Conhost_syn.exe Virus ⛏️ (Coin Miner Trojan) Removal

Written by Robert Bailey
Conhost_syn.exe process is related to a malicious application that can correctly be recognized as a coin miner trojan virus. That malware type utilizes your hardware to mine cryptocurrencies, primarily – Monero or DarkCoin1. It makes your personal computer almost nonfunctional due to high CPU utilization.
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What is Conhost_syn.exe process?

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

As I have actually pointed out previously, Conhost_syn.exe is a coin miner virus. The names of the executive file may be diverse, however, the consequences are almost always the identical. Since coin miners aim at cryptocurrency mining, they utilize all available hardware capacity of your PC to run this operation. This virus doesn’t care about the fact that you may need to use your PC for other tasks – it will always consume over 80% of your processor power.

Conhost_syn.exe Windows Process

Conhost_syn.exe – Really high CPU and GPU usage

Besides CPU utilization, some of the coin miners also use GPU power for their tasks. In that case, you will probably struggle even to see the mouse arrow moving – GPU is usually utilized on 100%. It is not as critical as processor for system work, so Conhost_syn.exe coin miner viruses do not waste time on trifles and utilize it all. It sometimes may lead to unhappy effects.

Shortly about cryptocurrency mining

Crypto mining term means the activity of calculating the transaction block hash. That is a basic element of anything based on the blockchain technology. Since this action takes a lot of calculations, a high-end computer is required. Exactly, the GPU is better for this task, because they have more cores available. Cryptomining farms are usually constructed of dozens of graphic cards to complete their task efficiently. Such systems are not usable for “usual” purposes, like gaming or web browsing. Fraudsters 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

  • 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 Conhost_syn.exe miner?

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

    First, Conhost_syn.exe malware makes your PC overloaded. It is unable to run your applications anymore, as all CPU power is consumed by a virus. That malware does not care for your needs, 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 experience extremely slow performance. Pages can open for years, any type of logins will take about a minute – just a headache for a person who works online.

    Conhost_syn.exe Technical Summary.

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

    “Visible” harm is not a solitary unpleasant thing coin miners do to your computer. Conhost_syn.exe coin miner likewise deals damage to your OS. To complete all malevolent functions correctly, it ruins the security features of your system. You will likely see your Microsoft Defender disabled – malware halts it to prevent recognition. If you check the HOSTS file, you will likely see a ton of new notes – they are brought in by this coin miner to connect your computer to a malicious cryptomining network. All these adjustments shall be reverted to the original in the process of system recovery.

    Hardware effects of coin miner activity

    Besides slowing down your computer, running at peak power for a long period of time may cause damage to your device and increase power expenses. PC elements are created to easily deal with high load, but they are good with it only when they are in a good shape.

    Little and well-protected processor cooling system is not very easy to damage. Meanwhile, graphic cards have big and easy-to-access rotors, which can be easily broke if affected while running, for instance, by the user much before the coin-miner injection. Malfunctioning cooling system, together with the extremely high load caused by Conhost_syn.exe virus can easily lead to GPU failure3. Video cards are also prone to have fast wearing when used for cryptocurrency mining. It is surely a bad case when the performance of your GPU decreases on 20-30% only after 1-2 weeks of being used in such a way.

    How did I get Conhost_syn.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 common malevolent programs among “severe” malware. Adware often functions as a carrier for Conhost_syn.exe malware infiltration: it shows you the banners, which contain a link to malware downloading. Yes, this abstract “malware” may belong to any kind – an additional adware, spyware, rogue or backdoor. But the statistics show that about 30% of all viruses spread with the malicious banners are coin miners – and Conhost_syn.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 dubious site as a part of a program. People that spread hacked variants of popular programs (which do not demand the license key) have small chances to make money. Thus, there is a huge lure to include malware to the final package of the hacked application and receive a coin for every installation. Before criticizing these guys for hacking and also malware spreading, ask yourself – is it alright 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 sum for antivirus software as well as new parts for your desktop.

    How to remove the Conhost_syn.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 needs the use of special app. Effective security tool should have high capability at scanning and be lightweight – in order to create no problems with usage even on weak computers. Additionally, it is recommended to have on-run security in your security solution – to halt the virus even before it launches. Microsoft Defender lacks these functions for various reasons. That’s why I’d advise you to use a third-party anti-malware program for that purpose. GridinSoft Anti-Malware is an ideal choice that fits each of the specified qualities.5

    Prior to the malware removal, it is important to reboot your operating system into Safe Mode with Networking. Since Conhost_syn.exe miner consumes a lot of CPU 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 computer is in Safe Mode, all third-party programs, just like the majority of non-critical system components, are not launched with the system start. That gives you the ability to clean the computer without dealing with high processor usage of the coin miner.

    Remove Conhost_syn.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 Conhost_syn.exe Virus ⛏️ Trojan Coin Miner

    Name: Conhost_syn.exe

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