IntelAudioService.exe Virus ⛏️ Miner Removal

IntelAudioService.exe is an executable file present in computer systems that operate with Intel-made sound devices. That process should not create any problems, but once it does, you most likely face a malware infection.

Originally, the IntelAudioService.exe process is a part of a benevolent application, that helps Intel audio devices to operate correctly. Among the latter are mostly built-in laptop microphones. The normal process instance should not have any significant CPU consumption and is located in C:\Windows\System32. Any other locations of this file point to its malicious origins. Most often, coin miner trojans take names of legitimate apps to masquerade in the system.

It is better to prevent, than repair and repent!

When we talk about the intrusion of unfamiliar programs into your computer’s work, the proverb “Forewarned is forearmed” describes the situation as accurately as possible. Gridinsoft Anti-Malware is exactly the tool that is always useful to have in your armory: fast, efficient, up-to-date. It is appropriate to use it as an emergency help at the slightest suspicion of infection.

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What is Intelaudioservice.exe process?

Intelaudioservice.exe may potentially be a malicious process

As I have pointed out in the introduction, Intelaudioservice.exe may be a coin miner virus. To prove this point, you may simply pick the resource consumption graph of that process. Malicious instances will consistently consume over 80% of your CPU power. As a result, your system will have awful response times, so you will likely understand that something is wrong even before opening the Task Manager.

Intelaudioservice.exe – Really high CPU/GPU use

Besides CPU usage, you can spot malware by the .exe file location. As I’ve said in the intro, the original intelaudioservice.exe file lies in the C:\Windows\System32 folder. Any other locations, particularly the AppData/Temp folder, mean malicious origins of the process. You can check the file location by clicking its instance in the Task Manager with the right mouse button and choosing “Open file location” in the dialog box.

Shortly about cryptocurrency mining

Cryptocurrency mining means the activity of calculating the transaction block hash. That is an integral part of any project based on blockchain technology. Since this operation takes a lot of calculations, a strong computer is needed. Exactly, the graphic card is better for this task, because they have more cores available. Cryptocurrency mining farms are usually constructed of dozens of graphic cards to conduct their activity effectively. Such systems are not usable for “classic” purposes, like gaming or web browsing. Fraudsters who gain money via this coin miner use someone’s computers instead, even if they are used for regular activity.¹

List of the typical coin miner symptoms

How dangerous is the Intelaudioservice.exe miner?

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

First, Intelaudioservice.exe malware makes your computer overloaded. It is not able to run your applications anymore, because all processor power is used by malware. That malware does not care for your necessities, all it focuses on is generating income for you. Even if you are patient, and you wait until the web browser is open, you will likely suffer from extremely slow performance. Pages will open up for years, and any kind of login will take about a minute – just a nightmare for a person who works online.

Intelaudioservice.exe Technical Summary.

“Visible” damage is not a single bad activity coin miners perform on your personal computer. Intelaudioservice.exe coin miner likewise deals damage to your OS. To carry out all malevolent functions successfully, it wrecks the protection components of your system. You will likely see your Microsoft Defender disabled – malware stops it to prevent detection. If you open the HOSTS file, you will likely see a ton of new entries – they are brought in by this coin miner to connect your system to a malicious mining network. All these changes shall be gone back to the original in the process of PC recovery.

Hardware effects of coin miner activity

Besides decreasing your computer’s performance, running at peak power for long times may trigger damage to your device and raise power costs. PC components are created to easily deal with high load, but they are good with it only when they are in good shape.

Compact and well-protected CPU cooling system is hard to crack. Meanwhile, graphic cards have big and easy-to-access fans, which can be easily cracked if affected while running, for example, by the user much earlier before the malware injection. Malfunctioning cooling system, together with the unusually high load caused by Intelaudioservice.exe miner can easily lead to GPU failure². Graphic cards also tend to have very fast wearing when used for cryptocurrency mining. It is surely a bad situation when the performance of your GPU plunges 20-30% just after several weeks of being used in such a way.

How did I get the Intelaudioservice.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 “serious” malware. Adware sometimes serves as a carrier for Intelaudioservice.exe malware infiltration: it shows you the banners, which contain a link to malware downloading. Sure, this abstract “malware” can belong to any kind – another adware, spyware, rogue, or backdoor. But the statistics show that approximately 30% of all viruses spread with the malevolent banners are coin miners – and Intelaudioservice.exe is just with them.³

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 suspicious web page as a part of a program. People who spread hacked variants of popular programs (which do not demand the license key) have small chances to get paid. For this reason, there is a very big lure to add malware to the final package of the hacked app and get a coin for every setup. Before blaming these individuals for hacking and also malware spreading, ask yourself – is it OK to avoid paying for the program in such a way? It is more affordable to pay $20-$30 one time than to pay a much greater sum for antivirus software and new parts for your PC.

How to remove the Intelaudioservice.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 demands using a special program. Effective antivirus must have high performance at scanning and also be lightweight – to create no problems with usage even on weak PCs. Furthermore, it is better to have proactive protection in your security solution – to halt the virus even before it starts. Microsoft Defender does not have these features for various reasons. That’s why I’d suggest you use a third-party anti-malware program for that purpose. GridinSoft Anti-Malware is a great option that fits each of the specified characteristics.⁴

Before the malware removal, it is important to reboot your Windows into Safe Mode with Networking. Since Intelaudioservice.exe miner takes a lot of processor power, it is needed 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.

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.

When your PC is in Safe Mode, all third-party software, 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 the high CPU usage of the coin miner.

Remove Intelaudioservice.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.

After activating your free trial, start a Full scan. It may last up to 10 minutes. You may use the PC as usual.

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.

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

1. Detailed explanation of how does cryptomining work.
2. About unwanted effects for GPUs in the process of crypto mining.
3. Read more about various malware type on Cybersecurity Glossary.
4. Our review on GridinSoft Anti-Malware.

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