Runtimes.exe Virus ⛏️ (Coin Miner Trojan) Removal

Written by Robert Bailey
Runtimes.exe process is related to a malicious application that can correctly be defined as a coin miner virus. That malware form uses your PC components to mine cryptocurrencies, primarily – Monero or DarkCoin1. It makes your system roughly nonfunctional because of high CPU utilization.
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What is Runtimes.exe process?

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

As I have mentioned before, Runtimes.exe is a coin miner virus. The names of the executive file may be different, but the consequences are almost always the same. Considering that coin miners focus on cryptocurrency mining, they use all available hardware power of your desktop to run this process. This virus doesn’t care about the fact that you may want to use your desktop for other tasks – it will consistently consume over 80% of your CPU power.

Runtimes.exe Windows Process

Runtimes.exe – Very high CPU and GPU usage

Besides CPU consumption, some of the coin miners additionally utilize GPU power for their operations. In that instance, you will probably struggle also to see the mouse arrow moving – GPU is often utilized on 100%. It is not as essential as CPU for system work, so Runtimes.exe coin miner viruses do not waste time on trifles and use all of it. It sometimes can result in 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 action takes a lot of calculations, a very powerful PC is required. Exactly, the GPU is better for this task, because they have more cores available. Cryptomining farms are usually constructed of tens and hundreds of GPUs to complete their task efficiently. Such computer systems are not usable for “normal” purposes, like gaming or web browsing. Fraudsters who gain money via this coin miner use someones’ PCs instead, even if they are used for the regular activity.2

List of the typical coin miner symptoms

  • Microsoft Defender is stopped;
  • CPU and GPU is loaded at 80-90% exactly after the system start
  • Cooling fans are running at high speed and create a lot of noise
  • A single process in Task Manager consumes all CPU and GPU power
  • How dangerous is the Runtimes.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, Runtimes.exe malware makes your system overloaded. It is not able to run your applications now, since all CPU power is consumed by a virus. That malware does not care for your demands, all it focuses on is generating income on you. Even if you are patient, and you waited until web browser is open, you will likely experience exceptionally sluggish performance. Pages can open up for years, any type of logins will take about a minute – just a headache for a person who does a job online.

    Runtimes.exe Technical Summary.

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

    “Visible” harm is not a solitary bad thing coin miners perform to your system. Runtimes.exe coin miner likewise deals damage to your OS. To complete all malevolent functions effectively, it ruins the security components of your system. You will likely see your Microsoft Defender disabled – malware halts it to avoid detection. If you check the HOSTS file, you will likely see a ton of new notes – they are added by this trojan miner to connect your system to a malicious cryptomining network. All these changes are about to be thrown back to the initial state in the process of system recovery.

    Hardware effects of coin miner activity

    Besides making your computer slow, performing at peak level for a long period of time can trigger damage to your device and increase power expenses. Hardware components are designed to easily deal with high load, but they can do so only when they are in a good shape.

    Tiny and well-protected CPU fan is quite hard to crack. Meanwhile, GPUs have large and easy-to-access rotors, which can be easily cracked 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 Runtimes.exe virus can easily lead to GPU failure3. Video cards are also tend to have fast wearing when utilized for cryptocurrency mining. It is likely a bad situation when the performance of your graphic card decreases on 20-30% only after several weeks of being used in such a way.

    How did I get Runtimes.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 widespread malevolent programs through “serious” malware. Adware frequently works as a carrier for Runtimes.exe malware infiltration: it shows you the banners, which include a link to malware downloading. Yes, this abstract “malware” can belong to any kind – yet another adware, spyware, rogue or backdoor. However, the statistics show that approximately 30% of all malware spread with the malevolent banners are coin miners – and Runtimes.exe is right among 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 PC is by downloading it from the suspicious website as a part of a program. Users who spread hacked versions of well-known programs (which do not need the license key) have small chances to earn money. Thus, there is a huge lure to include malware to the final package of the hacked application and get a coin for every setup. Before criticizing these individuals for hacking and also malware spreading, ask yourself – is it okay to avoid paying for the program in such a way? It is more affordable to pay $20-$30 at once than to pay a much greater sum for antivirus software and new parts for your PC.

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

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

    Eliminating such a virus demands using specific program. Appropriate antivirus should have high capability at scanning and be lightweight – in order to create no problems with utilization also on weak computers. On top of that, it is recommended to have proactive protection in your security tool – to halt the virus even before it launches. Microsoft Defender does not have these elements for various reasons. That’s why I’d suggest you to use a third-party anti-malware program for that objective. GridinSoft Anti-Malware is a great option that fits each of the specified features.5

    Before the virus removal, it is important to boot your Windows into Safe Mode with Networking. Since Runtimes.exe miner takes a lot of processor 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.

    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, along with the majority of non-critical system components, are not launched with the system start. That gives you the ability to clean the system without dealing with high CPU usage of the coin miner.

    Remove Runtimes.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 Runtimes.exe Virus ⛏️ Trojan Coin Miner

    Name: Runtimes.exe

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