This article has been created in order to explain what is the Xevan cryptocurrency miner Trojan and how to remove this malware and stop it from mining crypocurrency coins, using your video card.
A new Trojan horse has been detected by security researchers to overuse the GPU of the computers of victims to mine Xevan – supported coins by using the Xevan algorithm. The malware may come via different methods and it’s coin miner implementation may be a modification of the Limxtec sgminer or ccminer fork in order to mine cryptocurrencies without you even realizing it and generate profits for the cyber-criminals who are behind this virus. If your computer has been infected by the Xevan coin miner Trojan, we recommend that you read this article and learn how to remove this malware from your PC.
Threat Summary
| Name | Xevan Coin Miner |
| Type | CryptoCurrency Miner |
| Short Description | Uses the GPU on your computer in order to get it to mine for cryptocurrencies and generate profits to the cyber-criminals who are behind this virus. |
| Symptoms | Your computer may start to stagger and may even freeze at times. You Video Card (GPU) may overheat or show high usage and temperature, (often 100% utilization). |
| Distribution Method | Via malicious web links or files, posing as legitimate programs. |
| Detection Tool |
See If Your System Has Been Affected by malware
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Malware Removal Tool
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User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss Xevan Coin Miner. |
Xevan Coin Miner – How Did I Get It?
The Xevan Coin Miner Trojan may infect your computer system via a variety of ways, the main ones of which are believed to be via:
- E-mails that may carry malicious e-mail attachments embedded within them.
- E-mails carrying malicious web links.
- Malicious files, pretending to be installers of drivers, patches, cracks and other programs.
- Malicious web links that may be sent to the victim via the social media, chats or other forms of online communication.
If the Xevan coin miner is spread via malicious files, that are usually uploaded online, they may pose as:
- Setups of programs.
- Key generators.
- Game cracks or patches.
- Software license activators.
In case Xevan is spread via e-mail, the cyber-criminals may send you a message that only makes it appear as if it’s being sent to you from a big company, like DHL, PayPal, eBay and many other big companies. The e-mails often pretend that they contain legitimate types of files from the likes of invoices or other types of documents which may be convincing enough for the user to open them.
Xevan Coin Miner Trojan – Activity
Xevan Coin Miner is the type of malware which may download it’s malicious payload after having infected your computer system. This may ultimately result in the malware becoming active while you do not even notice it. It’s malicious files may be of the following file types:
→ .exe, .tmp, .dll, .vbs, .cmd
As soon as these files are dropped on the computer of the user, the miner malware may have them residing in the following Windows directories:
- %AppData%
- %Local%
- %LocalLow%
- %Roaming%
- %Temp%
When the Xevan Coin Miner drops it’s files, the virus may create mutexes on your computer and modify it’s Windows registry editor by adding Windows registry sub-keys with custom registry values in them that enable it to act as an administrator on your computer. In addition to this, the Xevan Coin Miner may also run a background process which may be with a suspicious name and location. The process may not overload your CPU, but instead it may heavily overuse your PC’s Video Card for it’s mining activities, which may increase the side heat of it, and even amortize it to a level where you may no longer be able to use it with the same quality as it was before that. But this may happen only if the miner is left for longer periods to run on your computer.
In addition to this, the Xevan miner is also the type of malware which is oriented only in the cryptocurrencies that are mineable using the Xevan algorithm for mining. These are the following as far as we know:
Solaris – XLR
Nanucoin – NNC
Northern Coin – NORT
Amsterdam Coin – AMS
XHIMERA – XHM
B-Hash – HASH
When the Xevan miner is installed on your computer and ran, you may not notice it. But the symptoms of your PC becoming slow and freezing at times may appear eventually, especially if you are watching a movie or playing a video game. This is because the Xevan coin miner is aimed at one thing only – using your GPU’s architecture and power in order to perform the so-called hashing procedures. These hashing actions are basically performing complex calculations in order to generate coins from the list above. When a block of hashes is calculated by the Xevan coin miner virus on your PC, the reward, which usually comes from a mining pool, the virus connects you to, is debited to the account of the hackers who have infected your PC with the virus.
All of this is done at the expense of your GPU’s condition, which rapidly worsens due to overusage from the miner. And if that is not enough to cause you headaches, the Xevan miner may also be a part of a Trojan infection. As we all know, Trojans tend to be invasive and they often perform set of malicious activates that make them “the remote control” of the cyber-crooks to your computer. Here is what the Xevan Trojan may be capable of doing on your PC, besides it’s primary mining activities:
- It may download and install other malware on your PC.
- The Xevan miner may also download and install updates or copies of itself as insurance in case you remove it.
- It may stop your internet connection and start it again.
- Delete files and system objects from your computer.
- Take screenshots of your screen and send them live to the hackers.
- Take pictures from your web cam or record video.
- Log the keystrokes you type.
- Steal passwords and files from your PC.
- Steal financial information.
These reasons are more than enough for you to focus on removing the Xevan cryptocurrency miner from Windows and making sure it doesn’t come back.
Remove Xevan Miner Trojan from Windows
In order to make sure that the Xevan cryptocurrency miner malware is gone from your PC, you can go ahead and follow either the manual or the automatic removal steps underneath. They are created so that they can help you to delete this malware, according to how much experience you have with malware removal. Be advised, that if you feel unconfident in removing Xevan miner manually, security researchers strongly advise to delete this infection automatically, preferably by using an anti-malware software that is capable of fully removing all of the files and objects, related to Xevan miner and that can protect you against all types of cyber-threats in the future 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 Xevan Coin Miner.
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 Xevan Coin Miner with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
Step 2: Clean any registries, created by Xevan Coin Miner 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 Xevan Coin Miner 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 Xevan Coin Miner 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.
Xevan Coin Miner FAQ
What Does Xevan Coin Miner Trojan Do?
The Xevan Coin Miner 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.
What Damage Can Xevan Coin Miner Trojan Cause?
The Xevan Coin Miner Trojan is a malicious type of malware that can cause significant damage to computers, networks and data.
It can be used to steal information, take control of systems, and spread other malicious viruses and malware.
Is Xevan Coin Miner Trojan a Harmful Virus?
Yes, it is. A Trojan is a type of malicious software that is used to gain unauthorized access to a person's device or system. It can damage files, delete data, and even steal confidential information.
Can Trojans Steal Passwords?
Yes, Trojans, like Xevan Coin Miner, 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 Xevan Coin Miner 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.
Can Xevan Coin Miner 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 Xevan Coin Miner Research
The content we publish on SensorsTechForum.com, this Xevan Coin Miner 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 Xevan Coin Miner?
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 Xevan Coin Miner threat is backed with VirusTotal.
To better understand the threat posed by trojans, please refer to the following articles which provide knowledgeable details.