Lghub_updater.exe Virus ⛏️ (Coin Miner Trojan) Removal

Written by Robert Bailey
Lghub_updater.exe process belongs to a malevolent program that can properly be defined as a coin miner virus. That malware type utilizes your hardware to mine cryptocurrencies, primarily – Monero or DarkCoin1. It makes your computer pretty much nonfunctional because of high CPU use.
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What is Lghub_updater.exe process?

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

As I have actually mentioned in the introduction, Lghub_updater.exe is a coin miner virus. The names of the .exe file can be diverse, however, the consequences are usually the same. Since coin miners aim at cryptocurrency mining, they utilize all available hardware capacity of your desktop to perform this procedure. This malware doesn’t care about the fact that you may need to use your system for other tasks – it will constantly use over 80% of your CPU power.

Lghub_updater.exe Windows Process

Lghub_updater.exe – Extremely high CPU/GPU usage

Besides CPU usage, some of the coin miners also make use of GPU power for their operations. In that case, you will struggle even to see the mouse arrow moving – GPU is usually utilized on 100%. It is not as essential as CPU for system work, so Lghub_updater.exe coin miner viruses don’t waste time on trifles and use it all. It sometimes can cause sad consequences.

Shortly about cryptocurrency mining

Cryptocurrency mining is a term that means the action of calculating the transaction block hash. That is a integral element of anything based on the blockchain technology. Since this action takes a lot of calculations, a very powerful desktop is needed. Exactly, the GPU is better for this task, because they have more cores available. Cryptocurrency mining farms usually consist of dozens of video cards to conduct their activity effectively. 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.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 Lghub_updater.exe miner?

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

    Initially, Lghub_updater.exe virus makes your computer overloaded. It is unable to run your applications anymore, because all CPU power is used by a virus. That malware does not care for your needs, all it focuses on is generating income on you. Even if you are patient, and you waited until web browser is open, you will likely experience incredibly sluggish performance. Pages can open up for years, any type of logins will likely take about a minute – just a nightmare for a person who works online.

    Lghub_updater.exe Technical Summary.

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

    “Visible” harm is not a single negative thing coin miners do to your system. Lghub_updater.exe coin miner also deals damage to your OS. To execute all malevolent functions correctly, it wrecks the security mechanisms 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 load of new notes – they are added by this trojan miner to connect your PC to a malicious cryptomining network. All these changes shall be gone back to the original in the process of PC recovery.

    Hardware effects of coin miner activity

    Besides slowing down your PC, running at peak level for long times can trigger damage to your device as well as raise electricity costs. PC elements are designed to easily deal with high load, but they are good with it only when they are in a good shape.

    Small and covered processor fan is not very easy to damage. Meanwhile, graphic cards have large and easy-to-access rotors, which can be easily cracked if touched while running, for instance, by the user much before the virus injection. Malfunctioning cooling system, together with the unusually high load caused by Lghub_updater.exe can easily lead to graphic card failure3. GPUs are also tend to have very fast wearing when used for cryptocurrency mining. It is surely an unwanted situation when the performance of your GPU decreases on 20-30% just after 1-2 weeks of being exploited in such a way.

    How did I get Lghub_updater.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 prevalent malevolent programs among “major” malware. Adware frequently acts as a carrier for Lghub_updater.exe malware injection: it demonstrates you the banners, which include a link to malware downloading. Yes, this abstract “malware” may belong to any kind – yet another adware, spyware, rogue or backdoor. However, the statistics say that approximately 30% of all malware spread through the malevolent banners are coin miners – and Lghub_updater.exe is right among 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 PC is by downloading it from the unreliable web page as a part of a program. People that spread hacked versions of well-known programs (which do not need the license key) have small chances to make money. Hence, there is a huge lure to add in malware to the final package of the hacked app and receive a coin for every installation. Before blaming these guys for hacking and malware distribution, ask yourself – is it alright to avoid buying the program in this manner? 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 desktop.

    How to remove the Lghub_updater.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 demands making use of specific app. Proper antivirus should have high performance at scanning and also be lightweight – in order to create no problems with usage even on weak systems. Furthermore, it is better to have proactive security in your security solution – to prevent the virus even before it starts. Microsoft Defender lacks these elements 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 a superb option that fits all of the mentioned qualities.5

    Prior to the virus removal, it is important to boot your operating system into Safe Mode with Networking. Since Lghub_updater.exe miner consumes a lot of CPU capacity, 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.

    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-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 Lghub_updater.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 Lghub_updater.exe Virus ⛏️ Trojan Coin Miner

    Name: Lghub_updater.exe

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