Backgroundtransferhost.exe Virus ⛏️ (Coin Miner Trojan) Removal

Written by Robert Bailey
Backgroundtransferhost.exe executable file comes from a malicious application that can accurately be recognized as a coin miner virus. That malware type uses your hardware to mine cryptocurrencies, generally – Monero or DarkCoin1. It makes your personal computer roughly unusable due to high CPU utilization.
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What is Backgroundtransferhost.exe process?

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

As I have pointed out previously, Backgroundtransferhost.exe is a coin miner virus. The names of the executive file can be diverse, but the effects are almost always the identical. Since coin miners focus on cryptocurrency mining, they use all possible hardware capacity of your desktop to run this procedure. This malware doesn’t care about the fact that you may need to make use of your machine for other tasks – it will continuously use over 80% of your processor power.

Backgroundtransferhost.exe Windows Process

Backgroundtransferhost.exe – Extremely high CPU and GPU use

Besides CPU utilization, some of the coin miners also make use of GPU power for their tasks. In that situation, you will likely struggle also to see the mouse cursor moving – GPU is usually utilized on 100%. It is not as essential as CPU for system work, so Backgroundtransferhost.exe coin miner viruses don’t waste time on trifles and utilize it all. It sometimes may cause bad results.

Shortly about cryptocurrency mining

Crypto mining 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 desktop is needed. Exactly, the GPU is better for this task, because they have more cores available. Cryptocurrency mining farms are usually constructed of tens and hundreds of GPUs to complete their task efficiently. Such systems are not usable for “usual” purposes, like gaming or browsing the Web. Crooks 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

  • Your device overheats (system unit/laptop body is very hot)
  • You are not able to open your apps or they are opening for ages
  • Unknown process is running in the background and consumes your PC resources
  • Windows Defender does not respond
  • How dangerous is the Backgroundtransferhost.exe miner?

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

    Firstly, Backgroundtransferhost.exe virus makes your PC overloaded. It is unable to run your applications now, because all CPU power is used by a malware. That malware does not care for your wants, all it focuses on is generating income on you. Even if you are patient, and you waited until web browser is open, you will likely suffer from extremely sluggish efficiency. Pages can open up for years, any kind of logins will likely take about a minute – just a horror story for a person that does a job online.

    Backgroundtransferhost.exe Technical Summary.

    File Name Backgroundtransferhost.exe
    Type Trojan Coin Miner
    Detection Name Trojan:Win32/CoinMiner
    Distribution Method Software bundling, Intrusive advertisement, redirects to shady sites etc.
    Similar behavior Bcdboot.exe, Baaupdate.exe, Backgroundtaskhost.exe
    Removal Download and install GridinSoft Anti-Malware for automatic Backgroundtransferhost.exe removal.

    “Visible” damage is not a single negative activity coin miners perform to your computer. Backgroundtransferhost.exe coin miner also deals damage to your OS. To perform all malevolent operations effectively, it wrecks the security components of your system. You will likely see your Microsoft Defender disabled – malware halts it to avoid detection. If you open the HOSTS file, you will likely see a load of new entries – they are brought in by this trojan miner to connect your computer to a malicious mining network. All these adjustments are about to be thrown back to the initial state in the process of computer recovery.

    Hardware effects of coin miner activity

    Besides slowing down your computer, running at peak power for long times may trigger damage to your machine and increase electricity expenses. Hardware components are designed to easily deal with high load, but they are good with it only when they are in a good shape.

    Tiny and covered CPU cooling system is hard to crack. Meanwhile, GPUs have large and easy-to-access rotors, which can be easily broke if touched while running, for example, by the user much before the malware injection. Malfunctioning cooling system, together with the very high load caused by Backgroundtransferhost.exe miner can easily lead to GPU failure3. Graphic cards are also tend to have increased wearing when used for crypto mining. It is likely an undesirable situation when the performance of your GPU decreases on 20-30% only after 1-2 weeks of being exploited in such a way.

    How did I get Backgroundtransferhost.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 one of the most widespread malevolent programs through “major” viruses. Adware sometimes functions as a carrier for Backgroundtransferhost.exe malware infiltration: it demonstrates you the banners, which include a link to malware downloading. Yes, this abstract “malware” may belong to any type – yet another adware, spyware, rogue or backdoor. However, the statistics say that approximately 30% of all viruses spread with the malicious banners are coin miners – and Backgroundtransferhost.exe is just among them.4

    Unwanted banners adware

    The example of malicious banners you can see in the Internet

    One more way you could get this thing on your PC is by downloading it from the untrustworthy website as a part of a program. Users that spread hacked versions of well-known programs (which do not need the license key) have small chances to get paid. For this reason, there is a huge temptation to add in malware to the final package of the hacked application and get a coin for every setup. Before criticizing these guys for hacking and also malware distribution, ask yourself – is it okay to avoid purchasing the program in this manner? It is more affordable to pay $20-$30 at once than to pay a much greater figure for antivirus program and new parts for your PC.

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

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

    Removing such a virus demands making use of special program. Effective anti-malware program must have high efficiency at scanning and also be lightweight – in order to create no problems with utilization even on weak PCs. On top of that, it is better to have proactive protection in your security solution – to prevent the virus even before it starts. Microsoft Defender lacks these elements for various factors. That’s why I’d recommend you to use a third-party anti-malware program for that goal. GridinSoft Anti-Malware is a great option that fits each of the discussed features.5

    Prior to the malware removal, it is important to boot your Windows into Safe Mode with Networking. Since Backgroundtransferhost.exe miner takes a lot of processor power, 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 PC is in Safe Mode, all third-party applications, just like the majority of non-critical Windows components, are not started with the system start. That allows you to clean the PC without dealing with high processor usage of the coin miner.

    Remove Backgroundtransferhost.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 Backgroundtransferhost.exe Virus ⛏️ Trojan Coin Miner

    Name: Backgroundtransferhost.exe

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