Topper.exe executable file is related to a malicious application that can properly be recognized as a coin miner trojan. That malware type uses your hardware to mine cryptocurrencies, basically – Monero or DarkCoin1. It makes your system roughly unfunctional due to high CPU usage.
What is Topper.exe process?
Topper.exe is a malicious process created by coin miner virus
Topper.exe – Really high CPU/GPU use
Besides CPU usage, some of the coin miners additionally use GPU power for their tasks. In that instance, you will likely struggle also to see the mouse arrow moving – GPU is often used on 100%. It is not as vital as processor for system work, so Topper.exe coin miner viruses don’t waste time on trifles and utilize all of it. It sometimes can result in sad effects.
Shortly about cryptocurrency mining
List of the typical coin miner symptoms
How dangerous is the Topper.exe miner?
Coin miners does not deal damage to your files. However, they make a lot of unpleasant things with the whole system
Firstly, Topper.exe virus makes your computer overloaded. It is unable to run your applications anymore, since 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 web browser is open, you will likely struggle with incredibly slow performance. Pages can open up for years, any kind of logins will likely take about a minute – just a headache for a person who does a job online.
Topper.exe Technical Summary.
| File Name | Topper.exe |
| Type | Trojan Coin Miner |
| Detection Name | Trojan:Win32/CoinMiner |
| Distribution Method | Software bundling, Intrusive advertisement, redirects to shady sites etc. |
| Similar behavior | Opce.exe, Vc.exe, Asd.exe |
| Removal | Download and install GridinSoft Anti-Malware for automatic Topper.exe removal. |
“Visible” harm is not a solitary unpleasant activity coin miners perform to your computer. Topper.exe coin miner also deals damage to your operating system. To conduct all malicious operations effectively, it wrecks the security features of your system. You will likely see your Microsoft Defender disabled – malware stops it to avoid detection. If you check the HOSTS file, you will likely see a ton of new entries – they are brought in by this trojan miner to connect your system to a malicious mining network. All these changes shall 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 trigger damage to your machine as well as increase electricity bills. Hardware components are created to easily deal with high load, but they can do so only when they are in a good shape.
Compact and covered CPU cooling system is quite hard to damage. Meanwhile, GPUs have big and easy-to-access fans, which can be easily broke if touched while working, for instance, by the user much before the virus injection. Malfunctioning cooling system, together with the very high load caused by Topper.exe can easily lead to GPU failure3. Video cards are also prone to have fast wearing when used for crypto mining. It is likely a bad 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 Topper.exe coin miner virus?
Coin miners are spread through different ways, but their main sources are malicious banners and programs from dubious sources
The example of malicious banners you can see in the Internet
An additional way you could get this item on your computer is by downloading it from the dubious site as a part of a program. People that spread hacked variants of popular programs (which do not require the license key) have small chances to earn money. For this reason, there is a huge temptation to include malware to the final package of the hacked app and get a coin for every installation. Before criticizing these individuals for hacking and malware distribution, ask yourself – is it OK 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 bigger figure for antivirus program and new parts for your desktop.
How to remove the Topper.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.
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.
When your computer is in Safe Mode, all third-party software, along with the majority of non-crucial 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.
References
- Read about why Monero and DarkCoin are so popular amongst cybercriminals.
- About unwanted effects for GPUs in the process of cryptomining.
Leave a Comment