Bitcoin Miner Virus ⛏ – how to remove bitcoin miner virus [Free Guide]

What Is Bitcoin Miner Virus?

how to remove bitcoin miner virus

As ransomware attacks become more frequent than ever, making the crypto price to rise, the need for a Bitcoin miner virus also increases. Virus actors try to implement crypto infection into everything they do, be it backdoors, viruses, ransomware, adware and redirects.

BitCoin miner virus also known as Trojan.MacOS.BitCoinMiner.EB is a dangerous infection that may use your CPU and/or GPU to obtain crypto cryptocurrency illegally. Cryptocurrency miners keep hitting computers and trying to use their resources to generate revenue for their developers. Even though this type of infection is called BitCoinMiner, it does mine for digital currencies such as Monero, Electroneum, and others.

Since crypto-mining is a process that requires extremely powerful hardware components, cybercriminals utilise malicious software that enables them to hijack users’ computers and use them to collectively mine cryptocurrencies. By doing this they avoid all expensive costs. Affected users, in return, start facing lots of problems with their computers.

Trojan.Bitcoinminer Summary

How to Know If You Have a Trojan.Bitcoinminer

This type of infection can hardly be noticed as it does not open any windows. It is just silently running in the background of all other active processes. If you want to detect a such an infection you should open the task manager and look for any unknown processes. In addition, pay attention to the following symptoms:

• In the Task Manager you see more than 50% CPU utilization all the time.
• Programs load slow.
• Programs become unresponsive.
• The computer starts to freeze.
• Sudden reboots occur and prevent you from saving your data.
• The machine generates excessive heat.
• Games run slower.

Here are some of the detection names given to such crypto malware:

PUA.CoinMiner
Trojan.BitMine
Riskware.BitcoinMiner
W32/CoinMiner
Application.BitCoinMiner
Trojan.BtcMine
Riskware.Miner
Win.Trojan.Bitcoinminer-72

If you believe you are infected with this crypto obtaining viruses, we advise you to read this article to learn how to remove it from your computer and protect yourself in the future as well.

Such infections are shaping up to be the next big thing in cyber-security, and it will not go away soon. One such virus is the latest discovered infection. This infection has the only purpose to mine Monero, Ethereum, Dashcoin, or other cryptocurrencies on the computer it has infected.

For cryptocurrency mining to occur, the BitCoin infection may run processes on the infected machine that may result in the significant over-usage of its CPU and GPU resources. This, in turn, sometimes leads to a total slowing down of the system. And the worst part is that there are no files on your computer, meaning it is very difficult to detect it.

We have detected a lot of new crypto obtaining threats out there with different capabilities. Some such viruses were as harmless as to only mine your PC, while others, hastier were completely able to display ads and also infect your PC with information-stealing infection that directly provides your data to cybercriminals.

The malicious activity of the infection is comprised of executing multiple malicious scripts on the infected PC by a backdoor and remote code execution which the infection runs beforehand. These scripts have the purpose to connect the threat to a control and command server. It the mining infection uses different classes to execute further scripts that allow for various actions to take place:

• Remove control of the virus.
• Download the cryptocurrency mining software and execute it filelessly.
• Add the victim PC to a mining pool network in which all infected computers are also added.

In some cases the infection process is conducted with the aid of one of the zero-day or other exploits used in the WannaCry and NotPetya ransomware outbreaks which came out earlier this year. The exploit is known by the name EternalBlue and is a zero-day type of exploit for Windows versions from Windows XP up to Windows 10. Fortunately, Microsoft has released patches for the exploit, so anyone who has a legitimate Windows installation should immediately:

• Disable the WMI service.
• Disable SMB and Download the latest security patches from Microsoft.

Some crypto threats that are misusing the Windows Management Instrumentation service (WMI) – scrcons.exe, to execute malicious scripts. As a result, the miner becomes completely invisible, because it does not drop any types of files on the computers infected by it.

Such threats have continued to evolve adding new technologies to them that enable them to not only act as a Worm to infect as many computers as possible but also to use the infected machine to its full extent and clear example for that is the WannaMine Cryptoworm infection, imitating the notorious WannaCry ransomware. And with Bitcoin price scoring a high-level price in August 2020 we could expect new mining viruses and improved versions of existing ones to be released in the wild.

Besides this the usage of JavaScript has further evolved and become more sophisticated with RAT features in some viruses, like the Webmine.pro JavaScript miner. In addition to this, viruses have begin to imimtate system processes very well.

