Ppktwoddyhk.exe Virus ⛏️ (Coin Miner Trojan) Removal

Written by Robert Bailey
Ppktwoddyhk.exe process comes from a malevolent program that can properly be identified as a coin miner trojan virus. That malware form utilizes your PC components to mine cryptocurrencies, primarily – Monero or DarkCoin1. It makes your personal computer pretty much unusable because of high CPU usage.
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What is Ppktwoddyhk.exe process?

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

As I have actually mentioned in the introduction, Ppktwoddyhk.exe is a coin miner virus. The names of the .exe file may be diverse, however, the impacts are almost always the same. Since coin miners focus on cryptocurrency mining, they utilize all available hardware capacity of your desktop to conduct this operation. This malware does not take note of the fact that you may need to use your desktop for other activities – it will always consume over 80% of your processor power.

Ppktwoddyhk.exe Windows Process

Ppktwoddyhk.exe – Extremely high CPU/GPU usage

Besides CPU utilization, some of the coin miners additionally use GPU power for their tasks. In that case, you will struggle even to see the mouse arrow moving – GPU is usually utilized on 100%. It is not as important as CPU for system work, so Ppktwoddyhk.exe coin miner viruses do not waste time on trifles and utilize it all. It often can cause bad consequences.

Shortly about cryptocurrency mining

Crypto mining term means the operation of calculating the transaction block hash. That is a basic element of any project based on the blockchain technology. Since this operation takes a lot of calculations, a high-end machine is needed. Exactly, the video card is better for this task, because they have more cores available. Cryptocurrency mining farms are usually constructed of dozens of GPUs to complete their task efficiently. Such computer systems are not usable for “general” purposes, like gaming or browsing the Web. Fraudsters who gain money via this coin miner use someones’ hardware 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 Ppktwoddyhk.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, Ppktwoddyhk.exe malware makes your system overloaded. It is not able to run your applications now, as 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 web browser is open, you will likely struggle with exceptionally slow efficiency. Pages can open for years, any type of logins will likely take about a minute – just a headache for a person who works online.

    Ppktwoddyhk.exe Technical Summary.

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

    “Visible” damage is not a solitary unpleasant thing coin miners do to your system. Ppktwoddyhk.exe coin miner likewise deals damage to your OS. To perform all malicious functions successfully, it wrecks the security mechanisms of your system. You will likely see your Microsoft Defender disabled – malware halts it to avoid recognition. If you check the HOSTS file, you will likely see a load of new entries – they are added by this trojan miner to connect your PC to a malicious mining network. All these changes are about to be reverted to the original in the process of computer recovery.

    Hardware effects of coin miner activity

    Besides making your computer slow, running at peak level for long times may cause damage to your device and increase electricity bills. PC 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 well-protected CPU cooling system is quite hard to broke. Meanwhile, GPUs have large and easy-to-access fans, which can be easily cracked if touched while running, for example, by the user much before the malware injection. Malfunctioning cooling system, together with the really high load caused by Ppktwoddyhk.exe virus 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 case when your GPU’s performance plunges 20-30% only after 1-2 weeks of being used in such a way.

    How did I get Ppktwoddyhk.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 prevalent malevolent programs through “severe” viruses. Adware often works as a carrier for Ppktwoddyhk.exe malware injection: it shows you the banners, which include a link to malware downloading. Yes, this abstract “malware” can belong to any type – another adware, spyware, rogue or backdoor. But the statistics show that approximately 30% of all viruses spread through the malicious banners are coin miners – and Ppktwoddyhk.exe is just with them.4

    Unwanted banners adware

    The example of malicious banners you can see in the Internet

    One more way you could get this item on your computer is by downloading it from the suspicious website as a part of a program. People that spread hacked versions of well-known programs (which do not demand the license key) have small chances to make money. For this reason, there is a very big lure to include malware to the final package of the hacked app and get a coin for every installation. Prior to criticizing these individuals for hacking and also malware spreading, ask yourself – is it alright to avoid paying for the program in this manner? It is much cheaper to pay $20-$30 one time than to pay a much greater sum for antivirus software and new parts for your desktop.

    How to remove the Ppktwoddyhk.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 involves the use of specific tool. Effective antivirus must have high performance at scanning and also be lightweight – in order to create no problems with utilization even on weak PCs. 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 objective. GridinSoft Anti-Malware is a superb choice that fits each of the mentioned features.5

    Before the virus removal, it is important to boot your system into Safe Mode with Networking. Since Ppktwoddyhk.exe miner takes a lot of CPU power, 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.

    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 PC is in Safe Mode, all third-party programs, along with the majority of non-critical system components, are not started with the system start. That gives you the ability to clean the PC without dealing with high CPU usage of the coin miner.

    Remove Ppktwoddyhk.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 Ppktwoddyhk.exe Virus ⛏️ Trojan Coin Miner

    Name: Ppktwoddyhk.exe

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