Isahelperservice.exe Virus ⛏️ (Coin Miner Trojan) Removal

Written by Robert Bailey

Isahelperservice.exe is a benevolent executable file of the Intel Security Assist software developed by Intel. It forms a crucial part of the Intel Security Assist and Intel Active Management Technology software, which allows users to manage their personal computers and monitor them with ease remotely. The operation of this file should not be a problem.

Frequently Isahelperservice.exe is a legitimate process. Usually, certain types of malware may disguise themselves as isaHelperService.exe, mainly when found in the System folder. In this scenario, you may also notice an increase in CPU usage.

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What is Isahelperservice.exe process?

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

As previously mentioned, Isahelperservice.exe is a legitimate process. However, malware can hijack its name to hide itself within a system. A clear indication of its malicious origins is the high CPU load it generates, which can reach up to 80%. This can cause performance issues, particularly when attempting CPU-intensive tasks.

Isahelperservice.exe Windows Process

Isahelperservice.exe – Extremely high CPU/GPU usage

The file’s location will help you understand if it is a malicious copy. Initially, the Isahelperservice.exe file is located in the “C:\Program Files (x86)\Intel\Intel(R) Security Assist” folder. To check the location of a file, right-click on it in the Task Manager and select “Open file location” from the options. If the location is different from the expected one, it may indicate that the file is malicious.

Shortly about cryptocurrency mining

Cryptocurrency mining is a term that means the operation of calculating the transaction block hash. That is a integral part of any project based on the blockchain technology. Since this operation takes a lot of calculations, a strong computer is needed. Exactly, the GPU is better for this task, because they have more cores available. Cryptomining farms are usually constructed of dozens of video cards to complete their task efficiently. Such computer systems are not usable for “general” purposes, like gaming or browsing the Web. Fraudsters who make profit via this coin miner use someones’ PCs instead, even if they are used for the regular activity.

List of the typical coin miner symptoms

  • Extremely bad performance
  • CPU/GPU cooler fan creates a lot of noise
  • High temperature of the device (for laptops)
  • 80-90% consumption of CPU/GPU resources by an unknown process
  • Microsoft Defender is not working

How dangerous is the Isahelperservice.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, Isahelperservice.exe virus makes your PC overloaded. It is not able to run your applications anymore, since all processor power is used by a virus. That malware does not care for your demands, 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 struggle with incredibly slow performance. Pages can open up for years, any kind of logins will take about a minute – just a nightmare for a person that works online.

Isahelperservice.exe Technical Summary.

File NameIsahelperservice.exe
TypeTrojan Coin Miner
Detection NameTrojan:Win32/CoinMiner
Distribution MethodSoftware bundling, Intrusive advertisement, redirects to shady sites etc.
Similar behaviorRzsdkserver.exe, Updaterstartuputility.exe, Dbxsvc.exe
RemovalDownload and install GridinSoft Anti-Malware for automatic Isahelperservice.exe removal.

“Visible” damage is not a solitary unpleasant activity coin miners perform to your computer. Isahelperservice.exe coin miner additionally deals damage to your OS. To conduct all malevolent functions properly, it wrecks the protection features of your system. You will likely see your Microsoft Defender disabled – malware halts it to avoid recognition. If you open the HOSTS file, you will likely see a lot of new notes – they are added by this trojan miner to connect your computer to a malicious mining network. All these changes shall be reverted to the original in the process of PC recovery.

Hardware effects of coin miner activity

Besides decreasing your system’s performance, running at peak power for a long period of time can trigger damage to your machine and increase electricity expenses. 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 covered processor fan is quite hard to crack. Meanwhile, GPUs have big and easy-to-access fans, which can be easily broke if affected while working, for instance, by the user much earlier before the virus injection. Malfunctioning cooling system, together with the very high load caused by Isahelperservice.exe can easily lead to graphic card failure1. Video cards are also prone to have increased wearing when used for crypto mining. It is surely a bad situation when your GPU’s performance plunges 20-30% only after several weeks of being exploited in such a way.

How did I get Isahelperservice.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 “severe” viruses. Adware sometimes works as a carrier for Isahelperservice.exe malware infiltration: it shows you the banners, which include a link to malware downloading. Yes, this abstract “malware” can belong to any type – an additional adware, spyware, rogue or backdoor. But the statistics show that about 30% of all viruses spread through the malicious banners are coin miners – and Isahelperservice.exe is right with 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 dubious site as a part of a program. Users who spread hacked versions of popular programs (which do not need the license key) have small chances to get paid. Hence, there is a very big lure to include malware to the final package of the hacked app and get a coin for each installation. Before blaming these people for hacking and malware spreading, ask yourself – is it alright to avoid paying for the program in such a way? It is more affordable to pay $20-$30 at once than to pay a much bigger figure for antivirus software as well as new parts for your PC.

How to remove the Isahelperservice.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 needs using special program. Effective anti-malware program must have high efficiency at scanning and be lightweight – in order to create no problems with usage even on weak systems. Furthermore, it is better to have on-run protection in your security tool – to prevent the virus even before it launches. Microsoft Defender does not have these functions for various factors. That’s why I’d recommend you to use a third-party anti-malware program for that goal. GridinSoft Anti-Malware is a perfect option that fits all of the discussed characteristics.2

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

Remove Isahelperservice.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.

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

Scanning for Isahelperservice.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.

GridinSoft Anti-Malware after the scan Isahelperservice.exe process

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

Remove Isahelperservice.exe Virus ⛏️ Trojan Coin Miner

Name: Isahelperservice.exe

Description: The Isahelperservice.exe is a benevolent executable file. Some malware camouflages itself as isaHelperService.exe. Using this file may cause your CPU to reach high temperatures for extended periods, potentially shortening its lifespan.

Operating System: Windows

Application Category: Trojan

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References

  1. About unwanted effects for GPUs in the process of cryptomining.
  2. 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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