How to remove CryptoStealer malware

What kind of malware is CryptoStealer?

CryptoStealer is a generic name for viruses that steal crypto-currencies and cryptocurrency wallets. During the last few years, cryptomining has become very popular, especially after Bitcoin's success in the last quarter of 2017. This drew much attention and investment in the currency.

Cyber criminals also took an interest in the currency as a convenient way to generate revenue, especially since the transactions are anonymous.

These people began stealing cryptocurrencies using various techniques including hijacking poorly-protected websites (modifying website content by changing the owner's cryptowallet address to their own) and development of high-risk malware that steals account credentials and performs other malicious actions.

More about cryptocurrency stealers

Although cyber criminals use numerous methods to steal cryptocurrency, here we detail malicious applications that engage in this activity. Some malware helps cyber criminals to steal cryptocurrency and cryptowallet details. Most of these viruses steal saved logins/passwords, browser cookies, record screen activity, keystrokes, and browsing habits.

Recorded information is saved to a remote command and control (C&C) server. In this way, cyber criminals gain access to users' cryptocurrency wallets and are able transfer the funds to their own. Many people use the same email address, login details and passwords to access multiple accounts.

Therefore, stolen data can be misused by criminals to access users' credit cards and steal savings. Furthermore, these people often use stolen emails and social network accounts to further proliferate the malware. Other viruses monitor users' online activity.

The malware detects when the user is attempting to transfer cryptocurrency and changes the recipient's wallet address to that of cyber criminals. Bear in mind that the cryptowallet address is a long string of random characters. Therefore, users are unlikely to notice these changes and can inadvertently transfer funds to cyber criminals, rather than their intended recipient.

Other crypto-related malware

Other viruses do not steal personal information but misuse system resources to mine cryptocurrency with all revenue going to cyber criminals. Mining can take up to 100% of system resources, thus making the computer unstable (or crash) and virtually unusable (it barely responds). Most of these viruses work in the background and are hidden.

Therefore, users are often unable to detect their presence. The only traces that these viruses typically leave are files hidden somewhere deep in system folders and processes with dubious names in Windows Task Manager.

Some of these processes use names that seem legitimate as a disguise (e.g., sys32.exe, system.exe, etc.), thus making them difficult for regular users to distinguish.

If you suspect that your computer is infected, funds have disappeared from your cryptowallet, or your credit card limit has been exceeded, immediately scan your computer with a reputable anti-virus/anti-spyware suite and eliminate all detected threats. Furthermore, remove all suspicious applications and browser plug-ins.

How did CryptoStealer infiltrate my computer?

As mentioned above, there are many crypto-stealing viruses out there. The list of examples includes (but it is not limited to) Torrent Movies, Vidar, CookieMiner, AZORult, Spy.Delf, TrickBot, CryptoShuffler, and many others.

These viruses are developed by different cyber criminals and, thus, their behavior might slightly differ, however, their main goal is identical: to help cyber criminals generate revenue by stealing from unsuspecting users. Therefore, elimination of such viruses is extremely important.

How did CryptoStealer infiltrate my computer?

To proliferate trojans, cyber criminals often use spam campaigns, fake software updaters, unofficial software download sources, software cracks, and other trojans. Spam campaigns are used to spread malicious attachments (e.g., links/documents).

These emails typically contain deceptive messages encouraging users to open the attachments, however, this often leads to high-risk computer infections. Fake software updaters infect computers by exploiting outdated software bugs/flaws or simply downloading and installing malware rather than promised/expected updates.

Third-party software download sources (peer-to-peer [P2P] networks, free file hosting sites, freeware download websites, etc.) present malicious executables as legitimate software, thereby tricking users into downloading and installing malware. Software cracks are used to bypass software activation, however, criminals often use these fake tools to spread viruses.

Rather than activating paid software, users often end up infecting their computers. Some trojans are designed to cause so-called "chain infections" - they infiltrate computers and continually inject additional malware into the system.

How to avoid installation of malware?

The main reasons for computer infections are poor knowledge and careless behavior. The key to safety is caution. Therefore, pay attention when browsing the internet and downloading, installing, and updating software. Carefully analyze each email message received.

