This article has been made in order to help you by explaining how to remove the conhost.exe cryptocurrency miner malware from your computer system and how to protect yourself against future infections.
A new cryptocurrency mining trojan, known as the conhost.exe miner has been reported to use the CPU and GPU of the victim’s computer in order to mine for the cryptocurrency Monero. The malware has been reported to run an executable that imitates the legitimate Console Windows Host process. However, instead of being the legitimate executable Conhost.exe the process actually belongs to a miner malware whose primary purpose is to use your computer’s resources, which results in your PC becoming sluggish and even freezing at times. More so, if the conhost.exe miner remains for longer periods of time on your computer system, the malware may begin to break components of your PC due to overheating and overusing them.
Threat Summary
| Name | conhost.exe Virus |
| Type | CryptoCurrency Miner |
| Short Description | Aims to infect your computer and use it’s CPU, GPU and other resources to turn it into a miner for cryptocurrencies. |
| Symptoms | Hightened CPU and GPU usage and overheating. The victim PC may break if this virus mines for longer periods of time. |
| Distribution Method | Spam Emails, Email Attachments, Executable files |
| Detection Tool |
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User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss conhost.exe Virus. |
Conhost.exe Monero Miner – Infection
The Conhost.exe process is basically the program CPUMiner which has been re-modified to be slithered into the computers of victims by being malicious. In addition to this, the software can also be created to run silently and automatically after an infection takes place. The Conhost.exe virus may arrive on your computer via different deceptive methods, the main of which may be via e-mail spam messages. Such methods often result in tricking victims into opening either an e-mail attachment or clicking on a web link which is on the e-mail itself:
In addition to via e-mail, the malware may also be spread via other ways, such as:
- Pretending to be a software setup.
- Fake key generators available online.
- Fraudulent software licence activators.
- Fake game patches or cracks.
Conhost.exe Trojan – Malicious Activity
The conhost.exe miner is the type of malware that you do not wish residing on your computer. It uses the CryptoNight miner algorithm to calculate so-called hashes which are used to sum up blocks on the blockchain of Monero and hence mine cryptocurrency tokens by utilizing your CPU to do those calculations on the hashes. The virus begins it’s malicious activity by dropping the conhost.exe process in the following directory:
%AppData%\Roaming\Microsoft
After having done this, the program runs a modified copy of the CPUMiner software, which is a legitimate program that uses your central processor’s power to mine for various digital currencies in mining pools. The conhost.exe miner then connects to the following miner pool:
alnamrood.ru:8080
5.8.35.195
This has been reported to be a Monero mining pool and it basically is a virtual place which combines the power of many computers in order to ease the difficulty and mine for cryptocurrencies faster. The difference here is that the cyber-criminal who is behind the cohnost.exe Monero miner may have already infected hundreds of computers and might be mining a lot from the cryptocurrency and the longer the malware stays on the computer of the victim the more Monero tokens will be added to the wallet linking all the conhost.exe infected computers.
Having conhost.exe running on your computer may lead to several negative outcomes for it’s components, especially if it runs constantly. The malware may damage the components of your computer due to overheating them if it remains in the long term and since it utilizes over 80% of your central processor at all times, it is advisable to immedately stop conhost.exe in Windows Task Manager if you detect it.
Furthermore, the conhost.exe malware may also perform other hidden activities on your computer, such as add registry entries to make it run uninterrupted and automatically as you start your OS. The Windows registry sub-keys which may be attacked could be the following:
HKCU\SOFTWARE\MICROSOFT\
HKCU\SOFTWARE\MICROSOFT\INTERNET ACCOUNT MANAGER\ACCOUNTS\
HKCU\IDENTITIES\
HKCU\SOFTWARE\MICROSOFT\OFFICE\OUTLOOK\OMI ACCOUNT MANAGER\ACCOUNTS
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
In addition to this, the conhost.exe CPU miner malware may also perform other malicious activities on your computer system, since it is malware after all. These activities may originate from it’s other modules that may reside in the following Windows directories:
- %AppData%
- %Local%
- %LocalLow%
- %Roaming%
In addition to this, the malware may also perform malicious activities that are similar to what a Trojan horse would do on your computer system. These include:
- Using keylogger to collect your keystrokes.
- Taking screenshots on your computer.
- Stealing files from your computer.
- Stealing passwords and login identifications.
How to Detect and Remove Conhost.exe Miner Malware
In order to detect and remove this miner malware, recommendations are to immediately focus on isolating this malware prior to removing it. In addition to this, the malware may also begin to perform various type of malicious activities on the computer of the user which point out that while you may follow the manual removal instructions below to perform the removal, the best course of action is to remove conhost.exe miner automatically by downloading an advanced anti-malware software, designed to detect and remove all the malicious objects, associated with conhost.exe on your computer system and protect it against future infections as well.
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 conhost.exe Virus.
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 conhost.exe Virus with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
Step 2: Clean any registries, created by conhost.exe 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 conhost.exe Virus 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 conhost.exe Virus 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.
conhost.exe Virus FAQ
What Does conhost.exe Virus Trojan Do?
The conhost.exe Virus 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 conhost.exe Virus, 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 conhost.exe Virus 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 factory reset.
Can conhost.exe Virus 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 conhost.exe Virus Research
The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this conhost.exe 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 trojan problem.
How did we conduct the research on conhost.exe Virus?
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 conhost.exe Virus threat is backed with VirusTotal.
To better understand the threat posed by trojans, please refer to the following articles which provide knowledgeable details.
Mil gracias por la información me ha sido más útil de lo que esperaba, gracias a Spyhunter me he deshecho de más de 800 malware de mi pc.