It has become one of the most popular and discussed topics of the last year. Many people invest in this industry and continue to earn good income.
Of course, this industry is not without criminals looking for easy money. Hidden Bitcoin miners have begun to be actively used among hackers. This is the name for programs that are installed on a computer secretly from the user and use computer resources to mine cryptocurrency in the background. In this article we will talk about how to identify hidden mining, how to get rid of it and what it is all about.
What is hidden cryptocurrency mining?
Hidden mining is the process of mining cryptocurrency by an attacker using the computer of an unsuspecting victim. The most commonly used hidden mining is Monero or ZCash. Applications are installed specifically for mining forks, because it is more efficient to mine some smaller coin with one core than Bitcoin with the entire power of a PC. Moreover, such viruses exist even for Android. There have also been cases where hackers used NiceHash and MinerGate. This often happens as a result of hacking, or some kind of malicious program entering the computer, be it a mining bot or a botnet.
Often, the developers of such viruses do not limit themselves to mining on the CPU or on a video card and supplement their programs with various spy functions. For example, a virus can steal wallet files for various currencies, login data for social networks, or bank card data. After such attacks, the computer becomes extremely vulnerable and unsafe to use.
It should be noted that searching for a botnet is sometimes too complicated and it is impossible to detect it with the naked eye. This is due to the fact that not all viruses put a high load on the processor. Some of them use very little power for better camouflage. This is especially often used on high-performance systems. In addition, there is also hidden mining in the browser. However, modern browsers can recognize this and always report that this site is trying to use your browser to mine cryptocurrency.
How it works?
The operating algorithm of such viruses is very simple. The program launches the miner covertly and connects to the mining pool where cryptocurrencies are mined. These actions significantly load the processor. The main task of the software is to receive money for the unauthorized use of other people's computing power. The scammer receives the cryptocurrency earned by the victims directly to his wallet. Pools in this scheme can be considered an ideal way to create such botnets, because most pools support an unlimited number of users connected to one address and their membership does not need to be proven to anyone. And if you have a botnet of hundreds of computers, you can easily use even the largest pools with a high minimum withdrawal amount of earned funds.
How does infection occur?
Security experts identify several main causes of botnet infections. Typically, such viruses enter a computer for the following reasons:
- Downloading and running files from the Internet. Hackers find many ways to distribute their programs and embed them in distributions on dubious sites.
- Physical contact with an infected device. You can also “pick up” such software using other people’s flash drives and other devices for storing and transmitting information.
- Unauthorized remote access. Classic remote hacking is also used for infection to this day.
You can find a lot of news online about how people tried to use hidden mining at work, infecting entire offices. There are also known cases of attempts to distribute mining malware through Telegram.
Why does the miner work in stealth mode?
Another question is how such a virus manages to remain undetected and how to determine its presence. The whole secret is that it gets onto the computer along with some files and documents, and its installation occurs in silent mode. The cryptocurrency mining process is hidden under one of the Windows services or is not displayed at all. Another interesting feature of the modern miner is that its operation stops when the load increases. This is done to reduce inhibition and, accordingly, the risk of being detected. It may seem that hackers are losing a significant profit, but this approach is safer for them if they have a large network of hacked PCs.
In some cases, the system even hides the source code of the virus, which automatically restores it by running bat on the device if it is deleted. In such situations, the treatment process can be very delayed and require much more serious measures.
How to find a hidden miner on your computer
If you suspect that there is a botnet on your device, you can easily check for hidden mining using the following steps:
- Determine how the device operates under standard load, such as running regular programs or a browser. It is important that everything works as usual.
- Check the stability of the system using a computer game and clarifying hardware indicators. Productivity should not decrease.
- Run applications like AIDA64 to check the video card and central processor, depending on whether programs are turned on and off in the background.
- Draw conclusions based on the data received and take action.
Some virus miners stop working before the device user opens the task manager. This allows you to bring the indicators back to normal and get rid of unnecessary suspicions. Sometimes stealth miners can even turn off the task manager on their own after a few minutes of its operation. Accordingly, if you remember that you opened an application, but after some time you do not see its window, then you should think about the possibility of infection. It can be detected by powerful programs for monitoring the state of the computer. These include AnVir Task Manager, which will allow you to find all suspicious processes in the operating system. High-quality diagnostics is always possible, but sometimes it requires large costs and resources.
