Coin Miner Virus Removal

This article can help you to remove Coin Miner Virus. The step by step removal works for every version of Microsoft Windows.

These days everybody is talking about cryptocurrency. It has seen a surge in interest in recent years that seems to be spiking by the day. It’s no wonder that cybercriminals have set their eyes on acquiring some coins in their pockets. Not in the legal ways, of course. That’s where the Coin Miner Virus comes in. This malware is particularly difficult to detect because it is a fileless malware. Its aim? To infect your PC and use its GPU, CPU and other resources it can find to turn it into a miner for cryptocurrencies.

How did I get infected with?

As always, the most common way of getting your computer infected with this miner malware is through spam emails, as well as email attachments and executable files. Malware researchers have also found it embedded in Trojan Horse viruses. Other ways of this virus getting spread on your PC are if you click on fake buttons and/or banner on a website. This would happen if you have a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Program) on your computer. You don’t remember installing programs of unknown origin? It could very well be that you did it unintentionally. You can take precautions in the future by diligently follow through an advanced installation process. This way you can unmark the additional software that is suggested for installing. You should pay close attention because more often than not, this software is actually malware nuisance in disguise.

Why is this dangerous?

One of the things that makes this malicious software dangerous is its difficult detecting. It does not behave as a ransomware – it doesn’t encrypt files or leave notes for you to pay a ransom for decrypting the infected files. The typical symptoms of a computer infected with Coin Miner Virus are high CPU and GPU usage, as well as overheating. So if you notice that your computer is running slower than usual, you should be on alert! Immediate actions are adviced, because if this virus mines for longer periods of time, it could damage your computer severely. Arm yourself with dependable professional software that can protect your computer from potential threats and be cautious when you open emails or files of unknown origin.

Manual Coin Miner Removal Instructions

The Coin Miner infection is specifically designed to make money to its creators one way or another. The specialists from various antivirus companies like Bitdefender, Kaspersky, Norton, Avast, ESET, etc. advise that there is no harmless virus.

If you perform exactly the steps below you should be able to remove the Coin Miner infection. Please, follow the procedures in the exact order. Please, consider to print this guide or have another computer at your disposal. You will NOT need any USB sticks or CDs.

STEP 1: Track down Coin Miner related processes in the computer memory

STEP 2: Locate Coin Miner startup location

STEP 3: Delete Coin Miner traces from Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer

STEP 4: Undo the damage done by the virus

STEP 1: Track down Coin Miner related processes in the computer memory

• Open your Task Manager by pressing CTRL+SHIFT+ESC keys simultaneously
• Carefully review all processes and stop the suspicious ones.

• Write down the file location for later reference.

Step 2: Locate Coin Miner startup location

Reveal Hidden Files

• Open any folder
• Click on “Organize” button
  
• Choose “Folder and Search Options”
• Select the “View” tab
• Select “Show hidden files and folders” option
• Uncheck “Hide protected operating system files”
• Click “Apply” and “OK” button

Clean Coin Miner virus from the windows registry

• Once the operating system loads press simultaneously the Windows Logo Button and the R key.

• A dialog box should open. Type “Regedit”

• WARNING! be very careful when editing the Microsoft Windows Registry as this may render the system broken.

Depending on your OS (x86 or x64) navigate to:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run] or
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run] or
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]

• and delete the display Name: [RANDOM]

• Then open your explorer and navigate to: %appdata% folder and delete the malicious executable.

Clean your HOSTS file to avoid unwanted browser redirection

Navigate to %windir%/system32/Drivers/etc/host

If you are hacked, there will be foreign IPs addresses connected to you at the bottom. Take a look below:

Step 4: Undo the possible damage done by Coin Miner

This particular Virus may alter your DNS settings.

Attention! this can break your internet connection. Before you change your DNS settings to use Google Public DNS for Coin Miner, be sure to write down the current server addresses on a piece of paper.

To fix the damage done by the virus you need to do the following.

• Click the Windows Start button to open the Start Menu, type control panel in the search box and select Control Panel in the results displayed above.
• go to Network and Internet
• then Network and Sharing Center
• then Change Adapter Settings
• Right-click on your active internet connection and click properties. Under the Networking tab, find Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4). Left click on it and then click on properties. Both options should be automatic! By default it should be set to “Obtain an IP address automatically” and the second one to “Obtain DNS server address automatically!” If they are not just change them, however if you are part of a domain network you should contact your Domain Administrator to set these settings, otherwise the internet connection will break!!!

 

• Check your scheduled tasks to make sure the virus will not download itself again.

How to Permanently Remove Coin Miner Virus (automatic) Removal Guide

Please, have in mind that once you are infected with a single virus, it compromises your whole system or network and let all doors wide open for many other infections. To make sure manual removal is successful, we recommend to use a free scanner of any professional antimalware program to identify possible virus leftovers or temporary files.