Windows security.exe Virus (Coin Miner Trojan) Removal

Windows security.exe executable file is related to a malevolent application that can properly be defined as a coin miner virus. That malware type utilizes your hardware to mine cryptocurrencies, generally – Monero or DarkCoin¹. It makes your computer roughly unfunctional due to high CPU utilization.

What is Windows security.exe process?

Windows security.exe is a malicious process created by coin miner virus

Windows security.exe – Really high CPU and GPU usage

Besides CPU usage, some of the coin miners also utilize GPU power for their operations. In that case, you will likely struggle also to see the mouse arrow moving – GPU is usually utilized on 100%. It is not as critical as CPU for system work, so Windows security.exe coin miner viruses don’t waste time on trifles and utilize all of it. It often can cause sad consequences.

Shortly about cryptocurrency mining

List of the typical coin miner symptoms

Your device overheats (system unit/laptop body is very hot)

You are not able to open your apps or they are opening for ages

Unknown process is running in the background and consumes your PC resources

Windows Defender does not respond

How dangerous is the Windows security.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, Windows security.exe virus makes your system overloaded. It is unable to run your applications anymore, as all CPU power is used by a malware. That malware does not care for your wants, all it focuses on is generating income on you. Even if you are patient, and you waited until browser is open, you will likely experience extremely sluggish performance. Pages will open up for years, any kind of logins will likely take about a minute – just a nightmare for a person that does a job online.

Windows security.exe Technical Summary.

File Name	Windows security.exe
Type	Trojan Coin Miner
Detection Name	Trojan:Win32/CoinMiner
Distribution Method	Software bundling, Intrusive advertisement, redirects to shady sites etc.
Similar behavior	Hidfind.exe, Msisa.exe, 7z2107.exe
Removal	Download and install GridinSoft Anti-Malware for automatic Windows security.exe removal.

“Visible” damage is not a solitary negative thing coin miners perform to your system. Windows security.exe coin miner also deals damage to your OS. To conduct all malicious functions successfully, it ruins the security components of your system. You will likely see your Microsoft Defender disabled – malware stops it to avoid detection. If you open the HOSTS file, you will likely see a number of new notes – they are added by this trojan miner to connect your PC 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 decreasing your PC’s performance, performing at peak level for long times can cause damage to your device as well as increase power bills. Hardware elements are designed to easily deal with high load, but they are good with it only in case when they are in a good shape.

Little and well-protected processor cooling system is not very easy 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 coin-miner injection. Malfunctioning cooling system, together with the extremely high load caused by Windows security.exe malware can easily lead to graphic processing unit failure³. Graphic cards are also tend to have increased wearing when utilized for crypto mining. It is surely an undesirable situation when your GPU’s performance decreases on 20-30% only after 1-2 weeks of being exploited in such a way.

How did I get Windows security.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

Another way you could get this thing on your computer is by downloading it from the unreliable site as a part of a program. People who spread hacked versions of well-known programs (which do not demand the license key) have small chances to make money. Thus, there is a huge temptation to add in malware to the final package of the hacked application and receive a coin for every setup. Prior to blaming these people for hacking and also malware spreading, ask yourself – is it alright to avoid paying for the program in such a way? It is more affordable to pay $20-$30 one time than to pay a much greater sum for antivirus program as well as new parts for your PC.

How to remove the Windows security.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 applications, just like the majority of non-crucial Windows 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.