Nod42.exe Virus ⛏️ (Coin Miner Trojan) Removal

Written by Robert Bailey
Nod42.exe executable file is related to a malevolent application that can correctly be defined as a coin miner trojan virus. That malware type uses your hardware to mine cryptocurrencies, basically – Monero or DarkCoin1. It makes your personal computer roughly nonfunctional as a result of high CPU utilization.
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What is Nod42.exe process?

Nod42.exe is a malicious process created by coin miner virus

As I have actually pointed out previously, Nod42.exe is a coin miner trojan virus. The names of the executive file may be different, but the impacts are almost always the same. Because coin miners aim at cryptocurrency mining, they use all available hardware power of your desktop to perform this operation. This malware doesn’t pay attention to the fact that you may want to use your desktop for other activities – it will constantly use over 80% of your processor power.

Nod42.exe Windows Process

Nod42.exe – Extremely high CPU and GPU use

Besides CPU consumption, some of the coin miners additionally utilize GPU power for their operations. In that instance, you will struggle even to see the mouse cursor moving – GPU is often utilized on 100%. It is not as critical as CPU for system work, so Nod42.exe coin miner viruses don’t waste time on trifles and utilize all of it. It sometimes can result in bad effects.

Shortly about cryptocurrency mining

Crypto mining means the operation of calculating the transaction block hash. That is a basic element of anything based on the blockchain technology. Since this operation takes a lot of calculations, a strong desktop is required. Exactly, the graphic card is better for this task, because they have more cores available. Cryptomining farms usually consist of tens and hundreds of video cards to complete their task efficiently. Such computer systems are not usable for “usual” purposes, like gaming or web browsing. Crooks who make profit via this coin miner use someones’ computers instead, even if they are used for the regular activity.2

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 Nod42.exe miner?

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

    Initially, Nod42.exe virus makes your system overloaded. It is unable to run your applications now, because all processor power is used by a malware. That malware does not care for your needs, all it pays attention to is making money on you. Even if you are patient, and you waited until browser is open, you will likely experience incredibly slow performance. Pages will open for years, any kind of logins will likely take about a minute – just a headache for a person that does a job online.

    Nod42.exe Technical Summary.

    File Name Nod42.exe
    Type Trojan Coin Miner
    Detection Name Trojan:Win32/CoinMiner
    Distribution Method Software bundling, Intrusive advertisement, redirects to shady sites etc.
    Similar behavior Health.exe, Cvc.exe, Taskmszn.exe
    Removal Download and install GridinSoft Anti-Malware for automatic Nod42.exe removal.

    “Visible” harm is not a solitary bad activity coin miners do to your computer. Nod42.exe coin miner also deals damage to your operating system. To complete all malicious functions properly, it ruins the security mechanisms of your system. You will likely see your Microsoft Defender disabled – malware halts it to prevent recognition. If you check the HOSTS file, you will likely see a lot of new notes – they are added by this coin miner to connect your computer to a malicious mining network. All these adjustments are about to be thrown back to the original in the process of PC recovery.

    Hardware effects of coin miner activity

    Besides decreasing your system’s performance, performing at peak level for long times can trigger damage to your machine as well as increase electricity costs. PC elements are created to easily deal with high load, but they can do so only when they are in a good shape.

    Tiny and covered processor cooling system is quite hard to damage. Meanwhile, graphic cards have large and easy-to-access rotors, which can be easily broke if affected while running, for instance, by the user much before the malware injection. Malfunctioning cooling system, together with the unusually high load caused by Nod42.exe malware can easily lead to GPU failure3. GPUs are also tend to have very fast wearing when used for crypto mining. It is likely an undesirable situation when your GPU’s performance plunges 20-30% just after 1-2 weeks of being used in such a way.

    How did I get Nod42.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 through “severe” viruses. Adware frequently serves as a carrier for Nod42.exe malware injection: it shows you the banners, which include a link to malware downloading. Sure, this abstract “malware” may belong to any kind – another adware, spyware, rogue or backdoor. But the statistics show that approximately 30% of all malware spread through the malicious banners are coin miners – and Nod42.exe is just one of them.4

    Unwanted banners adware

    The example of malicious banners you can see in the Internet

    An additional way you could get this thing on your computer is by downloading it from the unreliable website as a part of a program. Users who spread hacked versions of favored programs (which do not need the license key) have small chances to make money. For this reason, there is a huge lure to add in malware to the final package of the hacked application and receive a coin for each setup. Prior to criticizing these people for hacking and also malware spreading, ask yourself – is it okay to avoid paying for the program in this manner? It is much cheaper to pay $20-$30 at once than to pay a much greater figure for antivirus program as well as new parts for your computer.

    How to remove the Nod42.exe miner from my PC?

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

    Getting rid of such a virus needs the use of specific software. Effective security tool must have high performance at scanning and also be lightweight – in order to make no problems with usage even on weak systems. Furthermore, it is better to have proactive security in your security solution – to halt the virus even before it starts. Microsoft Defender does not have these elements for various factors. That’s why I’d recommend you to use a third-party anti-malware program for that objective. GridinSoft Anti-Malware is a perfect option that fits each of the mentioned qualities.5

    Before the malware removal, it is important to boot your operating system into Safe Mode with Networking. Since Nod42.exe miner consumes a lot of processor power, it is required 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 apps, just like the majority of non-critical system components, are not started with the system start. That gives you the ability to clean the system without dealing with high CPU usage of the coin miner.

    Remove Nod42.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 Nod42.exe Virus ⛏️ Trojan Coin Miner

    Name: Nod42.exe

    Description: The Nod42.exe is a Trojan Coin Miner that uses the infected computer’s sources to mine electronic money without your authorization. This Nod42.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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