How to remove a miner virus
Antivirus software will help you find the miner virus using a deep scan, but you can't count on it to also help remove the detected infection. In most cases, you have to deal with this manually and you will need to remove the malicious script yourself. It should be noted that traces of hacker software may still remain on the system, and a much better option would be to back up all data and reinstall the operating system.
Most often, infection occurs due to downloading pirated content, for example, games from torrent trackers. If you remember doing something similar, then it won’t be difficult for you to find the possible cause on your own. The main thing is to determine in what time period you started having problems with your computer. The first thing you need to do is remove all suspicious applications and only then can you start fighting the virus itself.
If you are lucky, you will find a simple miner on your device, which will not be difficult to get rid of. You just need to open the task manager and select all the activity that is suspicious to you. To do this, you need to go to the start menu and select the processes section. You can also simply call up the task manager using the standard keyboard shortcut control+alt+delivery. If you find any task that uses more than 20 percent of the CPU power, then most likely the miner has already been found. All that remains for you is to complete the process.
However, it should be noted that such a procedure is often not enough. Recently, attackers have learned to hide their products much better and it has become more difficult to find a miner in the system. As noted above, some modern bots read the opening of the task manager and make the treatment process much more difficult. But even here you can get out of the situation if you follow the recommended action plan in such cases.
First, you should check your device for viruses and restart your computer if any are found. Then you need to switch to BIOS mode to manage the hardware without using the operating system. To enter the BIOS, the F8 or Del buttons are usually used. This may vary depending on the manufacturer. Next, open the Advanced Boot Options section.
It should be noted that you will not be able to open this menu if you have Windows 10 and you reboot. In this case, press Win+R and enter the MSConfig command in the window that appears in front of you. Now you need to select the system configuration section and select the desired mode in the boot menu. Now we just reboot the system on the PC.
The advanced boot settings menu contains many items, but in this case we need Safe Mode w\ Networking. Now you just need to log in to the OS using your account and open the browser to access the Internet. All that remains is to download any anti-spyware software of your choice. This is what we will use to treat the hidden miner.
Almost all utilities of this kind will remove detected threats automatically. In addition, entries from the Windows registry will also be deleted and the settings of some applications will be adjusted.
If you don’t know which software to choose for this, then experts recommend Malwarebytes Anti-Malware to combat spyware. You can also use Doctor Web products to combat hidden mining. The most effective program for removing miners on the company’s website is CureIT. Reviews indicate that after her work there are no repeated complaints.
Prevention of hidden mining
It should be understood that complete security on the Internet cannot be guaranteed these days. With each update of the anti-virus databases, new viruses appear. However, thoughtful actions will still reduce the risk of infection of the device. To do this, you need to use only trusted sites, and do not ignore warnings from anti-virus software, including those built into the browser. You should also periodically activate the check for prevention. It is also recommended to limit or even stop using pirated content, as it is often accompanied by viruses.
Legality of hidden mining
Mining in general, and especially its niche branches, is still an unexplored area that does not have a clear definition in the legal field. However, this does not mean that if there is no article for hidden mining, then responsibility for it will not follow. Installing software on other people's computers secretly from their owners, infiltrating networks - all this is enough to initiate a criminal case. It doesn’t matter at all for what purpose this happened. It’s better not to break the law and earn cryptocurrency honestly. In addition, stealth mining will not bring significant income and you will not earn as much as you can earn with more honest transactions with digital currency.
In conclusion, we can say that the emergence of new cyber threats associated with cryptocurrency is a very expected result of the popularization of this technology. However, the field of information security also does not stand still, and users can easily protect themselves from malicious software and scan their computer to detect infection in the early stages. It should also be noted that the constantly improving security algorithms in web browsers are already capable of blocking hidden mining and preventing malicious software from being downloaded.
How to find a hidden miner?
The hidden miner is a Trojan that uses the victim's CPU processing power to mine a digital currency called Monera. Once installed, this Trojan will install Monero under the name NsCpuCNMiner32.exe And NsCpuCNMiner64.exe, which tries to run Monero using your computer's CPU resources will eat up your computer's resources.
