Exlorer.exe Virus ⛏️ (Coin Miner Trojan) Removal

Written by Robert Bailey
Exlorer.exe process belongs to a malicious application that can properly be defined as a coin miner virus. That malware form uses your hardware to mine cryptocurrencies, basically – Monero or DarkCoin1. It makes your personal computer roughly nonfunctional because of high CPU use.
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What is Exlorer.exe process?

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

As I have actually specified in the introduction, Exlorer.exe is a coin miner virus. The names of the .exe file can be different, but the consequences are generally the same. Because coin miners focus on cryptocurrency mining, they utilize all available hardware power of your desktop to conduct this operation. This malware doesn’t take note of the fact that you probably want to make use of your machine for other activities – it will constantly use over 80% of your CPU power.

Exlorer.exe Windows Process

Exlorer.exe – Really high CPU as well as GPU usage

Besides CPU usage, some of the coin miners additionally utilize GPU power for their operations. In that case, you will probably struggle even to see the mouse cursor moving – GPU is usually used on 100%. It is not as critical as processor for system work, so Exlorer.exe coin miner viruses don’t waste time on trifles and use it all. It often can cause sad results.

Shortly about cryptocurrency mining

Crypto mining means the operation of calculating the transaction block hash. That is a integral part of anything based on the blockchain technology. Since this operation takes a lot of calculations, a very powerful machine is needed. Exactly, the GPU is better for this purpose, because they have more cores available. Cryptocurrency mining farms usually consist of dozens of GPUs 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

  • 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 Exlorer.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, Exlorer.exe virus makes your system overloaded. It is unable to run your applications anymore, as all CPU power is used by a virus. That malware does not care for your wants, all it focuses on is making money on you. Even if you are patient, and you waited until web browser is open, you will likely suffer from incredibly sluggish efficiency. Pages can open up for years, any sort of logins will take about a minute – just a nightmare for a person who does a job online.

    Exlorer.exe Technical Summary.

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

    “Visible” harm is not a solitary unpleasant thing coin miners perform to your system. Exlorer.exe coin miner additionally deals damage to your operating system. To execute all malicious functions properly, it wrecks the security features of your system. You will likely see your Microsoft Defender disabled – malware stops it to avoid recognition. If you open the HOSTS file, you will likely see a ton of new entries – they are brought in by this trojan miner to connect your computer to a malicious mining network. All these adjustments shall be gone back to the original in the process of system recovery.

    Hardware effects of coin miner activity

    Besides decreasing your PC’s performance, performing at peak level for long times may cause damage to your device as well as raise electricity bills. Hardware components are designed to easily get along with high load, but they are good with it only in case when they are in a good shape.

    Compact and well-protected processor fan is not very easy to crack. Meanwhile, GPUs have big and easy-to-access fans, which can be easily broke if touched while running, for instance, by the user much earlier before the coin-miner injection. Malfunctioning cooling system, together with the really high load caused by Exlorer.exe malware can easily lead to graphic processing unit failure3. GPUs are also prone to have fast wearing when utilized for crypto mining. It is likely an undesirable case when the performance of your video card plunges 20-30% just after several weeks of being used in such a way.

    How did I get Exlorer.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 prevalent malicious programs through “severe” viruses. Adware often functions as a carrier for Exlorer.exe malware injection: it demonstrates you the banners, which include a link to malware downloading. Sure, this abstract “malware” can belong to any kind – yet another adware, spyware, rogue or backdoor. But the statistics say that about 30% of all viruses spread through the malevolent banners are coin miners – and Exlorer.exe is just with them.4

    Unwanted banners adware

    The example of malicious banners you can see in the Internet

    Another 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 variants of popular programs (which do not require the license key) have small chances to earn money. Hence, there is a huge lure to add in malware to the final package of the hacked application and get a coin for each setup. Prior to blaming these people 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 sum for antivirus program and new parts for your computer.

    How to remove the Exlorer.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 using specific program. Proper security tool must have high efficiency at scanning and also be lightweight – in order to create no problems with usage also on weak computers. Additionally, it is better to have proactive protection in your security solution – to halt the virus even before it launches. Microsoft Defender does not have these functions for different factors. That’s why I’d advise you to use a third-party anti-malware program for that reason. GridinSoft Anti-Malware is an ideal option that fits each of the specified characteristics.5

    Prior to the virus removal, it is important to reboot your Windows into Safe Mode with Networking. Since Exlorer.exe miner consumes a lot of CPU capacity, it is needed 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 system is in Safe Mode, all third-party programs, along with the majority of non-critical Windows components, are not started with the system start. That allows you to clean the computer without dealing with high processor usage of the coin miner.

    Remove Exlorer.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 Exlorer.exe Virus ⛏️ Trojan Coin Miner

    Name: Exlorer.exe

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