Pdfskills_updater.exe executable file is related to a malevolent program that can properly be defined as a coin miner virus. That malware form uses your hardware to mine cryptocurrencies, primarily – Monero or DarkCoin1. It makes your computer pretty much unusable due to high CPU utilization.
What is Pdfskills_updater.exe process?
Pdfskills_updater.exe is a malicious process created by coin miner virus
As I have actually specified in the previous paragraph, Pdfskills_updater.exe is a coin miner virus. The names of the executive file can be diverse, but the consequences are usually the identical. Since coin miners aim at cryptocurrency mining, they use all available hardware capacity of your PC to run this process. This virus does not take note of the fact that you probably need to make use of your PC for other activities – it will constantly use over 80% of your CPU power.
Pdfskills_updater.exe – Really high CPU/GPU usage
Besides CPU usage, some of the coin miners also utilize GPU power for their tasks. In that situation, you will likely struggle even to see the mouse cursor moving – GPU is usually utilized on 100%. It is not as vital as CPU for system work, so Pdfskills_updater.exe coin miner viruses don’t waste time on trifles and use all of it. It sometimes may cause unhappy consequences.
Shortly about cryptocurrency mining
Crypto mining term means the action of calculating the transaction block hash. That is a integral part of any project based on the blockchain technology. Since this action takes a lot of calculations, a very powerful machine is required. Exactly, the graphic card is better for this purpose, because they have more cores available. Cryptocurrency mining farms are usually constructed of dozens of GPUs to conduct their activity effectively. Such systems are not usable for “usual” purposes, like gaming or web browsing. Fraudsters who make profit via this coin miner use someones’ computers instead, even if they are used for the regular activity.
List of the typical coin miner symptoms
How dangerous is the Pdfskills_updater.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, Pdfskills_updater.exe virus makes your PC overloaded. It is not able to run your applications now, because all CPU power is used by a malware. That malware does not care for your demands, all it focuses on is making money on you. Even if you are patient, and you waited until web browser is open, you will likely struggle with extremely slow efficiency. Pages can open for years, any sort of logins will likely take about a minute – just a nightmare for a person that does a job online.
Pdfskills_updater.exe Technical Summary.
| File Name | Pdfskills_updater.exe |
| Type | Trojan Coin Miner |
| Detection Name | Trojan:Win32/CoinMiner |
| Distribution Method | Software bundling, Intrusive advertisement, redirects to shady sites etc. |
| Similar behavior | Smcdll.exe, Winaihservice.virus/, Screenconnect.client |
| Removal | Download and install GridinSoft Anti-Malware for automatic Pdfskills_updater.exe removal. |
“Visible” harm is not a solitary bad thing coin miners perform to your PC. Pdfskills_updater.exe coin miner additionally deals damage to your OS. To complete all malicious operations properly, it wrecks the protection mechanisms of your system. You will likely see your Microsoft Defender disabled – malware stops it to prevent detection. If you check the HOSTS file, you will likely see a load of new entries – they are brought in by this coin miner to connect your system to a malicious cryptomining network. All these changes are about to be gone back to the original in the process of PC recovery.
Hardware effects of coin miner activity
Besides decreasing your PC’s performance, performing at peak power for a long period of time can trigger damage to your machine and increase electricity expenses. Hardware components are created to easily get along with high load, but they are good with it only in case when they are in a good shape.
Little and well-protected CPU cooling system is quite hard to damage. Meanwhile, GPUs have large and easy-to-access fans, which can be easily broke if affected while working, for instance, by the user much earlier before the coin-miner injection. Malfunctioning cooling system, together with the really high load caused by Pdfskills_updater.exe malware can easily lead to GPU failure. Video cards are also tend to have fast wearing when used for crypto mining. It is surely a bad case when your GPU’s performance decreases on 20-30% only after 1-2 weeks of being exploited in such a way.
How did I get Pdfskills_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 the most common malicious programs through “severe” malware. Adware often functions as a carrier for Pdfskills_updater.exe malware infiltration: it shows you the banners, which contain a link to malware downloading. Yes, this abstract “malware” can belong to any kind – an additional adware, spyware, rogue or backdoor. But the statistics say that about 30% of all viruses spread through the malevolent banners are coin miners – and Pdfskills_updater.exe is just with them.
The example of malicious banners you can see in the Internet
One more way you could get this thing on your computer is by downloading it from the untrustworthy website as a part of a program. People who spread hacked variants of popular programs (which do not need the license key) have small chances to make money. Hence, there is a very big lure to include malware to the final package of the hacked app and acquire a coin for every setup. Prior to criticizing these people for hacking and also malware distribution, ask yourself – is it alright 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 computer.
How to remove the Pdfskills_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 requires the use of specific app. Proper antivirus should have high efficiency at scanning and be lightweight – in order to create no problems with utilization even on weak computers. Furthermore, it is better to have on-run protection in your protection solution – to prevent the virus even before it launches. Microsoft Defender lacks these functions for different reasons. That’s why I’d advise you to use a third-party anti-malware program for that purpose. GridinSoft Anti-Malware is a great choice that fits each of the specified qualities.2
Before the virus removal, it is important to boot your operating system into Safe Mode with Networking. Since Pdfskills_updater.exe miner takes 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.
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 computer is in Safe Mode, all third-party applications, just like the majority of non-crucial operating system components, are not launched with the system start. That gives you the ability to clean the PC without dealing with high processor usage of the coin miner.
Remove Pdfskills_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.
After activating your free trial, start 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 a normal Windows mode and use just as there was nothing malicious.
User Review
( votes)References
- Read about why Monero and DarkCoin are so popular amongst cybercriminals.
- Our review on GridinSoft Anti-Malware.