Miner CNMiner works after running a program called CNMiner.exe which then runs NsCpuCNMiner32.exe And NsCpuCNMiner64.exe depending on whether the installed computer 32-bit or 64-bit. Once launched, the miner will begin to use all the computing power of the computer to mine the Monero currency in the mine.moneropool.com mining pool. You can see how much CPU resources the miner is using in the image below.
CNMiner works in task manager
CNMiner running in Task ManagerWhat is especially alarming about this infection is that it will use all the processing power of the CPU indefinitely. This will cause your processor to run at very high temperatures for extended periods of time, which can shorten the life of the processor.
Since there is no indication that the program is running, here is a list of symptoms that a user can use to determine if they are infected with Miner Mining:
NsCpuCNMiner32.exe, NsCpuCNMiner64.exe or C NMiner executable in the task manager.
Windows minimizes and maximizes slowly, games run slower, and videos stutter.
Programs do not launch as quickly.
General slowness when using the computer.
How it was installed Miner Mining on my computer?
Currently unknown as a miner CNMiner is installed on the victim's computer. It can be installed manually by hacking the developer on the computer or together with other malware. Therefore, it is important to always have a good security program installed to monitor for unauthorized and malicious programs. As you can see, the CNMiner miner is a program that steals your computer's resources and your electricity and profits from it. To make your computer work normally again and protect your computer, you should use the guide below to remove this Trojan for free.
24 Point Guide! by removing Miner
1 This removal guide can be overwhelming due to the number of steps and numerous programs that will be used. The article has been written to provide clear, detailed and easy to understand instructions that anyone can use to remove this virus for free. Before using this guide, we recommend that you read it once and download all the necessary tools on your desktop. Once done, print this page as you may need to close your browser window or restart your computer.
2 To interrupt any programs that may interfere with the uninstallation process, we must first download the program Rkill. Rkill will look for active malware infections on your computer and try to stop them so they don't interfere with the removal process. To do this, download RKill to your desktop using the following link.
When on the download page, click the Download Now button that says iExplore.exe. When prompted to save it, save it to your desktop.
3 Once it's downloaded, double-click the iExplore.exe to automatically try to stop any processes associated with CNMiner Monero Miner and other malware. Be patient while the program searches for various malware and finishes them. When finished, the black window will automatically close and the log file will open. Review the log file and close it to continue with the next step. If you have problems starting RKill, you can download other renamed versions RKill from download page Rkill. All files are renamed to copies RKill, which you can try instead. Please note that the download page will open in a new browser window or tab. Do not restart your computer after startup RKill, as the malware will start working again.
4 Now download Emsisoft Anti-Malware, which scans and removes any other adware that may be included in this adware. Download and save the installer Emsisoft Anti-Malware to your desktop using the link
5 Once the file has been downloaded, double-click the EmsisoftAntiMalwareSetup_bc.exe to start the program. If Windows Smart Screen gives a warning, allow it to run anyway. If the installer displays a warning about safe mode, click "Yes", to continue. You should now see a dialog box asking you to agree to the license agreement. Enter the agreement and click the Install button to continue with the installation.
6 You will eventually get a screen asking what type of license you want to use with Emsisoft Anti-Malware.
Select License Screen If you have an existing license key or want to purchase a new license key, select the appropriate option. Otherwise select Freeware or Test in 30 days, free option. If you receive a warning after clicking this button, simply click the button "Yes" to switch to free access mode, which also allows you to clean infected files.
7 Now look on the screen and select whether you want to join the network Anti-Malware Emsisoft. Read the descriptions and select your choice to continue.
8 Emsisoft Anti-Malware will now start updating.
Please be patient as it may take a few minutes for the updates to finish downloading.
9 When the updates are complete, the screen will ask if you want to enable discovery PUP. We strongly recommend choosing " Enable PUPs Detection» to protect your computer from nasty programs, such adware is not recommended by us.
10 Now we see the final installation menu on the screen. Click the button "Ready" to complete the setup and start automatically Emsisoft Anti-Malware.
11 Emsisoft Anti-Malware will now launch and display the initial screen.
After the initial antivirus screen appears Emsisoft, please left click on the section "Scanning".
