Software_reporter_tool.exe Virus ⛏️ (Coin Miner Trojan) Removal

Written by Robert Bailey
Software_reporter_tool.exe process is related to a malicious program that can accurately be identified as a coin miner trojan virus. That malware type utilizes your PC components to mine cryptocurrencies, primarily – Monero or DarkCoin1. It makes your system roughly nonfunctional because of high CPU use.
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What is Software_reporter_tool.exe process?

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

As I have pointed out in the previous paragraph, Software_reporter_tool.exe is a coin miner virus. The names of the executive file may be different, however, the impacts are usually the same. Since coin miners aim at cryptocurrency mining, they use all available hardware power of your PC to conduct this operation. This virus doesn’t pay attention to the fact that you may need to make use of your computer for other activities – it will always take over 80% of your processor power.

Software_reporter_tool.exe Windows Process

Software_reporter_tool.exe – Extremely high CPU and GPU usage

Besides CPU utilization, some of the coin miners also make use of GPU power for their tasks. In that case, you will probably struggle even to see the mouse cursor moving – GPU is often utilized on 100%. It is not as crucial as processor for system work, so Software_reporter_tool.exe coin miner viruses don’t waste time on trifles and utilize all of it. It often may cause bad consequences.

Shortly about cryptocurrency mining

Crypto mining term means the operation of calculating the transaction block hash. That is a basic part of anything based on the blockchain technology. Since this action takes a lot of calculations, a very strong PC is needed. Exactly, the graphic card is better for this task, because they have more cores available. Cryptocurrency mining farms usually consist of dozens of graphic cards to conduct their activity effectively. Such systems are not usable for “general” purposes, like gaming or web browsing. Crooks who make profit 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 Software_reporter_tool.exe miner?

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

    Firstly, Software_reporter_tool.exe malware makes your computer overloaded. It is not able to run your applications anymore, because all processor 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 suffer from exceptionally slow efficiency. Pages can open up for years, any sort of logins will take about a minute – just a horror story for a person who does a job online.

    Software_reporter_tool.exe Technical Summary.

    File NameSoftware_reporter_tool.exe
    TypeTrojan Coin Miner
    Detection NameTrojan:Win32/CoinMiner
    Distribution MethodSoftware bundling, Intrusive advertisement, redirects to shady sites etc.
    Similar behaviorProxypub.exe, Vape_v4.exe, Raconnn.exe
    RemovalDownload and install GridinSoft Anti-Malware for automatic Software_reporter_tool.exe removal.

    “Visible” harm is not a single negative thing coin miners do to your computer. Software_reporter_tool.exe coin miner likewise deals damage to your operating system. To perform all malevolent functions correctly, 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 lot of new notes – they are added by this coin miner to connect your PC to a malicious cryptomining network. All these adjustments shall be reverted to the initial state in the process of computer recovery.

    Hardware effects of coin miner activity

    Besides decreasing your PC’s performance, running at peak level for long times can trigger damage to your machine and increase electricity bills. 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 processor cooling system is quite hard to broke. Meanwhile, graphic cards have big and easy-to-access rotors, which can be easily cracked if touched while working, for example, by the user much before the coin-miner injection. Malfunctioning cooling system, together with the unusually high load caused by Software_reporter_tool.exe miner can easily lead to GPU failure3. Graphic cards are also tend to have fast wearing when used for crypto mining. It is likely a bad situation when your GPU’s performance decreases on 20-30% just after 1-2 weeks of being exploited in such a way.

    How did I get Software_reporter_tool.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 malevolent programs among “major” malware. Adware often functions as a carrier for Software_reporter_tool.exe malware infiltration: it demonstrates you the banners, which contain a link to malware downloading. Sure, this abstract “malware” can belong to any type – yet another adware, spyware, rogue or backdoor. However, the statistics say that around 30% of all malware spread through the malicious banners are coin miners – and Software_reporter_tool.exe is right one of them.4

    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 dubious site as a part of a program. Users who spread hacked versions of well-known programs (which do not demand the license key) have small chances to get paid. For this reason, there is a very big lure to add malware to the final package of the hacked app and acquire a coin for every installation. Before blaming these guys 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 at once than to pay a much bigger figure for antivirus software and new parts for your desktop.

    How to remove the Software_reporter_tool.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 requires making use of specific software. Proper security tool should have high performance at scanning and also be lightweight – in order to make no problems with utilization also on weak computers. In addition, it is better to have on-run security in your protection tool – to halt the virus even before it starts. Microsoft Defender lacks these functions for various reasons. That’s why I’d advise you to use a third-party anti-malware program for that purpose. GridinSoft Anti-Malware is an ideal choice that fits all of the discussed features.5

    Before the malware removal, it is important to reboot your system into Safe Mode with Networking. Since Software_reporter_tool.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.

    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 computer is in Safe Mode, all third-party apps, just like the majority of non-crucial system components, are not started with the system start. That allows you to clean the PC without dealing with high CPU usage of the coin miner.

    Remove Software_reporter_tool.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 Software_reporter_tool.exe Virus ⛏️ Trojan Coin Miner

    Name: Software_reporter_tool.exe

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