What Is MessengerTime Miner
MessengerTime is the name of a dangerous malware that aims to enroll your computer in a cryptocurrency mining scheme. This nasty application’s main purpose is to get in your computer silently and run a process in an .exe file. This process start to overuse your CPU (processor) and GPU (graphics card) in order to perform cryptocurrency mining operations. With the BitCoin price soaring, we see a lot of crypto mining malware to appear lately.
Read this article to learn how you can detect and fully delete MessengerTime malware from your computer and stop it from mining.
MessengerTime Miner Summary
| Name | MessengerTime |
| Type | Miner Trojan |
| Short Description | May change settings of your computer to use its CPU and GPU resources to mine for BitCoin, Monero or other cryptocurrencies without your consent or knowledge. May steal your information. |
| Symptoms | Your computer may become extremely slow and may freeze or stutter at times. |
| Distribution Method | Web pages which may advertise it. Via spam e-mail attachments. |
| Detection Tool |
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User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss MessengerTime. |
MessengerTime Miner Miner Trojan – How Does It Work?
MessengerTime is a cryptocurrency miner virus. Other similar viruses like it include the Lsmma.exe miner, BitCoin Mining Machine and RunServicesX.
But MessengerTime is malware and like any other malware it may use the typical distribution channels. One of them is if this malware is sent to you in the form of an e-mail attachment that may have been created in order to pose as legitimate document. Such documents often end up being:
- Invoices or purchase receipts.
- Documents from your work.
- Bank-related files.
- Tickers for flights.
Once you download and run those virus files, infection with MessengerTime is immediate.
Another way of distribution that may also be used by this malware is if it has been uploaded on several virus websites, where it could pretend to be a program you are seeking to download. Some sites even auto-generate a fake program name, based on what you searched in Google. Such fake programs often include:
- A patch.
- Crackfix.
- Installer.
- Driver.
- Portable program.
- Keygen.
When the file is downloaded and ran, the virus may use an obfuscator that hides it from a traditional antivirus and may use other tricks to bypass your firewall and open a port on your computer. This activates the infection of MessengerTime and once you are infected, this malware may drop its .dll, .tmp and .exe files. They may likely be located in the following Windows directories:
- %AppData%
- %Local%
- %LocalLow%
- %Temp%
- %Roaming%
These files often have different filenames to make them hard to detect. For example MessengerTime, may be called messengertime.exe if you detect it in the Windows Task Manager.
The main purpose of malware, from the likes of MessengerTime is to appear like a legitimate program, but perform Trojan-like activities, starting with mining for cryptocurrencies. The mining process that is running in the background of your computer may connect to a remote server that may enroll your machine in a so-called miner pool. This pool includes the other infected computers and the more PCs these criminals infect, the more BitCoins or Monero tokens they will mine for shorter periods of time.
The outcome of this mining process is that they get rich at the expense of a high electricity bill for you and your computer overheating often. This malware also slows down your computer a lot in terms of performance and if it stays for longer periods of time may damage it.
And since MessengerTime miner may also have a malware component in it, it could perform spyware actions on your PC, such as:
- Log the keystrokes you type.
- Activate your camera and microphone.
- Locate you by your IP address.
- Extract any passwords you have saved.
- Steal files.
These reasons are why you should remove this threat immediately from your computer without any hesitation.
Remove MessengerTime Miner Virus from Your Computer
To get rid of MessengerTime from your computer system, we would strongly recommend that you follow the steps below. The guide has been made so that you can safely isolate and get rid of this malware effectively. For best removal, our advice is to detect and delete all files of this virus by using an advanced anti-malware software, which scans your computer fully. Such a security program has been created to erase any apps with unwanted behavior plus malware and make sure it is malware-free in the future.
Ventsislav Krastev
Ventsislav is a cybersecurity expert at SensorsTechForum since 2015. He has been researching, covering, helping victims with the latest malware infections plus testing and reviewing software and the newest tech developments. Having graduated Marketing as well, Ventsislav also has passion for learning new shifts and innovations in cybersecurity that become game changers. After studying Value Chain Management, Network Administration and Computer Administration of System Applications, he found his true calling within the cybersecrurity industry and is a strong believer in the education of every user towards online safety and security.
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Preparation before removing MessengerTime.
Before starting the actual removal process, we recommend that you do the following preparation steps.