Happily, Google Chrome which is the most widely used web browser has been updated to block the web browser extensions that have JavaScript mining codes in them. This means that Google Chrome is more secure against miners and it is recommended that you use it, if you have recently had problems caused by such extensions. Note that this move by Google does not eliminate such viruses since they are still very active via Trojan Horses and on other browsers’ extensions as well. Furthermore, CryptoCurrency mining viruses are still evolving and some of them are now capable of acting on themselves.

Here are some of the most notorious crypto threats which have made the most impact out of all:

• Service_box.exe
• RevServicesXapp_loader.exe
• Valhalla
• Debug.exe
• WaterMiner
• Miner.exe
• JS:Cryptonight
• Moloko Trojan
• Auto Refresh Plus Adware
• Harvest
• Android Mobile
• Svchost.exe
• Brocoiner Coinhive
• Websock.exe
• Digmine Facebook Messenger
• CPU Miner (gw64.exe)
• CCminer.exe
• SiaCoin
• Bitcoinminer.sx
• Upup.exe
• WDF.EXE CryptoMiner Trojan

One of the latest crypto-mining cases reported regards the legitimate Synapse X program. An executable file called Synapse X.exe has been spotted to be acting oddly on computer systems by occupying more than 90% of the CPU/GPU usage for a long period of time. This, in turn, means that the process may be misused by malicious actors to abuse victims’ computer resources in order to transfer Dash, Monero, or another cryptocurrency directly to cybercriminals’ wallets.

How is BitCoin Infection Installed on a Computer?

At this point, it is not clear as to what the exact infection method of this mining malware is. However, it may appear on your computer as a result of executing multiple different types of miners previously executed on your computers, such as Trojans, Worms, and others. The methods of distribution and infection vary, but they may be conducted via:

• Malicious web links posted as a spam message online.
• Web links that exist In various forms, as fake buttons or altered banners on a website as a result of having a PUP on your computer.
• Via malicious e-mail spam attachment with a convincing message to open it.

As of recent months, new crypto miners have emerged out in the wild. The viruses are spread via multiple different methods. It is most likely that they are embedded on websites via malicious JavaScript code on the websites visited by victims.

BitCoin Miner Virus on Mac

Such threats have started to spread across various devices, including Macs, hence they are also referred to as Crypto Miner Mac threats. Some of the most recent Mac threats that perform cryptocurrency mining activities have been reported to be the following:

• OSX.CoinMiner Virus
• MacOS-AS
• Creative Update Mac

Mining infection is more widespread on Mac systems according to malware researchers and the recent AV-TEST. The reason behind it is that some of the higher-end Mac machines are equipped with powerful hardware, which the miners want to use the resources of, to mine for digital currency since last year.

More than 1,305 malware samples of the crypto mining on Mac category were detected by AV-TEST. Trojans and other threats, different from the malware showed fewer results in the samples infecting Apple computer systems.

How to Remove Bitcoin Miner Virus

How to tell if you have such a threat? The best practice to detect the malicious processes associated with mining malware that are running in the background of your computer is to automatically scan for them with a reliable anti-malware/anti-virus software. By doing this you will also be sure that these malicious objects will be removed safely, without taking the risk to damage critical Windows Components during a manual removal process. For more information and options on how to get rid of the mining malware follow the SensorsTechForu.com instructions below.

BitCoin Miner Virus – Video Removal Guide

In order to make it easier for you to remove this virus, we have also created a removal video instructions for further convenience. They have been specifically made with the primary idea to assist you in the more convenient way.

• Guide 1: How to Remove BitCoin Miner Virus from Windows.
• Guide 2: Get rid of BitCoin Miner Virus on Mac OS X.
• Guide 3: Remove BitCoin Miner Virus in Google Chrome.
• Guide 4: Erase BitCoin Miner Virus from Mozilla Firefox.
• Guide 5: Uninstall BitCoin Miner Virus from Microsoft Edge.
• Guide 6: Remove BitCoin Miner Virus from Safari.
• Guide 7: Eliminate BitCoin Miner Virus from Internet Explorer.
• Guide 8: Disable BitCoin Miner Virus Push Notifications in Your Browsers.

Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer Stop Push Pop-ups

About the BitCoin Miner Virus Research

The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this BitCoin Miner Virus how-to removal guide included, is the outcome of extensive research, hard work and our team’s devotion to help you remove the specific, adware-related problem, and restore your browser and computer system.

How did we conduct the research on BitCoin Miner Virus?

