Wtf.exe process is related to a malicious program that can properly be defined as a coin miner trojan. That malware form uses your PC components to mine cryptocurrencies, basically – Monero or DarkCoin1. It makes your computer almost unusable because of high CPU utilization.
What is Wtf.exe process?
Wtf.exe is a malicious process created by coin miner virus
Wtf.exe – Extremely high CPU/GPU usage
Besides CPU utilization, 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 used on 100%. It is not as important as processor for system work, so Wtf.exe coin miner viruses do not waste time on trifles and use it all. It sometimes can cause bad consequences.
Shortly about cryptocurrency mining
List of the typical coin miner symptoms
How dangerous is the Wtf.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, Wtf.exe malware makes your computer overloaded. It is not able to run your applications now, since all CPU power is consumed by a virus. That malware does not care for your demands, all it focuses on is generating profits on you. Even if you are patient, and you waited until browser is open, you will likely struggle with exceptionally slow performance. Pages will open for years, any type of logins will likely take about a minute – just a nightmare for a person who does a job online.
Wtf.exe Technical Summary.
| File Name | Wtf.exe |
| Type | Trojan Coin Miner |
| Detection Name | Trojan:Win32/CoinMiner |
| Distribution Method | Software bundling, Intrusive advertisement, redirects to shady sites etc. |
| Similar behavior | Pokumi.exe, Scardsvr.exe, Ghoods.exe |
| Removal | Download and install GridinSoft Anti-Malware for automatic Wtf.exe removal. |
“Visible” damage is not a single negative thing coin miners perform to your computer. Wtf.exe coin miner likewise deals damage to your operating system. To complete all malicious functions correctly, it ruins the security features of your system. You will likely see your Microsoft Defender disabled – malware stops it to prevent detection. If you open the HOSTS file, you will likely see a ton of new entries – they are added by this coin miner to connect your computer to a malicious mining network. All these adjustments are about to be gone back to the initial state in the process of PC recovery.
Hardware effects of coin miner activity
Besides slowing down your PC, running at peak power for a long period of time can cause damage to your machine as well as increase electricity expenses. Hardware elements are designed to easily get along with high load, but they can do so only in case when they are in a good shape.
Compact and covered CPU cooling system is hard to crack. Meanwhile, GPUs have big and easy-to-access rotors, which can be easily broke if touched while spinning, for example, by the user much earlier before the malware injection. Malfunctioning cooling system, together with the extremely high load caused by Wtf.exe can easily lead to graphic card failure3. Graphic cards are also prone to have fast wearing when utilized for crypto mining. It is surely an undesirable case when the performance of your video card plunges 20-30% only after 1-2 weeks of being exploited in such a way.
How did I get Wtf.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 untrustworthy website as a part of a program. People that spread hacked variants of well-known programs (which do not need the license key) have small chances to make money. For this reason, there is a huge lure to add in malware to the final package of the hacked application and acquire a coin for each installation. Before blaming these people for hacking and malware spreading, ask yourself – is it alright to avoid purchasing the program in this manner? It is much cheaper to pay $20-$30 at once than to pay a much greater sum for antivirus program as well as new parts for your PC.
How to remove the Wtf.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 software, just like the majority of non-crucial system components, are not started with the system start. That allows you to clean the computer 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.
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