XMR64.exe Cryptominer: Advanced Technical Analysis

Cryptocurrency mining malware continues to be a persistent threat in the cybersecurity landscape. The XMR64.exe cryptominer represents a sophisticated strain of mining malware that targets Monero (XMR) cryptocurrency, leveraging victims’ computing resources without consent. This comprehensive analysis provides security researchers and system administrators with detailed technical insights into this threat’s behavior, detection methods, and effective removal techniques.

Technical Profile of XMR64.exe Cryptominer

The XMR64.exe cryptominer belongs to a class of threats that leverages the computational resources of infected systems to mine Monero cryptocurrency. Unlike Bitcoin mining that requires specialized ASIC hardware, Monero can be profitably mined using standard CPUs and GPUs, making it a preferred target for cryptominers like this one.

Our analysis shows technical similarities between XMR64.exe and other mining malware like that distributed in the Dofoil trojan campaigns, though with more sophisticated evasion mechanisms and a streamlined mining component.

File Characteristics

Attribute	Details
Filename	xmr64.exe (and variants: svcmonit.exe, wuaserv64.exe, lsmos.exe, cryptoupdate.exe)
File Size	Typically 2-4 MB
File Type	Windows PE32+ executable (64-bit)
Compilation	C/C++, often with MinGW compiler
Code Signing	Unsigned or signed with stolen/fraudulent certificates
Embedded Mining Engine	Modified XMRig (open-source Monero miner)
Cryptographic Hash (Common Variant)	MD5: 7b2b1a2a89ec6d94b8e957a73041109b SHA-256: e9d33ff1b4c71d36a18e0d1f05f71b0e09cd2896c4756647e8df5a858fe82c7c
Anti-Analysis Features	Process hollowing, API hooking, VM detection, debugging checks

Execution Behavior Analysis

When executed, XMR64.exe implements a sophisticated multi-stage infection process designed to establish persistence, evade detection, and maximize mining efficiency:

The initial stage typically performs the following operations:

1. System Reconnaissance: Collects system information including CPU model, number of cores, available memory, GPU details, and running security processes
2. Defense Evasion: Implements multiple anti-analysis techniques:
   • Checks for virtualization environments (VMware, VirtualBox, QEMU)
   • Detects debugging attempts (IsDebuggerPresent API)
   • Looks for security tools and sandbox artifacts
   • Uses timing checks to detect slowed execution in analysis environments
3. Process Manipulation: Uses process hollowing to inject mining code into legitimate Windows processes (typically svchost.exe, explorer.exe, or conhost.exe)
4. Persistence Establishment: Creates multiple persistence mechanisms to ensure survival across system reboots

System Modifications

Security researchers have observed XMR64.exe making the following notable system modifications:

File System Changes

• Drops additional components in multiple locations:
  • %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\[random name].exe
  • %LOCALAPPDATA%\Temp\[random hex].dll
  • %PROGRAMDATA%\[random folder]\[random name].exe
  • Occasionally C:\Windows\System32\drivers\[random name].sys (for rootkit capabilities in advanced variants)
• Creates configuration files containing mining pool information and credentials
• May establish watchdog scripts (batch or PowerShell) to monitor and restart mining processes if terminated

Registry Modifications

The malware typically adds entries to the following registry locations:

• HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
• HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
• HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\StartupApproved\Run
• HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\[random service name]

Scheduled Tasks

Creates scheduled tasks with names mimicking legitimate Windows tasks:

• “Windows Update Assistant”
• “Microsoft Compatibility Telemetry”
• “System Service Helper”

These tasks typically execute with SYSTEM privileges at regular intervals to ensure the mining process remains active.

WMI Persistence

Advanced variants establish WMI event subscriptions that respond to system events (such as user logon or specific application execution) to trigger the miner, a technique also seen in some variants of Emotet.

Network Communication Analysis

XMR64.exe establishes connections to mining pools and command and control (C2) servers. Network traffic shows these key patterns:

Traffic Type	Details	Purpose
Mining Pool Communication	TCP connections to ports 3333, 5555, 7777, or 9000 Commonly used domains: crypto-pool.fr, xmrpool.eu, supportxmr.com, xmr.pool.minergate.com	Submit mining work and receive new tasks
C2 Communication	HTTPS (port 443) connections with unusual TLS fingerprints HTTP requests with distinctive User-Agent strings DNS queries for randomly generated domains	Report infection status, receive configuration updates, download additional payloads
Protocol Characteristics	Stratum mining protocol over TCP Custom encrypted protocols for C2 traffic Domain generation algorithms (DGAs) for fallback C2s	Ensure mining efficiency and maintain control even if primary C2 servers are blocked

The network traffic often employs encryption and obfuscation techniques to evade detection, similar to those observed in TrickBot infections but tailored for mining operations.

