UnrealCEFSubProcess.exe - Coin Miner Virus or Unreal Engine Process?

UnrealCEFSubProcess.exe is a legitimate executable file associated with the Unreal Engine. Unreal Engine is a popular game development platform developed by Epic Games. The engine is used by game developers to create high-quality, interactive games for various platforms.

UnrealCEFSubProcess.exe is a subprocess that is part of the Chromium Embedded Framework (CEF) integration within the Unreal Engine. The CEF is an open-source framework based on the Chromium project, which provides a way to embed web browser capabilities into applications.

In the context of Unreal Engine, UnrealCEFSubProcess.exe is responsible for rendering and displaying web content within the engine. It is used for various purposes, such as integrating web-based UI elements, displaying in-game web pages or advertisements, and supporting online features in games.

It’s worth noting that executable file names can be manipulated by malware to masquerade as legitimate processes. Therefore, if you have concerns about UnrealCEFSubProcess.exe on your system, it’s recommended to verify its authenticity by checking its location (usually within the Unreal Engine installation directory) and scanning it with reputable antivirus software to ensure it is not a malicious file.

What is Unrealcefsubprocess.exe process?

It is possible for malicious actors to abuse the UnrealCEFSubProcess.exe process for cryptojacking

Since UnrealCEFSubProcess.exe is a legitimate process associated with the Unreal Engine, it can be targeted by attackers who modify or replace the original executable with a malicious version. In such cases, the modified UnrealCEFSubProcess.exe process would run in the background and utilize the computer’s processing power and resources to mine cryptocurrencies for the benefit of the attacker.

To avoid falling victim to such malware, it is crucial to ensure that your system is protected with up-to-date antivirus software and that you only download software or executable files from trusted sources. Regularly scanning your system for malware and keeping all software, including the Unreal Engine, updated with the latest security patches can also help mitigate the risk of unauthorized cryptocurrency mining or other malicious activities.

Unrealcefsubprocess.exe – Very high CPU and GPU use

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 used on 100%. It is not as important as processor for system work, so Unrealcefsubprocess.exe coin miner viruses don’t waste time on trifles and use it all. It sometimes may cause unhappy consequences.

Shortly about cryptocurrency mining

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 Unrealcefsubprocess.exe miner?

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

First, Unrealcefsubprocess.exe malware makes your PC overloaded. It is unable to run your applications anymore, as all CPU power is used by a virus. That malware does not care for your wants, 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 struggle with incredibly slow performance. Pages will open up for years, any type of logins will take about a minute – just a nightmare for a person who does a job online.

Unrealcefsubprocess.exe Technical Summary.

File Name	Unrealcefsubprocess.exe
Type	Trojan Coin Miner
Detection Name	Trojan:Win32/CoinMiner
Distribution Method	Software bundling, Intrusive advertisement, redirects to shady sites etc.
Similar behavior	2nd.exe, Adeploy.exe, Archiver.exe
Removal	Download and install GridinSoft Anti-Malware for automatic Unrealcefsubprocess.exe removal.

“Visible” damage is not a single unpleasant thing coin miners do to your computer. Unrealcefsubprocess.exe coin miner additionally deals damage to your OS. To perform all malevolent functions correctly, it ruins the protection features of your system. You will likely see your Microsoft Defender disabled – malware stops it to avoid recognition. If you check the HOSTS file, you will likely see a number of new entries – they are added by this coin miner to connect your system to a malicious mining network. All these adjustments are about to be thrown back to the initial state in the process of system recovery.

Hardware effects of coin miner activity

Besides slowing down your PC, performing at peak power for a long period of time can cause damage to your device as well as raise power expenses. Hardware elements are designed to easily get along with high load, but they are good with it only when they are in a good shape.

Compact and covered processor fan is hard to damage. Meanwhile, GPUs have large and easy-to-access cooling fans. You can accidentally damage them by touching them while they’re running. Such a pity occasion may happen much before the malware injection. Malfunctioning cooling system, together with the unusually high load caused by Unrealcefsubprocess.exe miner can easily lead to graphic processing unit failure². Graphic cards are also tend to have increased wearing when utilized for crypto mining. It is likely an unwanted situation when your GPU’s performance plunges 20-30% just after 1-2 weeks of being exploited in such a way.

How did I get Unrealcefsubprocess.exe coin miner virus?

Coin miners are spread through different ways, but their main sources are malicious banners and programs from dubious sources

Adware Unrealcefsubprocess.exe spreading

The example of malicious banners you can see in the Internet

One more way you could get this thing on your PC is by downloading it from the dubious website as a part of a program. People that spread hacked variants of favored programs (which do not demand the license key) have small chances to make money. Therefore, there is a huge lure to include malware to the final package of the hacked app and acquire a coin for each 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 much cheaper to pay $20-$30 at once than to pay a much greater sum for antivirus software as well as new parts for your computer.

How to remove the Unrealcefsubprocess.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 PC is in Safe Mode, all third-party programs, along with the majority of non-critical operating 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.