If the sender seems suspicious/unrecognizable or the attachment does not relate to you, do not open any attached file/link and delete the email immediately. Furthermore, download apps from official sources only, using direct download links. Third party downloaders/installers often include rogue apps, and thus these tools should never be used.

Keep installed applications/operating systems up-to-date using implemented functions or tools provided by the official developer only.

Never use software cracks since using pirated software is considered a cyber crime, and you risk computer infection. Having a reputable anti-virus/anti-spyware suite installed and running is also paramount. If you believe that your computer is already infected, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate infiltrated malware.

How to remove malware manually?

Most trojan infections can be removed by running a full system scan with Combo Cleaner. The full manual procedure below is for cases where automatic removal failed, where you want to verify a scan caught everything, or where the threat has multiple persistence points.

Tools you'll need

Combo Cleaner Antivirus 7-days free trial

Recommended primary scanner. VB100 certified. The 7-day free trial is available.

Microsoft Defender Offline Free · built-in

Built into Windows. Boots to a clean environment to catch rootkits.

Process Explorer Free

From Microsoft Sysinternals. Better than Task Manager - shows full paths and signatures.

Autoruns Free

From Microsoft Sysinternals. Lists every place malware can persist on your system.

Microsoft Safety Scanner (MSERT) Free

Official Microsoft on-demand scanner. Always-current signatures - expires every 10 days.

Phase 1~ 5 min

Contain - limit the damage

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1

Disconnect from the network

30 secNo tool needed

Unplug your Ethernet cable and turn off Wi-Fi. If you're on a laptop, the airplane-mode key works fastest.

Why this matters

Many trojans exfiltrate data - saved browser passwords, banking sessions, screenshots - and accept remote commands. Cutting the network stops both immediately. Keep it disconnected until Phase 4.

2

Boot into Safe Mode with Networking

3 min

Safe Mode loads a minimal set of drivers and stops most malware from auto-running. "With Networking" lets you download tools - re-enable Wi-Fi only after you've booted in.

Windows 11

Open Settings → System → Recovery. Click Restart now next to Advanced startup.

Your computer will restart into the "Choose an option" menu. Click Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Settings → Restart. After the second reboot, press 5 or F5.

Windows 10

Click the Windows logo, hold Shift, click the Power icon and choose Restart. In the Choose an option screen, click Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Settings → Restart. Press F5.

Windows 8

Go to the Start Screen, type Advanced, select Settings → Advanced startup options → Restart now → Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup settings → Restart → F5.

Note: Windows 8 reached end-of-life in January 2023 - running on it puts you at much higher risk of reinfection.

Windows 7

Click Start → Shut Down → Restart → OK. As the system boots, press F8 repeatedly until the Windows Advanced Options menu appears, then choose Safe Mode with Networking.

Note: Windows 7 reached end-of-life in January 2020 - running on it puts you at much higher risk of reinfection.

Phase 2~ 15 min

Identify - find what's hiding

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3

Inspect running processes with Process Explorer

Tool: Process Explorer5 min

Download Process Explorer from Microsoft Sysinternals. Run it as Administrator. Click Options → Verify Image Signatures and View → Lower Pane View → DLLs.

Sort by "Verified Signer." Anything unsigned running from %AppData%, %LocalAppData%, %Temp%, or %ProgramData% is suspicious. Right-click → Properties to see the full image path. Right-click → "Search Online" to look up unfamiliar process names.

Why not just Task Manager

Task Manager hides full file paths, doesn't show digital signatures, and groups processes in ways that make malware easy to miss. Process Explorer is the same tool Microsoft engineers use.

4

Map every persistence point with Autoruns

Tool: Autoruns 14.x10 min

Download Autoruns. Right-click Autoruns.exe and choose Run as administrator - without elevation, Autoruns can't inspect protected registry hives.

In the menu, open Options → Hide Microsoft Entries and Options → Hide Empty Locations, then click Refresh.

