How to remove XMRIG virus?

What is XMRIG Virus?

XMRIG is a completely legitimate open-source application that utilizes system CPUs to mine Monero cryptocurrency. Unfortunately, criminals generate revenue by infiltrating this app into systems without users' consent. This deceptive marketing method is called "bundling".

In most cases, "bundling" is used to infiltrate several potentially unwanted programs (PUAs) at once. So, there is a high probability that XMRIG Virus came with a number of adware-type applications that deliver intrusive ads and gather sensitive information.

Cryptohijacking in detail

Cryptomining is a process by which computers solve various mathematical equations. For each solution, a fraction of a cryptocurrency coin (in this case, Monero) is rewarded. The more powerful the hardware, the more revenue you generate. In fact, using low-end hardware is inefficient - electricity use is equivalent to, or higher, than revenue generated.

Therefore, the entire process is costly and often not viable. To avoid this problem, criminals employ regular users' computers. They infiltrate systems with cryptomining applications (in this case, XMRIG Virus) and generate revenue passively. Note that victims receive nothing in return for the use of their systems.

Furthermore, the mining process can take up to 100% of hardware (in this case, CPU) resources. This renders computers unstable and virtually unusable - they barely respond and might crash, leading to possible permanent data loss.

In addition, fully-utilized hardware generates excessive heat. In certain circumstances (high room temperatures, bad cooling systems, etc.), mining can damage the hardware - components simply overheat. For these reasons, cryptomining applications that infiltrated the system without permission must be uninstalled immediately (even if they are legitimate).

As mentioned above, there is a high probability that the XMRIG Virus came together with a number of adware-type PUAs. These programs deliver various intrusive advertisements (e.g., coupons, banners, pop-ups, etc.) To achieve this, developers employ various tools that enable placement of third party graphical content on any site.

Therefore, intrusive ads often conceal underlying website content, thereby significantly diminishing the browsing experience. In addition, the ads might redirect to malicious sites and even execute scripts that stealthily download and install malware/PUAs. Therefore, even a single accidental click can result in high-risk computer infections.

Another important issue is data tracking. Research shows that adware typically gathers various data (e.g., IP addresses, website URLs visited, pages viewed, search queries, keystrokes, etc.) that includes personal information.

This data is shared with third parties (potentially, cyber criminals) who generate revenue by misusing personal details. The presence of data-tracking apps can thus lead to serious privacy issues or even identity theft. You are strongly advised to uninstall all potentially unwanted programs immediately.

Threat Summary:

Name	XMRig CPU Miner
Threat Type	Trojan, Crypto Miner
Detection Names	Avast (Win64:Trojan-gen), BitDefender (Trojan.GenericKD.43163708), ESET-NOD32 (Win64/CoinMiner.YZ), Kaspersky (HEUR:Trojan.Win32.Generic), Microsoft (Trojan:Win64/CoinMiner.WE), Full List Of Detections (VirusTotal)
Symptoms	Significantly decreased system performance, CPU resource usage.
Distribution methods	Deceptive pop-up ads, free software installers (bundling), fake flash player installers.
Damage	Decreased computer performance, browser tracking - privacy issues, possible additional malware infections.
Malware Removal (Windows)	To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. ▼ Download Combo Cleaner To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Potentially unwanted programs in general

There are hundreds of potentially unwanted programs, all of which are virtually identical. By offering a wide range of "useful features", PUAs attempt to give the impression of legitimacy and trick users to install.

In fact, these programs deliver no real value for regular users - their only purpose is to generate revenue for the developers, deliver intrusive advertisements, and gather sensitive information, thereby posing a direct threat to your privacy and Internet browsing safety.

How did potentially unwanted programs install on my computer?

A small percentage of PUAs have official download/promotion websites, however, most infiltrate systems without users' consent, since developers proliferate them using the aforementioned intrusive advertisements and a deceptive marketing method called "bundling" (stealth installation of PUAs together with regular software/apps).

Developers hide "bundled" programs within "Custom/Advanced" settings (or other sections) of the download/installation processes - they do not disclose this information properly. Furthermore, many users skip these steps and click various advertisements.

This behavior often leads to inadvertent installation of PUAs - users expose their systems to risk of various infections and compromise their privacy.

How to avoid installation of potentially unwanted applications?

Careless behavior and lack of knowledge are the main reasons for computer infections. The key to safety is caution. Therefore, pay close attention when browsing the Internet and downloading/installing software. Bear in mind that intrusive advertisements typically seem legitimate, but once clicked, redirect to dubious websites.

If you encounter these ads, immediately remove all suspicious applications and browser plug-ins. Furthermore, closely analyze each step of the download/installation processes and opt-out of all additionally-included programs. We also advise you to avoid using third party downloaders/installers, since developers monetize them by promoting PUAs.

Software should be downloaded from official sources only, using direct download links. If your computer is already infected with PUAs, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate them.

CPU usage during the mining process and XMRIG process in Task Manager:

Screenshot of a rogue website which promotes a fake Adobe Flash Player installer/updater designed to infiltrate XMRig CPU Miner (rogue variant of XMRig miner) into the system:

Screenshot of XMRig CPU Miner process in Windows Task Manager:

XMRig CPU Miner takes up to 50% of system's CPU when the system is idle:

Update 26 August 2020 - Cyber criminals distribute the latest version of the XMRIG through fake Malwarebytes installation files (e.g., "MBSetup2.exe"). 