Please note that our research is based on independent investigation. We are in contact with independent security researchers, thanks to which we receive daily updates on the latest malware, adware, and browser hijacker definitions.
Furthermore, the research behind the BitCoin Miner Virus threat is backed with VirusTotal https://www.virustotal.com/gui/home/upload.
To better understand this online threat, please refer to the following articles which provide knowledgeable details.

References

1.Browser Redirect – What Is It?
2.Adware Is Malicious, and It Uses Advanced Techniques to Infect
3.The Thin Red Line Between Potentially Unwanted Programs and Malware
4.The Pay-Per-Install Affiliate Business – Making Millions out of Adware
5.Malicious Firefox Extensions Installed by 455,000 Users Blocked Updates

How to Remove BitCoin Miner Virus from Windows.

Step 1: Boot Your PC In Safe Mode to isolate and remove BitCoin Miner Virus

1. Hold Windows key + R

2. The “Run” Window will appear. In it, type “msconfig” and click OK.

3. Go to the “Boot” tab. There select “Safe Boot” and then click “Apply” and “OK”.Tip: Make sure to reverse those changes by unticking Safe Boot after that, because your system will always boot in Safe Boot from now on.

4. When prompted, click on “Restart” to go into Safe Mode.

5. You can recognise Safe Mode by the words written on the corners of your screen.

Step 2: Uninstall BitCoin Miner Virus and related software from Windows

Here is a method in few easy steps that should be able to uninstall most programs. No matter if you are using Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista or XP, those steps will get the job done. Dragging the program or its folder to the recycle bin can be a very bad decision. If you do that, bits and pieces of the program are left behind, and that can lead to unstable work of your PC, errors with the file type associations and other unpleasant activities. The proper way to get a program off your computer is to Uninstall it. To do that:

1. Hold the Windows Logo Button and “R” on your keyboard. A Pop-up window will appear.

2. In the field type in “appwiz.cpl” and press ENTER.

3. This will open a window with all the programs installed on the PC. Select the program that you want to remove, and press “Uninstall“

Follow the instructions above and you will successfully uninstall most programs.

Step 3: Clean any registries, created by BitCoin Miner Virus on your computer.

The usually targeted registries of Windows machines are the following:

• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce

You can access them by opening the Windows registry editor and deleting any values, created by BitCoin Miner Virus there. This can happen by following the steps underneath:

1. Open the Run Window again, type “regedit” and click OK.

2. When you open it, you can freely navigate to the Run and RunOnce keys, whose locations are shown above.

3. You can remove the value of the virus by right-clicking on it and removing it.

Tip: To find a virus-created value, you can right-click on it and click “Modify” to see which file it is set to run. If this is the virus file location, remove the value.

IMPORTANT!
Before starting “Step 4”, please boot back into Normal mode, in case you are currently in Safe Mode.
This will enable you to install and use SpyHunter 5 successfully.

Step 4: Scan for BitCoin Miner Virus with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool

1. Click on the “Download” button to proceed to SpyHunter’s download page.

Download

Malware Removal Tool

It is recommended to run a scan before purchasing the full version of the software to make sure that the current version of the malware can be detected by SpyHunter. Click on the corresponding links to check SpyHunter’s EULA, Privacy Policy and Threat Assessment Criteria.

2. After you have installed SpyHunter, wait for it to update automatically.

3. After the update process has finished, click on the ‘Malware/PC Scan’ tab. A new window will appear. Click on ‘Start Scan’.

4. After SpyHunter has finished scanning your PC for any files of the associated threat and found them, you can try to get them removed automatically and permanently by clicking on the ‘Next’ button.

If any threats have been removed, it is highly recommended to restart your PC.

Video Removal Guide for BitCoin Miner Virus (Windows).

Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer Stop Push Pop-ups

Get rid of BitCoin Miner Virus from Mac OS X.

Step 1: Uninstall BitCoin Miner Virus and remove related files and objects

1.Hit the ⇧+⌘+U keys to open Utilities. Another way is to click on “Go” and then click “Utilities”, like the image below shows:

2. Find Activity Monitor and double-click it:

3.In the Activity Monitor look for any suspicious processes, belonging or related to BitCoin Miner Virus:

Tip: To quit a process completely, choose the “Force Quit” option.

4.Click on the “Go” button again, but this time select Applications. Another way is with the ⇧+⌘+A buttons.

5.In the Applications menu, look for any suspicious app or an app with a name, similar or identical to BitCoin Miner Virus. If you find it, right-click on the app and select “Move to Trash”.

6: Select Accounts, after which click on the Login Items preference.