Modern trojans don't just live in startup. Walk through these tabs and look for unsigned or unfamiliar entries:

• Logon - classic Run/RunOnce keys
• Scheduled Tasks - frequent hiding spot, especially tasks with PowerShell, MSHTA, or rundll32 actions
• Services - unsigned services in non-Microsoft folders
• WMI - Event Subscriptions are a stealthy persistence mechanism (MITRE T1546.003)
• Image Hijacks - Image File Execution Options "Debugger" abuse
• AppInit - DLLs loaded into every GUI process
• Browser plug-ins - unsigned add-ons across all installed browsers

Pro tip

Right-click any suspicious entry → "Jump to Image" to see the actual file. Right-click → "Search Online" opens VirusTotal for the file hash. Don't delete yet - just write down the file paths and entry names. We'll remove them after the scans.

5

Check the hosts file and DNS settings

3 minBuilt into Windows

Trojans often redirect bank, antivirus, and update domains to attacker-controlled servers by editing the hosts file or DNS settings.

Hosts file: Open Notepad as Administrator and open C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts. Legitimate entries are commented with #. Any uncommented IP-to-domain mapping is suspicious - especially redirects for microsoft.com, windowsupdate, or your bank.

DNS settings: Open Command Prompt as Administrator and run ipconfig /all. Confirm your DNS servers point to your ISP, your router, or a known public resolver (Cloudflare 1.1.1.1, Google 8.8.8.8). Then open Settings → Network & internet → [your adapter] → DNS server assignment and verify both DNS and DNS over HTTPS (DoH) settings haven't been hijacked.

Why this matters

A clean PC with hijacked DNS is still a compromised PC. You'll think you're at chase.com and you'll be at the attacker's clone.

Phase 3~ 60-90 min

Remove - three scans, one cleanup

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No single antivirus catches everything. The order below is intentional: offline scan first (catches rootkits before Windows fully loads), then on-demand scanners on the running system, then manual cleanup of anything they missed.

6

Run Microsoft Defender Offline

Tool: Built into Windows15 min

Reboot to normal Windows. Open Windows Security → Virus & threat protection → Scan options. Select Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan) and click Scan now. Your computer will restart into a stripped-down environment and scan before the full operating system loads.

Why this comes first

Rootkits and bootkits hide from any scanner running on the same Windows session that's already infected. A pre-boot offline scan sees the disk before the malware can hide itself.

Recommended antivirus

Combo Cleaner

VB100 certified. Includes anti-trojan, registry/persistence scanning, anti-spyware in one pass. The 7-day free trial is available.

Download Combo Cleaner

7

Run Combo Cleaner full system scan

Tool: Combo Cleaner20-40 min

Install Combo Cleaner and run a full system scan (not the quick scan). Let it complete fully, review the detected threats, and apply the recommended actions. Combo Cleaner will quarantine known trojans and registry persistence.

8

Run Microsoft Safety Scanner as a second-opinion scan

Tool: Microsoft Safety Scanner15 min

Download Microsoft Safety Scanner (MSERT.exe), Microsoft's free on-demand tool. The binary expires every 10 days, which means every download has the latest signatures. Run a full scan after Combo Cleaner to catch anything one engine alone might miss.

Why a second scan

Different scanning engines catch different threats. Running an additional Microsoft scan after Combo Cleaner is the single most underused verification step in malware removal.

9

Manually remove anything still listed in Autoruns

Tool: Autoruns10 min

Reopen Autoruns. Anything you flagged in Step 4 that's still present hasn't been caught by the automated scans. For each remaining suspicious entry: right-click → Delete in Autoruns (this removes the persistence registration), then navigate to the file path and delete the actual file. Empty the Recycle Bin.

Important

Some malware files reappear after deletion because something else on the system recreates them. If you delete a file and it returns within minutes, you have a remaining persistence point that Autoruns didn't show - usually a service or scheduled task running under SYSTEM. Re-run the scans from Steps 6-8 or proceed to a clean install (see end of guide).

Phase 4~ 15 min

Recover - restore browsers and security

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10

Reset browsers and clear notification permissions

5 min

Trojans and adware frequently hijack browsers - change the default search engine, install rogue extensions, or grant themselves notification permissions to keep displaying scam pop-ups even after the malware is gone.