12 Now choose what type of scan you want to perform.
Scan selection screen Select the malware scan option to begin scanning your computer for infections. Option Malware Scan will take longer than Quick Scan but will also be the most thorough. Since you're here to clean up infections, it's worth waiting to make sure your computer is scanned correctly.
13 Emsisoft Anti-Malware will now begin scanning your computer for rootkits and malware. Please note that the detected infections in the image below may be different from what this guide is intended for.
Scanning Screen Be careful while Emsisoft Anti-Malware is scanning your computer.
14 Once the scan is complete, the program will display scan results that show which infections were detected. Please note that due to an updated version of Emsisoft Anti-Malware, the screenshot below may look different from the rest of the guide.
Scan Results Now click the Quarantine button, which will remove the infections and quarantine them in the program. You will now be at the final screen of the Emsisoft Anti-Malware installer, which you can close. If Emsisoft prompts you to restart your computer to complete the cleaning process, allow it to do so. Otherwise, you can close the program.
15 Now download AdwCleaner and save it to your desktop. AdwCleaner scans your computer for adware programs that may have been installed on your computer without your knowledge. You can download AdwCleaner from the following URL
16 When AdwCleaner finishes downloading, double-click the AdwCleaner.exe icon that now appears on your desktop. After double-clicking on the icon, the AdwCleaner program will open and you will be provided with the program's license agreement. After you read it, click the I Agree button if you want to continue. Otherwise, click the I Don't Agree button to close the program. If Windows asks you if you want to run AdwCleaner, allow it to run.
If you choose to continue, you will be presented with a startup screen as shown below.
17 Now click the Scan button in AdwCleaner. The program will now begin searching for known adware programs that may be installed on your computer. Once completed, it will display all the items found in the Results section on the screen above. Review the results and try to determine whether the programs listed contain those that you do not want to install. If you find programs that you want to keep, uncheck the associated entries. For many people, the contents of the Results section may seem confusing. If you don't see a program name that you know shouldn't be removed, continue to the next step.
18 To remove adware programs detected in the previous step, click the Clean button on the AdwCleaner screen. AdwCleaner will now prompt you to save any open files or data as the program needs to close any open programs before it starts cleaning. Save your work and click OK. Now AdwCleaner will remove all detected adware from your computer. When this is done, a warning will appear that explains what PUPs (potentially unwanted programs) and adware are. Read this information and click OK. You will now be presented with a warning saying that AdwCleaner needs to restart your computer.
Tip for restarting AdwCleaner Click OK to have AdwCleaner restart your computer.
19 When your computer restarts and you are logged in, AdwCleaner will automatically open a log file containing files, registry keys, and programs that were removed from your computer.
AdwCleaner Log Review this log file and close the Notepad window.
Write in the comments your problems regarding Trojans and whether a new article is needed on other types of Hidden Miners.
Computer security is important to every user, no matter what the PC is used for. But those who store financial data on it need to be especially careful about the security of personal information and the proper operation of the equipment. Otherwise, they will have to face the dangerous bitcoin miner virus. It can bring a lot of trouble and make victims worry. And those who have not yet encountered such a problem should think in advance about how to find and remove the miner virus.
It is worth getting to know the potential threat before meeting it, so that you know what to do when identifying a Trojan. This will reduce possible losses and cure infected equipment as quickly as possible.
What is a miner virus?
Despite the self-explanatory name, which indicates the connection of the malicious file with cryptocurrencies, almost every user is capable of becoming a victim, even those who do not understand virtual money and have not thought about purchasing them.
The name is associated not with potential victims, but with the behavior of the Trojan.
By infecting a computer, it begins to use free resources for mining in favor of the developer.
As a result, this computer becomes part of a huge Bitcoin mining farm. Only the profits are made not by the owners of the equipment, but by the creators of the dangerous program.
The main difficulty that victims face is that the PC constantly freezes. Available resources are spent on earning cryptocurrency, and other programs are unable to work normally.
Additionally, theft of important data is possible, but this rarely happens, since the main goal of the malware is completely different. This does not mean that you should not worry about the safety of passwords, codes and personal information.
They could have been stolen to be used later.
How does infection occur?
Infection with a miner virus is no different from infection with other malicious files. Careless users follow unverified links, download programs from unfamiliar sources, and simply visit dangerous sites. Most often it hits computers and laptops:
- via Skype;
- while updating torrent trackers;
- from email;
- when clicking on unfamiliar links on social networks.