Your Mac will then show you a list of items that start automatically when you log in. Look for any suspicious apps identical or similar to BitCoin Miner Virus. Check the app you want to stop from running automatically and then select on the Minus (“–“) icon to hide it.

7: Remove any left-over files that might be related to this threat manually by following the sub-steps below:

• Go to Finder.
• In the search bar type the name of the app that you want to remove.
• Above the search bar change the two drop down menus to “System Files” and “Are Included” so that you can see all of the files associated with the application you want to remove. Bear in mind that some of the files may not be related to the app so be very careful which files you delete.
• If all of the files are related, hold the ⌘+A buttons to select them and then drive them to “Trash”.

In case you cannot remove BitCoin Miner Virus via Step 1 above:

In case you cannot find the virus files and objects in your Applications or other places we have shown above, you can manually look for them in the Libraries of your Mac. But before doing this, please read the disclaimer below:

Disclaimer! If you are about to tamper with Library files on Mac, be sure to know the name of the virus file, because if you delete the wrong file, it may cause irreversible damage to your MacOS. Continue on your own responsibility!

1: Click on “Go” and Then “Go to Folder” as shown underneath:

2: Type in “/Library/LauchAgents/” and click Ok:

3: Delete all of the virus files that have similar or the same name as BitCoin Miner Virus. If you believe there is no such file, do not delete anything.

You can repeat the same procedure with the following other Library directories:

→ ~/Library/LaunchAgents
/Library/LaunchDaemons

Tip: ~ is there on purpose, because it leads to more LaunchAgents.

Step 2: Scan for and remove BitCoin Miner Virus files from your Mac

When you are facing problems on your Mac as a result of unwanted scripts and programs such as BitCoin Miner Virus, the recommended way of eliminating the threat is by using an anti-malware program. SpyHunter for Mac offers advanced security features along with other modules that will improve your Mac’s security and protect it in the future.

Click the button below below to download SpyHunter for Mac and scan for BitCoin Miner Virus:
DownloadSpyHunter for Mac

Video Removal Guide for BitCoin Miner Virus (Mac)

Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer Stop Push Pop-ups

Remove BitCoin Miner Virus from Google Chrome.

Step 1: Start Google Chrome and open the drop menu

Step 2:Move the cursor over “Tools” and then from the extended menu choose “Extensions”

Step 3: From the opened “Extensions” menu locate the unwanted extension and click on its “Remove” button.

Step 4: After the extension is removed, restart Google Chrome by closing it from the red “X” button at the top right corner and start it again.

Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer Stop Push Pop-ups

Erase BitCoin Miner Virus from Mozilla Firefox.

Step 1: Start Mozilla Firefox. Open the menu window

Step 2: Select the “Add-ons” icon from the menu.

Step 3: Select the unwanted extension and click “Remove”

Step 4: After the extension is removed, restart Mozilla Firefox by closing it from the red “X” button at the top right corner and start it again.

Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer Stop Push Pop-ups

Uninstall BitCoin Miner Virus from Microsoft Edge.

Step 1: Start Edge browser.

Step 2: Open the drop menu by clicking on the icon at the top right corner.

Step 3: From the drop menu select “Extensions”.

Step 4: Choose the suspected malicious extension you want to remove and then click on the gear icon.

Step 5: Remove the malicious extension by scrolling down and then clicking on Uninstall.

Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer Stop Push Pop-ups

Remove BitCoin Miner Virus from Safari.

Step 1: Start the Safari app.

Step 2: After hovering your mouse cursor to the top of the screen, click on the Safari text to open its drop down menu.

Step 3: From the menu, click on “Preferences”.

Step 4: After that, select the ‘Extensions’ Tab.

Step 5: Click once on the extension you want to remove.

Step 6: Click ‘Uninstall’.

A pop-up window will appear asking for confirmation to uninstall the extension. Select ‘Uninstall’ again, and the BitCoin Miner Virus will be removed.

How to Reset Safari
IMPORTANT: Before resetting Safari make sure you back up all your saved passwords within the browser in case you forget them.Start Safari and then click on the gear leaver icon.Click the Reset Safari button and you will reset the browser.

Windows Mac OS X Google Chrome Mozilla Firefox Microsoft Edge Safari Internet Explorer Stop Push Pop-ups

Eliminate BitCoin Miner Virus from Internet Explorer.

Step 1: Start Internet Explorer.

Step 2: Click on the gear icon labeled ‘Tools’ to open the drop menu and select ‘Manage Add-ons’

Step 3: In the ‘Manage Add-ons’ window.