- Make sure you have these instructions always open and in front of your eyes.
- Do a backup of all of your files, even if they could be damaged. You should back up your data with a cloud backup solution and insure your files against any type of loss, even from the most severe threats.
- Be patient as this could take a while.
- Scan for Malware
- Fix Registries
- Remove Virus Files
Step 1: Scan for MessengerTime with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
Step 2: Clean any registries, created by MessengerTime 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 MessengerTime there. This can happen by following the steps underneath:
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.Step 3: Find virus files created by MessengerTime on your PC.
1.For Windows 8, 8.1 and 10.
For Newer Windows Operating Systems
1: On your keyboard press + R and write explorer.exe in the Run text box and then click on the Ok button.
2: Click on your PC from the quick access bar. This is usually an icon with a monitor and its name is either “My Computer”, “My PC” or “This PC” or whatever you have named it.
3: Navigate to the search box in the top-right of your PC's screen and type “fileextension:” and after which type the file extension. If you are looking for malicious executables, an example may be "fileextension:exe". After doing that, leave a space and type the file name you believe the malware has created. Here is how it may appear if your file has been found:
N.B. We recommend to wait for the green loading bar in the navigation box to fill up in case the PC is looking for the file and hasn't found it yet.
2.For Windows XP, Vista, and 7.
For Older Windows Operating Systems
In older Windows OS's the conventional approach should be the effective one:
1: Click on the Start Menu icon (usually on your bottom-left) and then choose the Search preference.
2: After the search window appears, choose More Advanced Options from the search assistant box. Another way is by clicking on All Files and Folders.
3: After that type the name of the file you are looking for and click on the Search button. This might take some time after which results will appear. If you have found the malicious file, you may copy or open its location by right-clicking on it.
Now you should be able to discover any file on Windows as long as it is on your hard drive and is not concealed via special software.
MessengerTime FAQ
What Does MessengerTime Trojan Do?
The MessengerTime Trojan is a malicious computer program designed to disrupt, damage, or gain unauthorized access to a computer system. It can be used to steal sensitive data, gain control over a system, or launch other malicious activities.
Can Trojans Steal Passwords?
Yes, Trojans, like MessengerTime, can steal passwords. These malicious programs are designed to gain access to a user's computer, spy on victims and steal sensitive information such as banking details and passwords.
Can MessengerTime Trojan Hide Itself?
Yes, it can. A Trojan can use various techniques to mask itself, including rootkits, encryption, and obfuscation, to hide from security scanners and evade detection.
Can a Trojan be Removed by Factory Reset?
Yes, a Trojan can be removed by factory resetting your device. This is because it will restore the device to its original state, eliminating any malicious software that may have been installed. Bear in mind that there are more sophisticated Trojans that leave backdoors and reinfect even after a factory reset.
Can MessengerTime Trojan Infect WiFi?
Yes, it is possible for a Trojan to infect WiFi networks. When a user connects to the infected network, the Trojan can spread to other connected devices and can access sensitive information on the network.
Can Trojans Be Deleted?
Yes, Trojans can be deleted. This is typically done by running a powerful anti-virus or anti-malware program that is designed to detect and remove malicious files. In some cases, manual deletion of the Trojan may also be necessary.
Can Trojans Steal Files?
Yes, Trojans can steal files if they are installed on a computer. This is done by allowing the malware author or user to gain access to the computer and then steal the files stored on it.
Which Anti-Malware Can Remove Trojans?
Anti-malware programs such as SpyHunter are capable of scanning for and removing Trojans from your computer. It is important to keep your anti-malware up to date and regularly scan your system for any malicious software.
Can Trojans Infect USB?
Yes, Trojans can infect USB devices. USB Trojans typically spread through malicious files downloaded from the internet or shared via email, allowing the hacker to gain access to a user's confidential data.
About the MessengerTime Research
The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this MessengerTime how-to removal guide included, is the outcome of extensive research, hard work and our team’s devotion to help you remove the specific trojan problem.
How did we conduct the research on MessengerTime?
Please note that our research is based on an independent investigation. We are in contact with independent security researchers, thanks to which we receive daily updates on the latest malware definitions, including the various types of trojans (backdoor, downloader, infostealer, ransom, etc.)
Furthermore, the research behind the MessengerTime threat is backed with VirusTotal.
To better understand the threat posed by trojans, please refer to the following articles which provide knowledgeable details.