Uploader.exe Virus ⛏️ (Coin Miner Trojan) Removal

Written by Robert Bailey
Uploader.exe executable file belongs to a malicious program that can accurately be defined as a coin miner virus. That malware type utilizes your PC components to mine cryptocurrencies, primarily – Monero or DarkCoin1. It makes your computer pretty much unfunctional because of high CPU use.
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What is Uploader.exe process?

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

As I have pointed out before, Uploader.exe is a coin miner trojan. The names of the executive file can be diverse, but the consequences are usually the identical. Since coin miners focus on cryptocurrency mining, they use all possible hardware capacity of your desktop to conduct this procedure. This virus does not care about the fact that you probably want to make use of your system for other activities – it will continuously use over 80% of your CPU power.

Uploader.exe Windows Process

Uploader.exe – Really high CPU/GPU usage

Besides CPU usage, some of the coin miners also utilize GPU power for their tasks. In that situation, you will likely struggle even to see the mouse arrow moving – GPU is usually utilized on 100%. It is not as critical as processor for system work, so Uploader.exe coin miner viruses don’t waste time on trifles and use it all. It often can lead to bad results.

Shortly about cryptocurrency mining

Crypto mining is a term that means the operation of calculating the transaction block hash. That is a basic element of anything based on the blockchain technology. Since this action takes a lot of calculations, a very powerful PC is needed. Exactly, the GPU is better for this purpose, because they have more cores available. Cryptomining farms usually consist of dozens of graphic cards to conduct their activity effectively. Such computer systems are not usable for “normal” purposes, like gaming or browsing the Web. 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 Uploader.exe miner?

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

    First of all, Uploader.exe virus makes your computer overloaded. It is unable to run your applications anymore, since all processor power is used by a malware. That malware does not care for your needs, 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 struggle with extremely slow performance. Pages can open for years, any sort of logins will take about a minute – just a horror story for a person that works online.

    Uploader.exe Technical Summary.

    File NameUploader.exe
    TypeTrojan Coin Miner
    Detection NameTrojan:Win32/CoinMiner
    Distribution MethodSoftware bundling, Intrusive advertisement, redirects to shady sites etc.
    Similar behaviorNwjs.exe, Comime.exe, Vlabtk.exe
    RemovalDownload and install GridinSoft Anti-Malware for automatic Uploader.exe removal.

    “Visible” harm is not a single negative thing coin miners do to your system. Uploader.exe coin miner likewise deals damage to your OS. To conduct all malevolent functions correctly, it ruins the security components of your system. You will likely see your Microsoft Defender disabled – malware halts it to prevent recognition. If you check the HOSTS file, you will likely see a lot of new entries – they are brought in by this trojan miner to connect your PC to a malicious cryptomining network. All these changes are about to be thrown back to the original in the process of system recovery.

    Hardware effects of coin miner activity

    Besides making your PC slow, performing at peak level for long times can cause damage to your device as well as increase electricity bills. PC elements are designed to easily get along with high load, but they are good with it only in case when they are in a good shape.

    Tiny and well-protected processor cooling system is quite hard to crack. Meanwhile, GPUs have big and easy-to-access fans, which can be easily cracked if affected while running, for example, by the user much before the malware injection. Malfunctioning cooling system, together with the unusually high load caused by Uploader.exe virus can easily lead to GPU failure3. Video cards are also prone to have increased wearing when used for cryptocurrency mining. It is likely an undesirable case when the performance of your graphic card plunges 20-30% only after 1-2 weeks of being exploited in such a way.

    How did I get Uploader.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 prevalent malevolent programs through “severe” viruses. Adware frequently serves as a carrier for Uploader.exe malware injection: it demonstrates you the banners, which contain a link to malware downloading. Sure, this abstract “malware” can belong to any type – an additional adware, spyware, rogue or backdoor. However, the statistics show that about 30% of all viruses spread through the malevolent banners are coin miners – and Uploader.exe is just one of them.4

    Unwanted banners adware

    The example of malicious banners you can see in the Internet

    One more way you could get this thing on your computer is by downloading it from the untrustworthy website as a part of a program. Users who spread hacked variants of favored programs (which do not need the license key) have small chances to make money. For this reason, there is a huge temptation to add malware to the final package of the hacked app and acquire a coin for every installation. Prior to blaming these individuals for hacking and also malware distribution, ask yourself – is it OK to avoid purchasing the program in this manner? It is more affordable to pay $20-$30 one time than to pay a much greater sum for antivirus software as well as new parts for your PC.

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

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

    Removing such a virus demands making use of special tool. Proper antivirus should have high capability at scanning and be lightweight – in order to make no problems with usage also on weak computers. Furthermore, it is recommended to have proactive protection in your security tool – to stop the virus even before it starts. Microsoft Defender lacks these features for different factors. That’s why I’d suggest you to use a third-party anti-malware program for that reason. GridinSoft Anti-Malware is a perfect option that fits all of the mentioned features.5

    Prior to the malware removal, it is important to reboot your system into Safe Mode with Networking. Since Uploader.exe miner consumes a lot of CPU capacity, it is required to stop 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 PC is in Safe Mode, all third-party programs, just like the majority of non-critical Windows components, are not started with the system start. That allows you to clean the PC without dealing with high processor usage of the coin miner.

    Remove Uploader.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 Uploader.exe Virus ⛏️ Trojan Coin Miner

    Name: Uploader.exe

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