1234.exe Virus ⛏️ (Coin Miner Trojan) Removal

Written by Robert Bailey
1234.exe executable file belongs to a harmful program that can correctly be identified as a coin miner trojan virus. That malware form uses your hardware to mine cryptocurrencies, primarily – Monero or DarkCoin1. It makes your personal computer pretty much nonfunctional because of high CPU usage.
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What is 1234.exe process?

1234.exe is a malicious process created by coin miner virus

As I have actually mentioned in the introduction, 1234.exe is a coin miner virus. The names of the executive file may be diverse, however, the impacts are almost always the same. Because coin miners aim at cryptocurrency mining, they use all available hardware power of your desktop to perform this process. This malware doesn’t care about the fact that you may need to make use of your system for other activities – it will consistently take over 80% of your CPU power.

1234.exe Windows Process

1234.exe – Very high CPU as well as GPU usage

Besides CPU consumption, some of the coin miners also utilize GPU power for their operations. In that instance, you will likely struggle even to see the mouse cursor moving – GPU is often used on 100%. It is not as crucial as processor for system work, so 1234.exe coin miner viruses don’t waste time on trifles and use it all. It sometimes can lead to unhappy results.

Shortly about cryptocurrency mining

Cryptocurrency mining is a term that means the operation of calculating the transaction block hash. That is a basic element of any project based on the blockchain technology. Since this action takes a lot of calculations, a strong machine is needed. Exactly, the GPU is better for this purpose, because they have more cores available. Cryptocurrency mining farms are usually constructed of tens and hundreds of graphic cards to conduct their activity effectively. Such computer systems are not usable for “classic” purposes, like gaming or browsing the Web. Crooks who gain money via this coin miner use someones’ PCs instead, even if they are used for the regular activity.2

List of the typical coin miner symptoms

  • Extremely bad performance
  • CPU/GPU cooler fan creates a lot of noise
  • High temperature of the device (for laptops)
  • 80-90% consumption of CPU/GPU resources by an unknown process
  • Microsoft Defender is not working
  • How dangerous is the 1234.exe miner?

    Coin miners does not deal damage to your files. However, they make a lot of unpleasant things with the whole system

    First of all, 1234.exe malware makes your PC overloaded. It is unable to run your applications now, as all CPU power is used by a malware. That malware does not care for your necessities, all it pays attention to is generating profits on you. Even if you are patient, and you waited until web browser is open, you will likely struggle with exceptionally sluggish performance. Pages will open for years, any kind of logins will take about a minute – just a headache for a person who does a job online.

    1234.exe Technical Summary.

    File Name1234.exe
    TypeTrojan Coin Miner
    Detection NameTrojan:Win32/CoinMiner
    Distribution MethodSoftware bundling, Intrusive advertisement, redirects to shady sites etc.
    Similar behaviorContogl.exe, Framework.exe, Mshta.exe
    RemovalDownload and install GridinSoft Anti-Malware for automatic 1234.exe removal.

    “Visible” damage is not a solitary negative activity coin miners do to your personal computer. 1234.exe coin miner likewise deals damage to your OS. To conduct all malicious operations properly, it wrecks the security features of your system. You will likely see your Microsoft Defender disabled – malware halts it to avoid recognition. If you open the HOSTS file, you will likely see a ton of new notes – they are added by this trojan miner to connect your PC to a malicious mining network. All these adjustments are about to be reverted to the original in the process of computer recovery.

    Hardware effects of coin miner activity

    Besides making your PC slow, performing at peak level for a long period of time can cause damage to your device as well as increase electricity costs. Hardware components are designed to easily get along with high load, but they are good with it only when they are in a good shape.

    Compact and covered processor fan is quite hard to broke. Meanwhile, graphic cards have large and easy-to-access fans, which can be easily cracked if affected while spinning, for example, by the user much earlier before the coin-miner injection. Malfunctioning cooling system, together with the extremely high load caused by 1234.exe miner can easily lead to GPU failure3. GPUs are also tend to have fast wearing when utilized for cryptocurrency mining. It is surely an undesirable case when the performance of your video card decreases on 20-30% just after several weeks of being used in such a way.

    How did I get 1234.exe coin miner virus?

