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Do Charging Stations Benefit from Cryptojacking? A Novel Framework for Its Financial Impact Analysis on Electric Vehicles

Author

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  • Asad Waqar Malik

    (Department of Computing, National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
    Department of Computer Science, North Dakota State University (NDSU), Fargo, ND 58105, USA)

  • Zahid Anwar

    (Department of Computer Science, North Dakota State University (NDSU), Fargo, ND 58105, USA)

Abstract

Electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming popular due to their efficiency, eco-friendliness, and the increasing cost of fossil fuel. EVs support a variety of apps because they house powerful processors and allow for increased connectivity. This makes them an attractive target of stealthy cryptomining malware. Recent incidents demonstrate that both the EV and its communication model are vulnerable to cryptojacking attacks. The goal of this research is to explore the extent to which cryptojacking impacts EVs in terms of recharging and cost. We assert that while cryptojacking provides a financial advantage to attackers, it can severely degrade efficiency and cause battery loss. In this paper we present a simulation model for connected EVs, the cryptomining software, and the road infrastructure. A novel framework is proposed that incorporates these models and allows an objective quantification of the extent of this economic damage and the advantage to the attacker. Our results indicate that batteries of infected cars drain more quickly than those of normal cars, forcing them to return more frequently to the charging station for a recharge. When just 10% of EVs are infected we observed 70.6% more refueling requests. Moreover, if the hacker infects a charging station then he can make a USD 436.4 profit per day from just 32 infected EVs. Overall, our results demonstrate that cryptojackers injected into EVs indirectly provide a financial advantage to the charging stations at the cost of an increased energy strain on society.

Suggested Citation

  • Asad Waqar Malik & Zahid Anwar, 2022. "Do Charging Stations Benefit from Cryptojacking? A Novel Framework for Its Financial Impact Analysis on Electric Vehicles," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(16), pages 1-15, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:15:y:2022:i:16:p:5773-:d:883743
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Fiona Burlig & James Bushnell & David Rapson & Catherine Wolfram, 2021. "Low Energy: Estimating Electric Vehicle Electricity Use," AEA Papers and Proceedings, American Economic Association, vol. 111, pages 430-435, May.
    2. Shayan Eskandari & Andreas Leoutsarakos & Troy Mursch & Jeremy Clark, 2018. "A first look at browser-based Cryptojacking," Papers 1803.02887, arXiv.org.
    3. Fiori, Chiara & Ahn, Kyoungho & Rakha, Hesham A., 2016. "Power-based electric vehicle energy consumption model: Model development and validation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 168(C), pages 257-268.
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    Cited by:

    1. Zia Muhammad & Zahid Anwar & Bilal Saleem & Jahanzeb Shahid, 2023. "Emerging Cybersecurity and Privacy Threats to Electric Vehicles and Their Impact on Human and Environmental Sustainability," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-30, January.

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