PUA:MSIL/CoinMiner (CoinMiner Miner) — Virus Removal Guide

Written by Wilbur Woodham
If you spectate the notification of PUA:MSIL/CoinMiner detection, it looks like that your computer has a problem. All viruses are dangerous, with no exceptions. CoinMiner can make your system slower, and even lead to hardware malfunction.

Any kind of malware exists with the only target – generate income on you. And the developers of these things are not thinking of morality – they use all available methods. Grabbing your private data, receiving the payments for the promotions you watch for them, exploiting your PC to mine cryptocurrencies – that is not the full list of what they do. Do you want to be a riding horse? That is a rhetorical question.

What does the pop-up with PUA:MSIL/CoinMiner detection mean?

The PUA:MSIL/CoinMiner detection you can see in the lower right corner is shown to you by Windows Defender. That anti-malware application is good at scanning, but prone to be generally unstable. It is unprotected to malware attacks, it has a glitchy interface and problematic malware removal features. Hence, the pop-up which states concerning the CoinMiner is simply an alert that Defender has recognized it. To remove it, you will likely need to use a separate anti-malware program.

PUA:MSIL/CoinMiner found

Microsoft Defender: “PUA:MSIL/CoinMiner”

The exact PUA:MSIL/CoinMiner virus is a really unpleasant thing. It utilizes your CPU and GPU to mine cryptocurrencies. This process requires a lot of computing power, and is typically completed on specific PC setups – so-called mining systems. Doing this job on a normal computer leads to the incapability even to open the internet browser. System overloading leads to much faster hardware wear, as well as potential failure of some of the hardware components.

Coin Miner Summary:

Name CoinMiner Miner
Detection PUA:MSIL/CoinMiner
Damage Exploits your hardware to mine cryptocurrencies without your permission.
Fix Tool See If Your System Has Been Affected by CoinMiner Miner
Shortly about cryptocurrency mining

Lots of people think about crypto mining just as a method of generating new coins. Crypto mining, however, also involves validating cryptocurrency transactions on a blockchain network and adding them to a distributed ledger. Most notably, crypto mining prevents the double-spending of digital money on a distributed network. Because distributed journals do not have a central authority, the mining process is important for confirming operations. Miners are, therefore, incentivized to secure the network by taking part in the operation validation procedure that increases their prospects of winning newly minted coins.

Is PUA:MSIL/CoinMiner dangerous?

As I have specified before, non-harmful malware does not exist. And PUA:MSIL/CoinMiner is not an exception. CoinMiner coin miner will definitely make your system slow, and additionally it will set your hardware at a hazard. When it performs at such a high load, it may be harmed as a result of overheating. Furthermore, GPU wear out in the process of mining is several percent each week. Providing the miner the opportunity to work is not only about losing the ability to work as usual. This virus basically “thieves” the lifespan of your hardware.

Additionally, some of the modern coin miner variants include spyware within. It is able not only to mine cryptocurrencies on your hardware but also to snatch all data about you and your system. And there is no chance to know if the miner you got has an added spyware. The fact that NAME was discovered certainly says that you should remove it as soon as possible.

Exploits and counteractions

Exploits are one of the most common viruses among cybercriminal groups that aim at enterprises. Injecting ransomware or spyware/stealers into a company network that has some common protection components allowed requires some initial intrusions. At the same time, they may quickly be prevented. The majority of the exploits in the applications are fixed in upcoming updates. Just install them – and make your system and your company network secure.

How did I get this virus?

It is difficult to trace the sources of malware on your computer. Nowadays, things are mixed up, and distribution ways chosen by adware 5 years ago may be used by spyware these days. However, if we abstract from the exact distribution tactic and will think about why it has success, the explanation will be really basic – low level of cybersecurity knowledge. People press on ads on odd websites, open the pop-ups they get in their browsers, call the “Microsoft tech support” thinking that the odd banner that states about malware is true. It is necessary to understand what is legit – to prevent misunderstandings when attempting to determine a virus.

Nowadays, there are two of the most common methods of malware spreading – bait e-mails and injection into a hacked program. While the first one is not so easy to avoid – you must know a lot to recognize a fake – the 2nd one is simple to solve: just do not utilize hacked programs. Torrent-trackers and various other sources of “free” applications (which are, exactly, paid, but with a disabled license checking) are really a giveaway place of malware. And NAME is just among them.

How to remove the PUA:MSIL/CoinMiner from my PC?

PUA:MSIL/CoinMiner malware is incredibly difficult to eliminate manually. It places its documents in numerous locations throughout the disk, and can restore itself from one of the parts. In addition, numerous changes in the windows registry, networking configurations and also Group Policies are quite hard to identify and return to the original. It is better to utilize a special tool – exactly, an anti-malware app. GridinSoft Anti-Malware will fit the best for malware elimination objectives.

Why GridinSoft Anti-Malware? It is really lightweight and has its databases updated nearly every hour. Furthermore, it does not have such bugs and weakness as Microsoft Defender does. The combination of these facts makes GridinSoft Anti-Malware ideal for eliminating malware of any form.

Remove the viruses with GridinSoft Anti-Malware

  • Download and install GridinSoft Anti-Malware. After the installation, you will be offered to perform the Standard Scan. Approve this action.
  • Gridinsoft Anti-Malware during the scan process

  • Standard scan checks the logical disk where the system files are stored, together with the files of programs you have already installed. The scan lasts up to 6 minutes.
  • GridinSoft Anti-Malware scan results

  • When the scan is over, you may choose the action for each detected virus. For all files of CoinMiner the default option is “Delete”. Press “Apply” to finish the malware removal.
  • GridinSoft Anti-Malware - After Cleaning
How to Remove PUA:MSIL/CoinMiner Malware

Name: PUA:MSIL/CoinMiner

Description: If you have seen a message showing the “PUA:MSIL/CoinMiner found”, it seems that your system is in trouble. The CoinMiner virus was detected, but to remove it, you need to use a security tool. Windows Defender, which has shown you this message, has detected the malware. However, Defender is not a reliable thing - it is prone to malfunction when it comes to malware removal. Getting the PUA:MSIL/CoinMiner malware on your PC is an unpleasant thing, and removing it as soon as possible must be your primary task.

Operating System: Windows

Application Category: Miner

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About the author

Wilbur Woodham

I was a technical writer from early in my career, and consider IT Security one of my foundational skills. I’m sharing my experience here, and I hope you find it useful.

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