• Chrome: visit chrome://settings/reset and click "Restore settings to their original defaults." Then visit chrome://settings/content/notifications and remove any unfamiliar sites.
• Edge: visit edge://settings/reset. Then check edge://settings/content/notifications.
• Firefox: open about:support and click Refresh Firefox (Firefox uses "Refresh," not "Reset"). Then check Settings → Privacy & Security → Permissions → Notifications.

Review installed extensions in each browser and remove anything you don't recognize, especially extensions you didn't install yourself.

11

Re-enable Defender, Tamper Protection, and update everything

10 min

Many trojans disable security software. Open Windows Security → Virus & threat protection → Manage settings and confirm Real-time protection, Cloud-delivered protection, and Tamper Protection are all turned on. Tamper Protection prevents malware from disabling Defender silently.

Then run Windows Update (Settings → Windows Update → Check for updates) and update your browsers and applications. The infection vector that let the trojan in originally usually involves outdated software.

Phase 5~ 15 min + 7 days

Verify & secure

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12

Change passwords from a clean device

20 min⚠ Critical

If the trojan was an info-stealer (Lumma, RedLine, Vidar, and similar are extremely common), assume every password saved in your browser is compromised. Change them from a different, known-clean device - your phone is fine if it's not infected.

Recommended order:

1. Primary email first - it's the recovery hub for everything else
2. Banking and financial accounts
3. Password manager master password (if you use one)
4. Social media, shopping, and remaining accounts

Where available, enable phishing-resistant multi-factor authentication (passkeys / FIDO2 hardware keys / authenticator apps) - SMS-based MFA is bypassable by sophisticated attackers.

13

Verify the clean and monitor for 7 days

5 min + 1 week monitoring

Reconnect to the network and run one final full scan with Combo Cleaner. Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and switch to the Startup apps tab - confirm nothing suspicious has reappeared.

Over the next 7 days, watch for symptom recurrence: unexpected high CPU usage, unknown processes returning, browser redirects, or pop-ups. If anything returns, you missed a persistence point and the procedure needs to be repeated - or you may have a deeper compromise that requires a clean install.

When to clean install Windows instead

Manual removal isn't always the right answer. Reinstalling Windows from scratch is the only way to be 100% certain when:

• The malware reappears after every removal attempt
• A bootkit or UEFI rootkit was detected (this class of threat sits below the operating system and survives a normal Windows reinstall)
• A confirmed credential-theft trojan ran with administrator privileges (Lumma, RedLine, Vidar) - the system likely has multiple unknown payloads
• The PC is used for online banking, business email, or anything where partial doubt isn't acceptable

A clean install is a 30-60 minute process: Windows 11 reinstall via Settings → System → Recovery → Reset this PC → Remove everything → Cloud download. Back up documents to external storage first, scan the backup with Combo Cleaner before restoring it, and reinstall applications fresh - never restore them from a backup of the infected system.

Important: Manual removal requires advanced computer skills. If you're not confident identifying system files from malicious files, run an automated scan with Combo Cleaner and Windows Defender and stop there - that path catches the vast majority of consumer trojans without the risk of breaking Windows by deleting the wrong file.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

My computer is infected with cryptocurrency stealer or miner, should I format my storage device to get rid of it?

No, malware of this type can be eliminated without formatting the infected storage device.

What is the purpose of a cryptocurrency stealers and miners?

Cryptocurrency stealers employ certain techniques allowing cybercriminals to drain cryptocurrency wallets. They steal login credentials or replace wallet addresses. Cryptocurrency miners use computer resources to mine Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies.

How did a malware infiltrate my computer?

Computers get infected when users execute malicious downloads by themselves. Usually, cybercriminals distribute malware via deceptive (or compromised) websites, fake software cracking tools (or installers for pirated software), untrustworthy sources for downloading files/programs. Also, they deliver malware via email by sending malicious files or website links.

Will Combo Cleaner protect me from malware?

Yes, Combo Cleaner can detect and eliminate almost all known pieces of malware. In order to remove high-end malware from the infected computer, it is required to scan it using a full system scan. Malware of this type can be hiding deep in the system.