G_jugk.exe Virus ⛏️ (Coin Miner Trojan) Removal

Written by Robert Bailey
The process G_jugk.exe is associated with a malicious program that can be accurately classified as a coin miner trojan virus. This type of malware exploits your hardware resources to mine cryptocurrencies, particularly Monero or DarkCoin1. Consequently, it significantly impacts your computer’s performance by causing high CPU usage, rendering it nearly unusable.
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What is G_jugk.exe process?

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

As mentioned earlier, G_jugk.exe is categorized as a coin miner trojan virus. While the specific names of the .exe files may vary, the consequences remain largely consistent. Coin miners are designed to engage in cryptocurrency mining, utilizing the maximum available hardware capacity of your personal computer to carry out this process. This virus disregards any potential need you may have for using your PC for other tasks, consistently consuming over 80% of your CPU power.

G_jugk.exe Windows Process

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

In addition to consuming CPU power, certain coin miners also utilize GPU power for their operations. In such cases, you may experience difficulties even in basic tasks like moving the mouse cursor, as the GPU is typically fully utilized, reaching 100% usage. While the GPU is not as crucial for regular system functioning as the processor, G_jugk.exe coin miner viruses spare no effort in maximizing its usage. This can lead to unfavorable consequences.

A Brief Overview of Cryptocurrency Mining

Cryptocurrency mining refers to the process of calculating the transaction block hash, which is a fundamental aspect of any blockchain-based technology. Due to the extensive calculations involved, a highly powerful machine is required. Graphic cards, or GPUs, are particularly well-suited for this task due to their abundance of available cores. Cryptocurrency mining farms often comprise numerous GPUs to efficiently accomplish their objectives. However, such systems are not suitable for typical purposes like gaming or web browsing. Unscrupulous individuals who profit from coin miners opt to utilize someone else’s hardware, even if it is being used for regular activities.

List of the typical coin miner symptoms

  • Your device experiences overheating, indicated by a very hot system unit or laptop body.
  • You encounter difficulties in opening apps, experiencing significant delays in their launch.
  • An unidentified process runs in the background, consuming a significant amount of your PC’s resources.
  • Windows Defender becomes unresponsive and fails to function properly.

How dangerous is the G_jugk.exe miner?

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

Initially, the G_jugk.exe virus causes your system to become overwhelmed. As a result, your applications are unable to run smoothly due to the virus consuming all available CPU power. This malware shows no regard for your needs; its sole focus is generating profit at your expense. Even if you manage to open a web browser through patience, you will likely experience exceptionally sluggish performance. Loading pages will take an eternity, and any login attempts will be agonizingly slow. This situation can be nightmarish for individuals who rely on online work.

G_jugk.exe Technical Summary.

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

The detrimental effects of coin miners on your computer extend beyond just the visible damage. The G_jugk.exe coin miner also inflicts harm on your operating system. In order to effectively carry out its malicious operations, it disables the protective components of your system. You may notice that your Microsoft Defender has been deactivated, as the malware takes steps to avoid detection. Additionally, if you examine the HOSTS file, you are likely to discover numerous new entries. These entries are added by the trojan miner to connect your system to a malicious mining network. However, during the process of system recovery, all of these modifications can be reversed to restore your system to its original state.

Hardware effects of coin miner activity

Besides decreasing your system’s performance, performing at peak level for a long period of time can trigger damage to your machine as well as increase power costs. Hardware 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 well-protected CPU fans are typically difficult to damage. However, graphic cards feature larger and more accessible fans that can be easily damaged if they are affected while spinning, for example, by user interference prior to the injection of malware. The combination of a malfunctioning cooling system and the significant load imposed by the G_jugk.exe virus can result in the failure of the GPU2. Furthermore, graphic cards are prone to accelerated wear and tear when utilized for cryptocurrency mining. It is not uncommon for the performance of a GPU to decrease by 20-30% after just a few weeks of such exploitation.

How did I get G_jugk.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 represent one of the most prevalent types of malicious programs, particularly when it comes to “serious” viruses. Adware frequently serves as a vehicle for infiltrating the G_jugk.exe malware. It presents you with banners that contain links for downloading the malware. These abstract “malware” entities can belong to various categories, such as additional adware, spyware, rogues, or backdoors. However, statistics indicate that approximately 30% of all viruses distributed through malicious banners are coin miners, and G_jugk.exe is just one example among many3.

Unwanted banners adware

The example of malicious banners you can see in the Internet

Another way for this item to find its way onto your computer is by downloading it from a dubious webpage as part of a program4. Users who distribute hacked versions of popular programs, which do not require a license key, have a limited chance of profiting. As a result, there is a strong temptation to include malware in the final package of the hacked application and earn money for every installation. Before criticizing these individuals for hacking and distributing malware, it is worth considering whether it is acceptable to bypass purchasing the program in such a manner. It is often more cost-effective to pay a one-time fee of $20-$30 rather than spending a significantly larger sum on antivirus software and new components for your desktop.

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

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

To effectively remove such a virus, you need to utilize a specialized program. An ideal security tool should possess a high scanning capability while remaining lightweight to avoid causing issues on weaker systems. Additionally, having proactive security features in your protection tool can help prevent the virus from even launching. Microsoft Defender may lack these functions for various reasons. Therefore, I would recommend using a third-party anti-malware program that fulfills all of these specified characteristics. GridinSoft Anti-Malware is an excellent choice that meets these requirements5.

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

Remove G_jugk.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 for G_jugk.exe

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.

G_jugk.exe was found

Now, you are good to go. Reboot your PC into a normal Windows mode and use just as there was nothing malicious.

Remove G_jugk.exe Virus ⛏️ Trojan Coin Miner

Name: G_jugk.exe

Description: The G_jugk.exe is a Trojan Coin Miner that uses the infected computer’s sources to mine electronic money without your authorization. This G_jugk.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. Learn more about why Monero and DarkCoin are favored by cybercriminals.
  2. Learn more about the adverse effects on GPUs during the process of cryptomining.
  3. To learn more about various types of malware, you can refer to the Cybersecurity Glossary.
  4. Learn more about Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUPs) and their distribution on HowToFix.guide.
  5. You can find our review of GridinSoft Anti-Malware here.

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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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