Key facts:
The patch could be downloaded from GitHub, but has since been removed from that site.
The solution infected the Windows operating system with malware.
A computer patch designed for Nvidia graphics cards (GPUs), used to mine cryptocurrencies such as ether (ETH), turned out to be an infectious agent that attacked the Windows operating system.
According to informatic Hassan Mujtaba, who first detected the virus, the patch called RTX LHR V2 Unlocker was intended to restore the power of Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 30 and RTX A series GPUs, whose market seems to focus on the gamersbecause cryptocurrencies can be mined but it is not very profitable.
This would presumably be done by removing the mining performance limit that the company imposed so that their products ceased to be attractive to miners.
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However, the patch command, ‘LHRUnlocker Install.msi’, in addition to failing to restore power, infected the powershell.exe Windows service with malware.
Although it is true that some patches can execute suspicious activities and bypass limitations, this one, in particular, checked the system units that were available, performed evasive loops to make dynamic analysis difficult, used code obfuscation techniques and generated abnormally high CPU usage.
The computer scientist maintained that the patch may not cause critical damage to the equipment in the short term, but emphasized that it worked only with previously modified Nvidia drivers.
Initially, the patch could be downloaded from GitHub and installed on devices. However, after detecting the virus, the developers removed it and the solution is no longer available for download on that site.
Necessity pushes patches
While it is true that this patch generated flaws that could lead to big problems for those who ran it, It is also true that the need to improve Ethereum mining was what led to this.
Last year, Nvidia reported that it was going to place restrictions on its graphics cards so that cryptocurrency miners would stop purchasing them for that purpose, with gamers in mind (gamers), who also use their technological products.
As announced, the new deliveries (already available) were going to be identified with the Lite Hash Rate (or light processing power, LHR) label. to differentiate cards designed for cryptocurrency mining and cards intended for gaming.
However, it was not enough. Added to these computer solutions, the Ethereum miners won the battle against the gamersas those in charge of processing the second most important blockchain by valuation continued to be interested in Nvidia GPUs, with a rise in demand that caused the prices of the brand’s products to skyrocket.
Thus, although there are offers of patches and solutions to solve the problem, the ideal thing is, as many miners do, to continue buying cards, but as a medium investment, especially if you take into account that Ethereum is about to migrate to mining Proof of Stake (PoS)
