Uwakeon.exe Virus ⛏️ (Coin Miner Trojan) Removal

Written by Robert Bailey
Uwakeon.exe executable file is related to a malevolent application that can correctly be recognized as a coin miner virus. That malware form uses your PC components to mine cryptocurrencies, basically – Monero or DarkCoin1. It makes your personal computer pretty much unusable because of high CPU utilization.
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What is Uwakeon.exe process?

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

As I have actually mentioned in the introduction, Uwakeon.exe is a coin miner trojan. The names of the executive file can be diverse, however, the impacts are generally the identical. Since coin miners aim at cryptocurrency mining, they utilize all possible hardware power of your PC to run this procedure. This virus doesn’t take note of the fact that you may need to use your computer for other activities – it will always use over 80% of your processor power.

Uwakeon.exe Windows Process

Uwakeon.exe – Really high CPU/GPU usage

Besides CPU consumption, some of the coin miners additionally use GPU power for their operations. In that instance, you will probably struggle even to see the mouse arrow moving – GPU is usually utilized on 100%. It is not as vital as processor for system work, so Uwakeon.exe coin miner viruses don’t waste time on trifles and use all of it. It often can cause bad effects.

Shortly about cryptocurrency mining

Cryptocurrency mining is a term that means the action of calculating the transaction block hash. That is a basic part of any project based on the blockchain technology. Since this operation takes a lot of calculations, a high-end desktop is required. Exactly, the graphic card is better for this task, because they have more cores available. Cryptomining farms are usually constructed of dozens of video cards to complete their task efficiently. Such computer systems are not usable for “classic” purposes, like gaming or browsing the Web. Fraudsters who make profit via this coin miner use someones’ computers 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 Uwakeon.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, Uwakeon.exe malware makes your PC overloaded. It is not able to run your applications anymore, because all CPU power is used by a virus. That malware does not care for your wants, all it pays attention to is making money 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 for years, any kind of logins will take about a minute – just a headache for a person who does a job online.

    Uwakeon.exe Technical Summary.

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

    “Visible” damage is not a single bad activity coin miners perform to your personal computer. Uwakeon.exe coin miner additionally deals damage to your operating system. To carry out all malevolent functions correctly, it ruins the protection mechanisms of your system. You will likely see your Microsoft Defender disabled – malware halts it to prevent recognition. If you open the HOSTS file, you will likely see a number of new notes – they are brought in by this trojan miner to connect your system to a malicious cryptomining network. All these adjustments are about to be reverted to the initial state in the process of system recovery.

    Hardware effects of coin miner activity

    Besides decreasing your computer’s performance, running at peak level for a long period of time may cause damage to your device and raise power expenses. PC components are created to easily deal with high load, but they can do so only when they are in a good shape.

    Small and well-protected CPU cooling system is not very easy to broke. Meanwhile, GPUs have big and easy-to-access fans, which can be easily broke if affected while running, for example, by the user much earlier before the virus injection. Malfunctioning cooling system, together with the extremely high load caused by Uwakeon.exe can easily lead to GPU failure3. GPUs are also prone to have very fast wearing when used for cryptocurrency mining. It is surely an unwanted case when your GPU’s performance plunges 20-30% only after 1-2 weeks of being used in such a way.

    How did I get Uwakeon.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 through “serious” malware. Adware frequently acts as a carrier for Uwakeon.exe malware infiltration: it shows you the banners, which contain a link to malware downloading. Sure, this abstract “malware” may belong to any kind – yet another adware, spyware, rogue or backdoor. However, the statistics say that approximately 30% of all malware spread with the malicious banners are coin miners – and Uwakeon.exe is right one of 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 untrustworthy web page as a part of a program. Users that spread hacked versions of popular programs (which do not demand the license key) have small chances to earn money. Hence, there is a huge temptation to include malware to the final package of the hacked application and get a coin for every setup. Before criticizing these people for hacking and also malware distribution, ask yourself – is it okay to avoid purchasing the program in this manner? It is much cheaper to pay $20-$30 one time than to pay a much greater sum for antivirus program as well as new parts for your computer.

    How to remove the Uwakeon.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 needs the use of specific tool. Proper anti-malware program should have high capability at scanning and also be lightweight – in order to create no problems with usage even on weak PCs. On top of that, it is better to have proactive protection in your protection tool – to prevent the virus even before it launches. Microsoft Defender lacks these features for different reasons. That’s why I’d recommend you to use a third-party anti-malware program for that goal. GridinSoft Anti-Malware is a great choice that fits each of the discussed characteristics.5

    Prior to the malware removal, it is important to reboot your operating system into Safe Mode with Networking. Since Uwakeon.exe miner takes a lot of CPU power, it is needed 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 launched with the system start. That allows you to clean the PC without dealing with high processor usage of the coin miner.

    Remove Uwakeon.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 Uwakeon.exe Virus ⛏️ Trojan Coin Miner

    Name: Uwakeon.exe

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