Their setup assistants (installation setups) are created with the Inno Setup tool. They are designed to look like legitimate installers, although, they are different from the actual (official) Malwarebytes installer and cannot be downloaded from official Malwarebytes website (or other distribution channels).

Instant automatic malware removal: Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced IT skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of malware. Download it by clicking the button below:
▼ DOWNLOAD Combo Cleaner By downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Quick menu:

• What is XMRIG Virus?
• STEP 1. Uninstall deceptive applications using Control Panel.
• STEP 2. Remove rogue extensions from Google Chrome.
• STEP 3. Remove potentially unwanted plug-ins from Mozilla Firefox.
• STEP 4. Remove rogue extensions from Safari.
• STEP 5. Remove rogue plug-ins from Microsoft Edge.

Removal of potentially unwanted applications:

Windows 11 users:

Right-click on the Start icon, select Apps and Features. In the opened window search for the application you want to uninstall, after locating it, click on the three vertical dots and select Uninstall.

Windows 10 users:

Right-click in the lower left corner of the screen, in the Quick Access Menu select Control Panel. In the opened window choose Programs and Features.

Windows 7 users:

Click Start (Windows Logo at the bottom left corner of your desktop), choose Control Panel. Locate Programs and click Uninstall a program.

macOS (OSX) users:

Click Finder, in the opened screen select Applications. Drag the app from the Applications folder to the Trash (located in your Dock), then right click the Trash icon and select Empty Trash.

In the uninstall programs window, look for any suspicious/recently-installed applications, select these entries and click "Uninstall" or "Remove".

After uninstalling the potentially unwanted application, scan your computer for any remaining unwanted components or possible malware infections. To scan your computer, use recommended malware removal software.

Remove rogue extensions from Internet browsers:

Video showing how to remove potentially unwanted browser add-ons:

Remove malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

Click the Chrome menu icon  (at the top right corner of Google Chrome), select "More tools" and click "Extensions". Locate all recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons and remove them.

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the xmrig cpu miner, reset your Google Chrome browser settings. Click the Chrome menu icon  (at the top right corner of Google Chrome) and select Settings. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen. Click the Advanced… link.

After scrolling to the bottom of the screen, click the Reset (Restore settings to their original defaults) button.

In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Google Chrome settings to default by clicking the Reset button.

Remove malicious plugins from Mozilla Firefox:

Click the Firefox menu (at the top right corner of the main window), select "Add-ons". Click on "Extensions", in the opened window remove all recently-installed suspicious browser plug-ins.

Optional method:

Computer users who have problems with xmrig cpu miner removal can reset their Mozilla Firefox settings.

Open Mozilla Firefox, at the top right corner of the main window, click the Firefox menu, in the opened menu, click Help.

Select Troubleshooting Information.

In the opened window, click the Refresh Firefox button.

In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Mozilla Firefox settings to default by clicking the Refresh Firefox button.

Remove malicious extensions from Safari:

Make sure your Safari browser is active, click Safari menu, and select Preferences....

In the opened window click Extensions, locate any recently installed suspicious extension, select it and click Uninstall.

Optional method:

Make sure your Safari browser is active and click on Safari menu. From the drop down menu select Clear History and Website Data...

In the opened window select all history and click the Clear History button.

Remove malicious extensions from Microsoft Edge:

Click the Edge menu icon  (at the upper-right corner of Microsoft Edge), select "Extensions". Locate all recently-installed suspicious browser add-ons and click "Remove" below their names.

Optional method:

If you continue to have problems with removal of the xmrig cpu miner, reset your Microsoft Edge browser settings. Click the Edge menu icon  (at the top right corner of Microsoft Edge) and select Settings.

In the opened settings menu select Reset settings.

Select Restore settings to their default values. In the opened window, confirm that you wish to reset Microsoft Edge settings to default by clicking the Reset button.

• If this did not help, follow these alternative instructions explaining how to reset the Microsoft Edge browser.

Summary:

Commonly, adware or potentially unwanted applications infiltrate Internet browsers through free software downloads. Note that the safest source for downloading free software is via developers' websites only. To avoid installation of adware, be very attentive when downloading and installing free software. When installing previously-downloaded free programs, choose the custom or advanced installation options – this step will reveal any potentially unwanted applications listed for installation together with your chosen free program.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the purpose of an unwanted application?

It depends on the type of application. Unwanted applications can be designed to deliver intrusive advertisements, collect information, hijack browsers. In this case, it is designed to mine cryptocurrency.

Is XMRIG program legal?

XMRIG is a legitimate open-source cryptocurrency miner that utilizes system CPUs to mine Monero. However, cybercriminals can trick users into installing XMRIG to mine cryptocurrency using their computers without their knowledge.

Is having XMRIG installed on my computer dangerous?

XMRIG is not malicious, but it uses computer resources to mine cryptocurrency, which can lead to higher electricity bills, decreased computer performance, system crashes, hardware overheating.

Will Combo Cleaner help me remove XMRIG miner?

Yes, Combo Cleaner will scan your computer and eliminate all unwanted programs. It is recommended to remove unwanted programs with specialized software since manual removal does not always work (for example, files belonging to unwanted programs remain in the system even when they are no longer installed).

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