Step 4: Select the extension you want to remove and then click ‘Disable’. A pop-up window will appear to inform you that you are about to disable the selected extension, and some more add-ons might be disabled as well. Leave all the boxes checked, and click ‘Disable’.

Step 5: After the unwanted extension has been removed, restart Internet Explorer by closing it from the red ‘X’ button located at the top right corner and start it again.

Remove Push Notifications caused by BitCoin Miner Virus from Your Browsers.

Turn Off Push Notifications from Google Chrome

To disable any Push Notices from Google Chrome browser, please follow the steps below:

Step 1: Go to Settings in Chrome.

Step 2: In Settings, select “Advanced Settings”:

Step 3: Click “Content Settings”:

Step 4: Open “Notifications”:

Step 5: Click the three dots and choose Block, Edit or Remove options:

Remove Push Notifications on Firefox

Step 1: Go to Firefox Options.

Step 2: Go to “Settings”, type “notifications” in the search bar and click “Settings”:

Step 3: Click “Remove” on any site you wish notifications gone and click “Save Changes”

Stop Push Notifications on Opera

Step 1: In Opera, press ALT+P to go to Settings.

Step 2: In Setting search, type “Content” to go to Content Settings.

Step 3: Open Notifications:

Step 4: Do the same as you did with Google Chrome (explained below):

Eliminate Push Notifications on Safari

Step 1: Open Safari Preferences.

Step 2: Choose the domain from where you like push pop-ups gone and change to “Deny” from “Allow”.

BitCoin Miner Virus FAQ

What is BitCoin Miner Virus?

The BitCoin Miner Virus threat is adware or browser redirect virus. It may slow your computer down siginficantly and display advertisements. The main idea is for your information to likely get stolen or more ads to appear on your device.

The creators of such unwanted apps work with pay-per-click schemes to get your computer to visit risky or different types of websites that may generate them funds. This is why they do not even care what types of websites show up on the ads. This makes their unwanted software indirectly risky for your OS.

What are the symptoms of BitCoin Miner Virus?

There are several symptoms to look for when this particular threat and also unwanted apps in general are active:

Symptom #1: Your computer may become slow and has poor performance in general.

Symtpom #2: You have toolbars, add-ons or extensions on your web browsers that you don’t remember adding.

Symptom #3: You see all types of ads, like ad-supported search results, pop-ups and redirects to randomly appear.

Symptom #4: You see installed apps on your Mac running automatically and you do not remember installing them.

Symptom #5: You see suspicious processes running in your Task Manager.

If you see one or more of those symptoms, then security experts reccomend that you check your computer for viruses.

What types of Unwanted Programs are there?

According to most malware researchers and cyber-security experts, the threats that can currently affect your Mac can be the following types:

• Rogue Antivirus programs.
• Adware.
• Browser hijackers.
• Clickers.
• Fake optimizers.

What to do if I have a “virus” like BitCoin Miner Virus?

Do not panic! You can easily get rid of most adware or unwanted program threats by firstly isolating them and then removing them from your browser and computer. One reccomended way to do that is by using a reputable malware removal software that can take care of the removal automatically for you. There are many anti-malware apps out there that you can choose from. SpyHunter is one of the reccomended anti-malware apps, that can scan your computer for free and detect any viruses, tracking cookies and unwanted adware apps and eliminate them quickly. This saves time when compared to doing the removal manually.

How to secure my passwords and other data from BitCoin Miner Virus?

how to remove bitcoin miner virus

With few simple actions. First and foremost, it is imperative that you follow these steps:

Step 1: Find a safe computer and connect it to another network, not the one that your Mac was infected in.

Step 2: Change all of your passwords, starting from your e-mail passwords.

Step 3: Enable two-factor authentication for protection of your important accounts.

Step 4: Call your bank to change your credit card details (secret code, etc.) if you have saved your credit card for online shopping or have done online activiites with your card.

Step 5: Make sure to call your ISP (Internet provider or carrier) and ask them to change your IP address.

Step 6: Change your Wi-Fi password.

Step 7: (Optional): Make sure to scan all of the devices connected to your network for viruses and repeat these steps for them if they are affected.

Step 8: Install anti-malware software with real-time protection on every device you have.

Step 9: Try not to download software from sites you know nothing about and stay away from low-reputation websites in general.

If you follow these reccomendations, your network and all devices will become significantly more secure against any threats or information invasive software and be virus free and protected in the future too.

More tips you can find on our website, where you can also ask any questions and comment underneath the articles about your computer problems. We will try to respond as fast as possible.