game consoles, 500 graphics cards, 50 processors, and various documents with information of the operation. This is the first time we have seen the PlayStation 4 being used to mine Cryptocurrency however the idea isn't insane with various older consoles having been programmed to do so. The PlayStation 4 features an AMD GPU with 18 Compute Units and roughly 1.84 TFLOPs of single-precision compute performance while the PlayStation 4 Pro offers 4.2 TFLOPs.

Update Jul 19th: We have learned that these PlayStation 4 consoles were not being used for cryptocurrency mining and instead were part of a FIFA bot farm creating and leveling up accounts that could later be sold.



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[EzioAs]

I thought I heard someone (possibly here, possibly other sites) saying that using consoles to mine was a lie.

 

[Rithsom]

How am I supposed to take mining seriously when crap like this happens?

I thought I heard someone (possibly here, possibly other sites) saying that using consoles to mine was a lie.

Did this person have any substantial proof? Cause this looks like nothing but a mining operation to me. What else were they possibly doing with the consoles, folding for cancer research?

 

[mechtech]

Wow

I think companies are going to have to limit 1 per driver license or something.

I can’t even buy that much toilet paper lol

 

[Crackong]

They bought cheap second hand PS4 for this ?

 

[R-T-B]

I thought I heard someone (possibly here, possibly other sites) saying that using consoles to mine was a lie.

That was me. I hadn't been properly updated I suppose, I don't claim that anymore. Consider it withdrawn.

Did this person have any substantial proof?

To be fair, at the time in the discussion this was brought up, photos had not surfaced yet, so I claimed (correctly I'd argue given the evidence presented at the time) occam's razor said they were probably being scalped.

This is still dumb as rocks, because as I said elsewhere, regarding mining with consoles:

One of two things happens.

One.) You don't make a profit over electric

Two.) You steal electric, make a profit, only to be caught.

It's not popular, and with good reason.

It's like mining on a very poor efficiency motherboard with a single weak gpu. People don't do this either.

 

[Rithsom]

To be fair, at the time in the discussion this was brought up, photos had not surfaced yet, so I claimed (correctly I'd argue given the evidence presented at the time) occam's razor said they were probably being scalped.

Thanks for clarifying. Given the horrible efficiency of the last-gen consoles, I, too, wouldn't have expected anyone to use them for mining. The gains in crypto just aren't worth the risk of illegally siphoning kilowatts upon kilowatts of electricity to power the things. But alas, here we are with photos to prove that these morons were in fact mining with the consoles.

 

[awesomesauce]

I think you can install linux on ps4.

so it probably like this they doing

 

[sepheronx]

I think you can install linux on ps4.

so it probably like that they do

If that exploit exists that allows installing linux on PS4, many would be very interested in that. I cant seem to find anything on it though.

BUT

A few years ago there was a way to mine on console and it required you to use the consoles built in browser to access a site that would allow you to mine through the browser for Monero. I do not know if that exists anymore. I am assuming it does or there is alternatives to it. Earnings were only like a couple cents per day though. But if they were stealing electricity and there is a coin alternative to Monero that was more efficient to mine with a console, then I can see them making bank on it.

 

[Anymal]

I wonder how illegal they went to get enough money for 3800 ps4 consoles, half of million eur is a good start.

 

[sepheronx]

I wonder how illegal they went to get enough money for 3800 ps4 consoles, half of million eur is a good start.

depends if the consoles were all new or not.

 

[Anymal]

Even 150 per piece is fat half a million.

 

[R-T-B]

Even 150 per piece is fat half a million.

As I said, they were really really dumb. They should've just sold them. Legally I'd hope. Maybe they were "hot" (stolen) or something?

Their whole scheme seemed to hinge on rigged meters and not paying for electric. Friggin lol.

 

[Athlonite]

Meet the

 

[geof40]

How am I supposed to take mining seriously when crap like this happens?



Did this person have any substantial proof? Cause this looks like nothing but a mining operation to me. What else were they possibly doing with the consoles, folding for cancer research?

This was it then, folding for cancer research.

 

[Chomiq]

Meet the

Smuggler caught with 256 Intel Core i7-10700/i9-10900K processors strapped to his body - VideoCardz.com

Intel Core processors are now being smuggled to China Chinese customs officers have seized a total of 304 Intel 10th Gen Core processors after two individuals have tried to carry the processors over a Hong Kong-Macao border. The global shortage of computer hardware calls for desperate measures...

videocardz.com

 

[Athlonite]

This was it then, folding for cancer research.

Maybe if they were old pre patched PS2's before Sony took the ability to load linux away

@Chomiq I fail to see what this to do with this particular story those cpu's were probably destined for some shitty iNet/gaming cafe

 

[TranceHead]

If that exploit exists that allows installing linux on PS4, many would be very interested in that. I cant seem to find anything on it though.

BUT

A few years ago there was a way to mine on console and it required you to use the consoles built in browser to access a site that would allow you to mine through the browser for Monero. I do not know if that exists anymore. I am assuming it does or there is alternatives to it. Earnings were only like a couple cents per day though. But if they were stealing electricity and there is a coin alternative to Monero that was more efficient to mine with a console, then I can see them making bank on it.

look up ps4 gentoo, plenty of tutorials around

 

[sepheronx]

look up ps4 gentoo, plenty of tutorials around

well i'll be. I thought it couldn't be done.

But it looks to be specific to 5.05 firmware and if newer, then it may not be able to install. With that many PS4's that have been confiscated, and how little you would earn in mining with it, I will stick to the idea that the mining was done via a web browser based rather than this hack.

edit: I see there are other ways for newer firmware.

 

[TranceHead]

well i'll be. I thought it couldn't be done.

But it looks to be specific to 5.05 firmware and if newer, then it may not be able to install. With that many PS4's that have been confiscated, and how little you would earn in mining with it, I will stick to the idea that the mining was done via a web browser based rather than this hack.

runs from usb drive, i don't think there's anyway to get it into the internal drive

 

[sepheronx]

runs from usb drive, i don't think there's anyway to get it into the internal drive

ah, so if you just remove the usb drive, then it would simply run PS4 as normal then?

I guess it isn't so bad after all. A part of me thinks though that the added costs may not be worth it for mining like what, $0.08 a day? If that. Heck, as said earlier, they could have flipped those and probably earned more and legitimately (well I am assuming these weren't stolen and what not like the electricity was).

 

[TranceHead]

ah, so if you just remove the usb drive, then it would simply run PS4 as normal then?

I guess it isn't so bad after all. A part of me thinks though that the added costs may not be worth it for mining like what, $0.08 a day? If that. Heck, as said earlier, they could have flipped those and probably earned more and legitimately (well I am assuming these weren't stolen and what not like the electricity was).

and as of this moment, you can run linux on 7.55. you need a exploited firmware, no HEN mode, no linux

 

[sepheronx]

and as of this moment, you can run linux on 7.55. you need a exploited firmware, no HEN mode, no linux

i am not sure what version I have. I need to check.

 

[micropage7]

now anything that could be used as mining resources taken over by them, cpu, gpu, laptop, playstation, mobilephone, hdd, ssd next gaming mouse, speaker/headset

 

[TranceHead]

i am not sure what version I have. I need to check.

https://www.reddit.com/r/ps4homebrew/comments/meaw7h