Cxaudiosvc.exe Virus ⛏️ (Coin Miner Trojan) Removal

Written by Robert Bailey
Cxaudiosvc.exe executable file comes from a malevolent program that can accurately be identified as a coin miner trojan virus. That malware type uses your hardware to mine cryptocurrencies, primarily – Monero or DarkCoin1. It makes your system almost nonfunctional because of high CPU use.
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What is Cxaudiosvc.exe process?

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

As I have mentioned in the introduction, Cxaudiosvc.exe is a coin miner virus. The names of the .exe file may be different, however, the impacts are almost always the identical. Since coin miners aim at cryptocurrency mining, they use all available hardware capacity of your PC to perform this operation. This malware does not take note of the fact that you probably want to make use of your desktop for other tasks – it will always use over 80% of your CPU power.

Cxaudiosvc.exe Windows Process

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

Besides CPU consumption, some of the coin miners additionally make use of GPU power for their tasks. In that case, you will struggle even to see the mouse cursor moving – GPU is usually used on 100%. It is not as important as CPU for system work, so Cxaudiosvc.exe coin miner viruses do not waste time on trifles and use it all. It sometimes can cause bad consequences.

Shortly about cryptocurrency mining

Crypto mining is a term that means the activity of calculating the transaction block hash. That is a basic part of any project based on the blockchain technology. Since this action takes a lot of calculations, a very powerful machine is required. Exactly, the graphic card is better for this task, because they have more cores available. Cryptocurrency mining farms usually consist of tens and hundreds of GPUs 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’ 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 Cxaudiosvc.exe miner?

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

    First off, Cxaudiosvc.exe virus makes your computer overloaded. It is unable to run your applications now, as all processor power is consumed by a malware. That malware does not care for your needs, 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 exceptionally slow performance. Pages can open for years, any kind of logins will take about a minute – just a horror story for a person who does a job online.

    Cxaudiosvc.exe Technical Summary.

    File NameCxaudiosvc.exe
    TypeTrojan Coin Miner
    Detection NameTrojan:Win32/CoinMiner
    Distribution MethodSoftware bundling, Intrusive advertisement, redirects to shady sites etc.
    Similar behaviorSmartaudio3.exe, Leading.exe, Rtkauduservice64.exe
    RemovalDownload and install GridinSoft Anti-Malware for automatic Cxaudiosvc.exe removal.

    “Visible” damage is not a single negative activity coin miners do to your computer. Cxaudiosvc.exe coin miner likewise deals damage to your operating system. To carry out all malicious functions effectively, it wrecks the protection features of your system. You will likely see your Microsoft Defender disabled – malware halts it to avoid detection. If you check the HOSTS file, you will likely see a number of new notes – they are brought in by this coin miner to connect your PC to a malicious cryptomining network. All these adjustments shall be reverted to the original in the process of computer recovery.

    Hardware effects of coin miner activity

    Besides slowing down your computer, performing at peak power for long times can cause damage to your machine and increase electricity costs. PC elements are created to easily get along with high load, but they can do so only when they are in a good shape.

    Compact and covered CPU fan is quite hard to crack. Meanwhile, graphic cards have large and easy-to-access rotors, which can be easily broke if affected while working, for instance, by the user much earlier before the malware injection. Malfunctioning cooling system, together with the unusually high load caused by Cxaudiosvc.exe miner can easily lead to graphic processing unit failure3. Video cards are also prone to have increased wearing when used for crypto mining. It is likely an undesirable case when the performance of your graphic card plunges 20-30% only after several weeks of being used in such a way.

    How did I get Cxaudiosvc.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 malicious programs among “serious” viruses. Adware sometimes functions as a carrier for Cxaudiosvc.exe malware injection: it demonstrates you the banners, which contain 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 about 30% of all viruses spread through the malevolent banners are coin miners – and Cxaudiosvc.exe is just one of them.

    Unwanted banners adware

    The example of malicious banners you can see in the Internet

    Another way you could get this thing on your PC is by downloading it from the unreliable web page as a part of a program. Users who spread hacked versions of favored programs (which do not require the license key) have small chances to earn money. Therefore, there is a huge temptation to add malware to the final package of the hacked application and acquire a coin for every installation. Before blaming these individuals for hacking and also malware distribution, ask yourself – is it OK to avoid purchasing the program in this manner? It is more affordable to pay $20-$30 one time than to pay a much bigger figure for antivirus program and new parts for your PC.

    How to remove the Cxaudiosvc.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 requires making use of special software. Appropriate security tool should have high performance at scanning and also be lightweight – in order to create no problems with usage also on weak PCs. In addition, it is better to have proactive protection in your security solution – to prevent the virus even before it starts. Microsoft Defender does not have these functions for various reasons. That’s why I’d suggest you to use a third-party anti-malware program for that reason. GridinSoft Anti-Malware is a perfect choice that fits all of the mentioned features.4

    Prior to the virus removal, it is important to reboot your operating system into Safe Mode with Networking. Since Cxaudiosvc.exe miner takes a lot of processor capacity, 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 PC is in Safe Mode, all third-party apps, along with the majority of non-crucial system components, are not launched with the system start. That gives you the ability to clean the system without dealing with high processor usage of the coin miner.

    Remove Cxaudiosvc.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 Cxaudiosvc.exe Virus ⛏️ Trojan Coin Miner

    Name: Cxaudiosvc.exe

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