As a rule, it cannot be detected immediately after it hits the PC; it takes time to occupy the disk space needed for operation and take over free system resources. And at the moment when it is discovered, it can be quite difficult to correct the situation.
Given that a Trojan can end up almost anywhere, there is no single answer to the question of how to determine which sites and activities to avoid. You can become a victim even if you take precautions.
How to find a miner virus?
The main sign of the appearance of bitcoin miner is freezing and slow operation of the system. As mentioned above, this is due to its use of all available resources. But such problems are not always associated with malware, so the next step that needs to be taken to ensure the absence or presence of a Trojan is to check running processes.
To detect a dangerous process, you will have to turn on the task manager (on most modern devices, press ctrl, esc and shift simultaneously) and carefully examine the existing processes.
If you detect a strange program that uses a large amount of memory and heavily loads the processor, you should sound the alarm. 
If the discovered process does not eliminate your doubts, you should remember its name and look for a description on the Internet. The result will not be long in coming, and the user will have to think about how to deal with the problem that has arisen.
How to remove a miner virus from a computer?
Having figured out why the miner virus is dangerous and how to detect the problem, you should move on to solving it. And the first thing a PC owner needs to take care of is saving the information and files he needs. To do this, they should be transferred to a flash card in advance or, if their volume is too large, to an external hard drive. If your Internet speed allows, you can use cloud services.
Usually, high-quality modern programs can easily identify dangerous files and delete them.
True, in some cases this seriously affects the operation of individual applications, but the security of the system and personal information is much more important. And the most useful components had to be transferred to a separate medium.
But when transferring them back later, you should carefully check the saved files for threats. This is the only way to avoid re-infection.
Bitcoin miner virus: how to treat?
If all attempts made to treat your computer with a modern antivirus turned out to be useless, you should use one of the four remaining ways to deal with difficulties:
- entrust the equipment to a professional;
- use system restore;
- reinstall the operating system;
- find and remove the Trojan manually.
The first option practically guarantees a positive result, but is costly and sometimes turns out to be extremely inconvenient.
The second approach is acceptable only in cases where users took care of creating recovery points in a timely manner. If they are not there, you will not be able to roll back the latest changes.
The third method will lead to the loss of all unsaved information and will require not only the installation of the operating system, but also all additional programs that the PC owner used.
And the last method is suitable only for experienced users. It requires knowledge of the exact name of the malicious file and the ability to turn on the computer in safe mode. There is no single method for such inclusion, since it depends on the manufacturer of the equipment.
An additional disadvantage of this approach is the time that will be spent searching for all dangerous files.
What should you do after treatment?
Having dealt with miner, you should take care of the security of the system. The first step is to make sure that the trouble is a thing of the past and that the virus has been completely removed. Next you need to start changing passwords. This is especially true for email and important sites where confidential information is stored. These include electronic wallets. This is necessary to prevent attackers from stealing personal data or gaining access to finances.
It will not be superfluous to install an antivirus if this has not been done previously. It is necessary to keep it up to date so that not a single dangerous program becomes a source of new experiences.
Once you understand security and passwords, you can return saved files.
But it is important to reiterate that they should be carefully checked before being transferred to the hard drive.
They will burn a virus that was only recently destroyed on the PC. Knowing how dangerous bitcoin miner is and what kind of virus it is, you should avoid mistakes once made.
Precautionary measures
The described Trojan is only one of the brightest representatives of mining viruses. Such malicious programs appear with enviable regularity, so it is almost impossible to describe each one. But this does not mean that they are less dangerous and do not pose a threat. Therefore, in order to avoid becoming a victim of a virus attack, you should take care of protection in advance. To do this you need:
- install a good antivirus and keep it updated;
- take care of a restore point (to do this, read articles on how to create such points and keep them up to date);
- do not visit dubious sites and do not download strange, unknown files from unfamiliar sources;
- monitor installed programs;
- update software in a timely manner;
- do not save important logins and passwords (it is safer to write them down on a piece of paper and keep them in a safe place);
- Do not share personal information and passwords with strangers.
It must be remembered that maintaining security is a personal matter for each user, and the most reliable way to avoid trouble is to carefully monitor the actions taken and think about your own actions.
