My website was recently hit by a cryptomining hack. I discovered this when Google suspended my account, flagging unusual traffic patterns. They believed I was running a mining operation, but I wasn’t. A malicious actor had gained access to my server using a React application layer vulnerability that was only present for 48 hours and was using my server’s compute to mine cryptocurrency. I've been programming for over a decade. I know my stack, I monitor my server operations, and I still got hacked.
The vulnerability was a critical flaw in React that allowed remote code execution. Attackers like the ones who hack me were able to run arbitrary code on any server running the unpatched version. What made this even more burdensome was that the malware installed persistent background processes designed to survive process killing and server restarts. Even after patching the React issue and killing the mining process, it would begin again because it was hidden amongst other server files unless the server configuration files were fixed. I won’t go into more technical details of the hack, but I have found a good explanation and walkthrough of a similar experience shared on dev.to.
This experience has left me thinking: I actively monitor dependencies, know my code, and missed a vulnerability only 48 hours after it was widely discovered. Now consider the explosion of AI-generated vibe-coded applications in the past year. These tools enable anyone to deploy applications in minutes, without needing to understand the code. This capability is remarkable, but it has created a new generation of developers who don’t understand the code their application runs on and yet are collecting data and processing payments. When vulnerabilities like this emerge, they won’t just struggle to fix them; they may not even know they exist. We aren’t talking about a small problem; the future of the internet may likely be riddled with vulnerabilities like this.
My server is patched now, and I’ve added additional security protocols and monitoring alerts. But the experience was a wake-up call. We are in a new technological era where anyone can deploy software. Security education needs to be democratized as much as the AI tools themselves. If we don’t close the security education gap, we are building a more vulnerable internet.