Armsvc.exe Virus ⛏️ (Coin Miner Trojan) Removal

Written by Robert Bailey
Armsvc.exe executable file belongs to a malevolent application that can properly be identified as a coin miner virus. That malware type uses your hardware to mine cryptocurrencies, primarily – Monero or DarkCoin1. It makes your system almost unusable as a result of high CPU use.
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What is Armsvc.exe process?

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

As I have mentioned in the previous paragraph, Armsvc.exe is a coin miner trojan. The names of the .exe file may be diverse, but the effects are almost always the identical. Considering that coin miners focus on cryptocurrency mining, they utilize all possible hardware power of your desktop to perform this operation. This virus doesn’t take note of the fact that you probably need to use your machine for other tasks – it will constantly take over 80% of your CPU power.

Armsvc.exe Windows Process

Armsvc.exe – Extremely high CPU as well as GPU use

Besides CPU utilization, some of the coin miners also use GPU power for their tasks. In that situation, you will probably struggle also to see the mouse cursor moving – GPU is usually used on 100%. It is not as critical as CPU for system work, so Armsvc.exe coin miner viruses don’t waste time on trifles and use it all. It sometimes can lead to sad consequences.

Shortly about cryptocurrency mining

Crypto mining term means the activity of calculating the transaction block hash. That is a integral part of any project based on the blockchain technology. Since this operation takes a lot of calculations, a very strong PC is needed. Exactly, the GPU is better for this purpose, because they have more cores available. Cryptomining farms are usually constructed of dozens of video cards to complete their task efficiently. Such systems are not usable for “normal” purposes, like gaming or web browsing. Fraudsters who gain money via this coin miner use someones’ computers instead, even if they are used for the regular activity.2

List of the typical coin miner symptoms

  • Microsoft Defender is stopped;
  • CPU and GPU is loaded at 80-90% exactly after the system start
  • Cooling fans are running at high speed and create a lot of noise
  • A single process in Task Manager consumes all CPU and GPU power
  • How dangerous is the Armsvc.exe miner?

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

    First, Armsvc.exe virus makes your system overloaded. It is not able to run your applications anymore, since all CPU power is used by a malware. That malware does not care for your wants, 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 suffer from extremely sluggish efficiency. Pages will open up for years, any sort of logins will take about a minute – just a headache for a person that works online.

    Armsvc.exe Technical Summary.

    File NameArmsvc.exe
    TypeTrojan Coin Miner
    Detection NameTrojan:Win32/CoinMiner
    Distribution MethodSoftware bundling, Intrusive advertisement, redirects to shady sites etc.
    Similar behaviorOpce.exe, Vc.exe, Asd.exe
    RemovalDownload and install GridinSoft Anti-Malware for automatic Armsvc.exe removal.

    “Visible” harm is not a solitary bad activity coin miners do to your personal computer. Armsvc.exe coin miner additionally deals damage to your OS. To carry out all malevolent operations effectively, it wrecks the protection features of your system. You will likely see your Microsoft Defender disabled – malware halts it to prevent recognition. If you open the HOSTS file, you will likely see a load of new entries – they are brought in by this coin miner to connect your computer to a malicious mining network. All these adjustments shall be gone back to the original in the process of computer recovery.

    Hardware effects of coin miner activity

    Besides making your PC slow, running at peak level for long times can trigger damage to your device and increase power bills. Hardware components are designed to easily deal with high load, but they can do so only in case when they are in a good shape.

    Compact and well-protected CPU fan is quite hard to damage. Meanwhile, graphic cards have large and easy-to-access fans, which can be easily cracked if touched while spinning, for example, by the user much before the coin-miner injection. Malfunctioning cooling system, together with the very high load caused by Armsvc.exe can easily lead to GPU failure3. GPUs are also prone to have increased wearing when utilized for crypto mining. It is surely an unwanted situation when the performance of your GPU plunges 20-30% just after several weeks of being exploited in such a way.

    How did I get Armsvc.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 widespread malevolent programs through “serious” malware. Adware often functions as a carrier for Armsvc.exe malware infiltration: it demonstrates you the banners, which contain a link to malware downloading. Yes, this abstract “malware” can belong to any type – another adware, spyware, rogue or backdoor. However, the statistics show that around 30% of all viruses spread through the malicious banners are coin miners – and Armsvc.exe is right with them.4

    Unwanted banners adware

    The example of malicious banners you can see in the Internet

    An additional way you could get this thing on your computer is by downloading it from the suspicious site as a part of a program. People who spread hacked variants of popular programs (which do not demand the license key) have small chances to get paid. Thus, 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 individuals for hacking and malware spreading, ask yourself – is it OK to avoid purchasing the program in such a way? It is much cheaper to pay $20-$30 at once than to pay a much greater sum for antivirus software as well as new parts for your PC.

    How to remove the Armsvc.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 requires making use of specific app. Effective anti-malware program should have high efficiency at scanning and be lightweight – in order to create no problems with utilization also on weak PCs. Furthermore, it is recommended to have on-run security in your protection tool – to prevent the virus even before it starts. Microsoft Defender does not have these elements for various factors. That’s why I’d advise you to use a third-party anti-malware program for that goal. GridinSoft Anti-Malware is a superb choice that fits all of the mentioned qualities.5

    Prior to the malware removal, it is important to boot your Windows into Safe Mode with Networking. Since Armsvc.exe miner consumes a lot of CPU power, it is required to halt 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 computer is in Safe Mode, all third-party applications, along with the majority of non-crucial operating system components, are not started with the system start. That allows you to clean the PC without dealing with high CPU usage of the coin miner.

    Remove Armsvc.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 Armsvc.exe Virus ⛏️ Trojan Coin Miner

    Name: Armsvc.exe

    Description: The Armsvc.exe is a Trojan Coin Miner that uses the infected computer’s sources to mine electronic money without your authorization. This Armsvc.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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