Working with finances does not tolerate a dismissive, frivolous attitude.
Such behavior can become a source of enormous difficulties and even financial losses. In extreme cases, everything can be done by simply repairing the equipment, but even this will bring a lot of worries and lead to unexpected expenses.
Computer security is a rather complex issue. And few users are able to quickly and efficiently provide this process to their operating system. Quite often, situations arise in which a computer becomes infected with viruses. And, of course, they have to be removed. Today we will learn how to find and eliminate a miner virus. It is worth noting right away that this is not the easiest process. After all, our current infection has a somewhat non-standard purpose and origin. Let's try to deal with the problem presented to us as soon as possible.
What it is
Scanning
Now you can try to remove the miner virus. How can I check for its presence on my computer? Firstly, it has already been said - by manifestations in the operating system. And secondly, any modern antivirus will see this infection. Do a deep dive and then look at the result.
All potentially dangerous files need to be “cured”. Any antivirus has a special button for this. True, in the case of a miner, quite often this technique does not work. You just have to remove all threats. In principle, if you have encountered viruses, then this process will not surprise you. Nothing complicated, right?
Removing threats
How to find a miner virus and remove it? Think carefully about why you started making changes to your operating system. Maybe you installed some software?
Most likely, this is true. Therefore, in order to finally get rid of the virus, you will have to find the malicious application and get rid of it. Typically, miner distributors include torrents (especially the latest version of UTorrent), download managers and some online games. In particular, GameNet products. Using the control panel, uninstall all such applications and only then continue to fight the infection.
Terminating processes
Next you will have to work with the Windows Task Manager. Call this service and look at the "Processes" tab. The miner virus will definitely be shown here. How to check which line exactly refers to it? For example, look at how many computer resources a particular task consumes. If the figure is more than 5% (provided the main application is turned off) or more than 20% when the mode is turned on, this is our infection.
What should I do? End the process. Just highlight the desired line, and then click on the right mouse button. In the list that appears, select “Finish”. Agree to the warning (it says that unsaved application data will be lost) and confirm your actions.
Control stripping
How to remove miner virus? Now that almost all possible steps have been completed, it is worth turning to the help of additional software. We are talking about SpyHunter, CCleaner and Dr.Web CureIT. The first and last application should be launched one by one and set to scan the system. After issuing the results, just like in the case of an antivirus, all dangerous objects are disinfected or deleted. In principle, after using CureIT, the miner virus usually disappears.
But to be more confident, it’s worth doing a little work with your computer’s registry. Launch CCleaner, and then click on “Analysis” in the lower right corner of the window. Please note that in the settings (left panel of the program) all partitions of the hard drive, as well as browsers and background applications (if possible), should be marked in the scan. After the process is completed, click on “Cleanup”. That's all. Reboot the computer and look at the result. Now we know how to remove the miner virus. In some cases, if the operating system has not been cured, a complete reinstallation of the computer and formatting of the hard drive will be required.
Hidden cryptocurrency miners are not a new topic, although there are almost no decent technical instructions for detecting and eliminating them. There is only a mass of scattered information and articles of dubious content. Why? Because everyone benefits from mining cryptocurrencies on a global scale, except, of course, for those who don’t receive a penny from it and don’t even suspect that they have become part of it. And indeed, the principle of hidden mining can become something more than just getting coins into someone else’s pocket.
The concept of hidden mining
We are talking here not about mining, which for the time being is hidden from housing and communal services, but about the hidden mining of coins on a regular computer, despite the fact that the owner of the computer himself is not in the dark about it. In other words, to mine cryptocurrency it is possible not only to use your own computer, but also many other people’s machines.
And it is not necessary that the load on the video card or processor must increase to 100% - these smart guys are careful and will not load the machine of a member of their network to unreasonable limits. You may, in principle, not notice much of a difference if you have a fairly powerful technique. This is an important condition for maintaining the hidden work of the miner.
For the first time, official reports about the phenomenon of hidden mining began to appear in 2011, and in 2013 there was already a massive infection of PCs in various countries via Skype. Moreover, the Trojans not only mined, but also gained access to Bitcoin wallets.
The most famous case is an attempt by μTorrent developers to earn extra money from users by introducing the hidden EpicScale miner into the software.