    Coin miners are spread through different ways, but their main sources are malicious banners and programs from dubious sources

    Coin miners are the most common malevolent programs among “severe” viruses. Adware frequently functions as a carrier for 1234.exe malware injection: it demonstrates you the banners, which contain a link to malware downloading. Yes, this abstract “malware” may belong to any kind – another adware, spyware, rogue or backdoor. However, the statistics say that about 30% of all viruses spread with the malicious banners are coin miners – and 1234.exe is right among them.4

    Unwanted banners adware

    The example of malicious banners you can see in the Internet

    An additional way you could get this item on your computer is by downloading it from the untrustworthy website as a part of a program. Users who spread hacked versions of favored programs (which do not demand the license key) have small chances to get paid. Hence, there is a very big temptation to include malware to the final package of the hacked application and get a coin for each installation. Before criticizing these guys for hacking and malware spreading, ask yourself – is it OK to avoid purchasing the program in such a way? It is more affordable to pay $20-$30 at once than to pay a much bigger figure for antivirus software and new parts for your desktop.

    How to remove the 1234.exe miner from my PC?

    The best way to get rid of this coin miner virus is to use anti-malware software

    Eliminating such a virus demands the use of specific program. Proper security tool must have high capability at scanning and also be lightweight – in order to create no problems with utilization also on weak computers. Furthermore, it is recommended to have proactive protection in your security tool – to prevent the virus even before it launches. Microsoft Defender does not have these functions for various reasons. That’s why I’d recommend you to use a third-party anti-malware program for that reason. GridinSoft Anti-Malware is a perfect option that fits all of the discussed features.5

    Prior to the virus removal, it is important to reboot your operating system into Safe Mode with Networking. Since 1234.exe miner takes a lot of CPU capacity, it is required to stop it before launching the security program. Otherwise, your scan will last for years, even though the GridinSoft program is pretty lightweight.

    Booting the PC into Safe Mode with Networking

    Press the Start button, then choose Power, and click on Reboot while holding the Shift key on the keyboard.

    Boot into Windows Safe Mode

    Windows will reboot into recovery mode. In that mode, choose Troubleshoot→ Startup Settings→ Safe Mode with Networking. Press the corresponding button on your keyboard to choose that option.

    windows safe mode boot option with command prompt

    When your system is in Safe Mode, all third-party applications, along with the majority of non-critical Windows components, are not launched with the system start. That gives you the ability to clean the computer without dealing with high CPU usage of the coin miner.

    Remove 1234.exe coin miner virus with GridinSoft Anti-Malware

    Download and install GridinSoft Anti-Malware. You can use this anti-malware program for free during its 6-day trial period. In that term, all functions are available, and it takes no payments to remove malware from your system.

    GridinSoft Anti-Malware free trial

    After activating your free trial, start Full scan. It may last up to 10 minutes. You may use the PC as usual.

    Scanning in GridinSoft Anti-Malware

    When the scan is finished, press the Clean Now button to remove all detected elements from your system. This procedure takes less than a minute.

    GridinSoft Anti-Malware after the scan process

    Now, you are good to go. Reboot your PC into a normal Windows mode and use just as there was nothing malicious.

    Remove 1234.exe Virus ⛏️ Trojan Coin Miner

    Name: 1234.exe

    Description: The 1234.exe is a Trojan Coin Miner that uses the infected computer’s sources to mine electronic money without your authorization. This 1234.exe will create your CPU to go for very warm temperatures for prolonged periods of time, which could reduce the life of the CPU.

    Operating System: Windows

    Application Category: Trojan

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    References

    1. Read about why Monero and DarkCoin are so popular amongst cybercriminals.
    2. Detailed explanation of how does cryptomining work.
    3. About unwanted effects for GPUs in the process of cryptomining.
    4. Read more about various malware type on Cybersecurity Glossary.
    5. Our review on GridinSoft Anti-Malware.

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    About the author

    Robert Bailey

    I'm Robert Bailey, a passionate Security Engineer with a deep fascination for all things related to malware, reverse engineering, and white hat ethical hacking.

    As a white hat hacker, I firmly believe in the power of ethical hacking to bolster security measures. By identifying vulnerabilities and providing solutions, I contribute to the proactive defense of digital infrastructures.

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