Complete guide to detecting and removing the miner virus

When a Computer Becomes a Tool for Malicious Miners

During regular internet browsing, many users do not suspect that their PCs and laptops can become victims of hidden mining. A virus-miner is a Trojan program that stealthily infiltrates the system and uses computational resources to mine cryptocurrency. The worst part is that antivirus solutions are not always effective against such threats, and removing them often proves to be very difficult.

What Threats Does a Hidden Miner Pose to Your System

When a miner-virus settles in Windows, the user’s security is at risk. Besides malicious actors gaining access to passwords and personal data, they also cause physical damage to hardware. The virus actively loads the graphics card and CPU, leading to premature wear. On laptops, this is especially critical – the device can fail after just a few hours of background mining due to overheating.

Working on an infected computer becomes impossible due to critical slowdown. The system stalls, programs do not respond to commands, and productivity drops to a minimum.

Two Main Types of Hidden Miners

Browser Cryptojacking

This type of virus is not installed on the hard drive. Instead, it exists as an embedded script on an infected website. As soon as the user visits such a page, the script activates and begins using the computer’s resources for calculations. Since the program is hosted on the website’s servers, standard antivirus software cannot detect or remove it. The only sign of trouble is a sudden spike in CPU load.

Classic Installable Miner

This virus spreads as a regular file or archive. It installs without the user’s knowledge and runs every time the system starts. Some variants operate solely for mining, while others combine several malicious functions – from stealing funds from wallets to monitoring user activity.

How to Recognize an Infection on Your Device

Before tackling the problem, you need to understand that it exists. Watch for these signs:

• Overheating of the graphics card. If the GPU is hot to the touch and the cooler runs at maximum speed, this indicates intensive load. Use a program like GPU-Z to accurately measure temperature and load.

• Sudden slowdown. Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) and check CPU usage. If it’s at 60% or higher without an apparent reason, it’s a warning sign.

• Excessive RAM consumption. Miners use all available system resources.

• Unauthorized deletion or modification of files. Some Trojans delete critical files or change system settings.

• Active internet traffic consumption. If the miner is part of a botnet, it may also conduct DDoS attacks on external systems.

• Unstable browser operation. Disconnections, tabs closing without user commands, or unresponsiveness.

• Strange processes in Task Manager. Look for processes with unfamiliar names, such as Asikadl.exe or other random character sets.

Steps to Remove a Miner-Virus from the System

First step: antivirus scan

If you notice at least one of the described symptoms, immediately run an antivirus scan. After the check, use a utility like CCleaner to remove remnants of the malware and system junk.

Some complex miners add themselves to the trusted programs list to avoid detection. Others can detect Task Manager and disable themselves before it launches. Therefore, a comprehensive check is necessary.

Manual diagnosis via the system registry

If automatic scanning yields no results:

1. Press Win+R
2. Type regedit and click OK
3. In the registry window, press Ctrl+F
4. Enter the name of the suspicious process
5. Select “Find Next”

Delete all entries related to the virus. Restart the system and check if the problem recurs.

Search via Task Scheduler

Many miners set themselves as autostart tasks:

1. Press Win+R
2. Type taskschd.msc
3. Find the “Task Scheduler Library” folder

Check each task, paying attention to the “Triggers” and “Actions” tabs. Suspicious tasks that activate on every startup should be disabled (Right-click → Disable) or deleted (Right-click → Delete).

After disabling suspicious processes, check CPU load. If it normalizes, delete the task from autostart.

The utility AnVir Task Manager provides a more detailed analysis of all automatically launched tasks.

Deep scan with specialized antivirus

To detect particularly complex miner variants, download Dr. Web or similar software that performs a deep system scan. Before removing the virus, create a system restore point for further recovery.

Comprehensive Protection System Against Mining Viruses

At the Operating System Level

• Regular reinstallation. Every 2-3 months, install a clean Windows image. If infection is detected, initiate the recovery process.
• Allow only verified programs to run. Use the utility secpol.msc to create a restricted software execution policy.
• Port restrictions. Configure the firewall to use only necessary ports.
• Windows password. Prevent unauthorized access to the system.
• Regular antivirus signature updates. Up-to-date virus signatures are key to effective protection.

At the Network Security Level

• Router configuration. Set a strong password, disable SSID broadcasting, and remote access.
• Restrict other users’ access. Prohibit other users from installing programs.
• SSL certificates for websites. Only visit resources with HTTPS protocol and valid certificates.
• Blacklist dangerous sites. Add addresses to the hosts file, using lists from GitHub.

At the Browser Level

• Block JavaScript. Disable script execution in browser settings – this prevents browser-based mining. Note that some sites may not work correctly.
• Built-in Chrome protection. Enable detection and protection against cryptojacking in “Privacy and Security” settings.
• Ad blockers. Extensions like AdBlock, uBlock, and similar not only remove ads but also prevent malicious scripts from running.

Basic User Rules

• Check program information before downloading.
• Scan all downloaded files with antivirus before running.
• Do not run programs as administrator unless necessary.
• Work with antivirus and firewall enabled.
• Close potentially dangerous websites when warned by antivirus.

Combining these measures significantly reduces the risk of miner-virus infection and provides robust protection against modern cyber threats.