Regsrvc.exe Virus (Coin Miner Trojan) Removal

Regsrvc.exe process belongs to the Intel Registry Service Module. This is a benevolent system element that is responsible for correct plug-in devices handling. However, this name is sometimes hijacked by various malware.

Intel Registry Service Module abbreviates to regsrvc – this is where the regsrvc.exe process got its name. Normally, it should not create high CPU load. Thus seeing this process generating immense amounts of CPU load says for itself: it is a malicious copy rather than genuine process.

What is Regsrvc.exe process?

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

As mentioned earlier, regsrvc.exe has the potential to be a coin miner trojan. The most evident indication of its malicious nature is the high CPU load, typically exceeding 80%. A genuine version of this process does not require such a significant amount of CPU power, even on weaker systems.

Regsrvc.exe Windows Process

Regsrvc.exe – Really high CPU as well as GPU usage

In addition to CPU utilization, you can also determine if the process is malicious by checking its .exe file location. The authentic instance of regsrvc.exe can be found at C:\Program Files\Common Files\Intel\WirelessCommon. To verify the file location of the process, right-click on it in the Task Manager and select the “Open file location” button in the dialog box. If the file is located in any other directory than the one mentioned, it indicates malicious origins of the file.

Shortly about cryptocurrency mining

Cryptocurrency mining is a term that means the action of calculating the transaction block hash. That is a integral part of any project based on the blockchain technology. Since this operation takes a lot of calculations, a very strong desktop is needed. Exactly, the video card is better for this purpose, because they have more cores available. Cryptomining farms are usually constructed of dozens of GPUs to conduct their activity effectively. Such systems are not usable for “classic” purposes, like gaming or browsing the Web. Crooks who make profit via this coin miner use someones’ hardware instead, even if they are used for the regular activity.1

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 Regsrvc.exe miner?

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

    Firstly, Regsrvc.exe virus makes your computer overloaded. It is not able to run your applications now, because all CPU power is used by a virus. That malware does not care for your wants, all it pays attention to is generating income on you. Even if you are patient, and you waited until browser is open, you will likely suffer from extremely slow performance. Pages will open up for years, any type of logins will likely take about a minute – just a nightmare for a person who does a job online.

    Regsrvc.exe Technical Summary.

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

    “Visible” damage is not a solitary negative activity coin miners do to your PC. Regsrvc.exe coin miner also deals damage to your operating system. To conduct all malicious operations correctly, it wrecks the security components of your system. You will likely see your Microsoft Defender disabled – malware halts it to prevent detection. If you open the HOSTS file, you will likely see a ton of new entries – they are brought in by this coin miner to connect your system to a malicious mining network. All these adjustments are about to be reverted to the initial state in the process of system recovery.

    Hardware effects of coin miner activity

    Besides decreasing your computer’s performance, running at peak power for a long period of time may cause damage to your machine and raise electricity costs. PC elements are designed to easily get along with high load, but they can do so only in case when they are in a good shape.

    Tiny and covered processor fan is hard to broke. Meanwhile, GPUs have large and easy-to-access rotors, which can be easily broke if touched while running, for instance, by the user much before the malware injection. Malfunctioning cooling system, together with the really high load caused by Regsrvc.exe miner can easily lead to graphic processing unit failure2. GPUs are also prone to have very fast wearing when used for crypto mining. It is likely an undesirable case when your GPU’s performance plunges 20-30% just after 1-2 weeks of being exploited in such a way.

    How did I get Regsrvc.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 common malicious programs among “serious” viruses. Adware often serves as a carrier for Regsrvc.exe malware infiltration: it shows you the banners, which have a link to malware downloading. Yes, this abstract “malware” can belong to any kind – an additional adware, spyware, rogue or backdoor. However, the statistics say that around 30% of all malware spread through the malicious banners are coin miners – and Regsrvc.exe is right with them.

    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 suspicious website as a part of a program. Users who spread hacked variants of popular programs (which do not demand the license key) have small chances to get paid. Thus, there is a very big temptation to add in malware to the final package of the hacked application and get a coin for every setup. Prior to blaming these individuals for hacking and also malware spreading, ask yourself – is it okay to avoid buying the program in such a way? 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 Regsrvc.exe miner from my PC?

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

    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 software, just like the majority of non-critical 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.

    References

    1. Detailed explanation of how does cryptomining work.
    2. About unwanted effects for GPUs in the process of cryptomining.

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    About the author

    Robert Bailey

    Security engineer focused on malware behavior, removal workflows, and Windows hardening. Robert reviews threat articles for practical accuracy, checking detection names, symptoms, and cleanup steps before publication.

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