Distribution Vectors

Our research has identified several primary distribution methods for XMR64.exe:

Main Distribution Methods

1. Cracked/Pirated Software: Bundles the miner as a hidden component within nulled software, games, or activation tools
2. Exploit Kits: Leverages browser and application vulnerabilities (similar to how other malware operates when systems aren’t properly patched)
3. Malicious Scripts: Uses PowerShell, JavaScript, or VBScript payloads delivered through compromised websites
4. Phishing Campaigns: Distributes malicious attachments that drop and execute the miner
5. Supply Chain Attacks: Compromises legitimate software distribution channels, as seen in some fake online services

Common Infection Chain

A typical infection sequence involves:

1. Initial compromise through one of the vectors above
2. Dropper script or executable execution
3. System reconnaissance to determine hardware capabilities
4. Configuration of mining parameters based on system specs
5. Deployment of persistence mechanisms
6. Launching of the actual mining component (XMR64.exe)

Advanced Technical Indicators of Compromise (IoCs)

Security researchers and system administrators should monitor for these technical indicators:

Process-Related IoCs

• Suspicious process names mimicking system processes but running from unexpected locations
• Processes with high CPU usage but low user interface activity
• Abnormal parent-child process relationships (e.g., Office applications spawning PowerShell)
• Processes with unusual command line parameters containing base64-encoded strings or mining configurations
• Multiple instances of conhost.exe with high CPU usage

File System IoCs

• Executable files in unusual locations with random names
• DLL files placed outside system directories
• Configuration files containing mining pool URLs and wallet addresses
• Recently modified system files with altered digital signatures

Registry IoCs

• New autorun entries pointing to suspicious executables
• Modified service configurations
• WMI persistence entries
• Registry keys containing encoded command strings

Network IoCs

• Connections to known mining pools
• Unusual DNS queries to domains with algorithmically generated names
• Stratum protocol traffic (used for mining)
• TLS connections with certificate anomalies

Technical Removal Procedure

Removing XMR64.exe requires a comprehensive approach targeting all components of the infection. For security professionals, follow this technical removal procedure:

Step 1: Preliminary Isolation and Analysis

1. Disconnect the affected system from the network to prevent C2 communication
2. Identify malicious processes:

   Get-Process | Where-Object {$_.CPU -gt 50 -and $_.ProcessName -notmatch '^(chrome|firefox|edge|steam|explorer)$'} | Select-Object ProcessName, Path, CPU

3. Export and examine scheduled tasks:

   schtasks /query /fo CSV /v > tasks.csv

4. Identify suspicious network connections:

   netstat -anob > connections.txt

Step 2: Process Termination

1. Stop all identified malicious processes using Task Manager or through PowerShell:

   Stop-Process -Name "xmr64" -Force
   Stop-Process -Id [process_id] -Force

2. For injected processes or those with suspicious commandlines:

   wmic process where "commandline like '%crypto%'" delete
   wmic process where "commandline like '%xmr%'" delete

Step 3: Remove Persistence Mechanisms

1. Delete malicious scheduled tasks:

   schtasks /delete /tn "Windows Update Assistant" /f
   schtasks /delete /tn "Microsoft Compatibility Telemetry" /f

2. Clean registry autorun entries:

   # Export registry keys first for backup
   reg export HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run run_backup.reg
   reg export HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run run_user_backup.reg
    
   # Remove suspicious entries
   reg delete HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run /v "[suspicious entry name]" /f
   reg delete HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run /v "[suspicious entry name]" /f

3. Remove malicious services:

   sc stop "[service name]"
   sc delete "[service name]"

4. Clean WMI persistence:

   # List and identify suspicious WMI event subscriptions
   Get-WmiObject -Namespace root\Subscription -Class __EventFilter
   Get-WmiObject -Namespace root\Subscription -Class __EventConsumer
   Get-WmiObject -Namespace root\Subscription -Class __FilterToConsumerBinding
    
   # Remove specific subscription (example)
   $filter = Get-WmiObject -Namespace root\Subscription -Class __EventFilter -Filter "Name='[filter name]'"
   $consumer = Get-WmiObject -Namespace root\Subscription -Class CommandLineEventConsumer -Filter "Name='[consumer name]'"
   $binding = Get-WmiObject -Namespace root\Subscription -Class __FilterToConsumerBinding -Filter "Filter = $filter AND Consumer = $consumer"
   $binding.Delete()
   $filter.Delete()
   $consumer.Delete()

Step 4: File System Cleanup

1. Remove malicious executables and supporting files:

   Remove-Item -Path $env:APPDATA\Microsoft\Windows\*.exe -Force
   Remove-Item -Path $env:LOCALAPPDATA\Temp\*.dll -Force
   Remove-Item -Path $env:PROGRAMDATA\[suspicious folder]\*.* -Recurse -Force

2. Check for and remove hidden files:

   Get-ChildItem -Path C:\ -Recurse -Force -File -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Where-Object {$_.CreationTime -gt (Get-Date).AddDays(-7)} | Where-Object {$_.Name -match '.*\.(exe|dll|ps1)$'} | Select-Object FullName,CreationTime

Step 5: Automated Removal with GridinSoft Anti-Malware

For comprehensive removal that addresses hidden components and registry issues, we recommend using specialized anti-malware software:

1. Download and install GridinSoft Anti-Malware
2. Update the malware definitions to ensure detection of the latest XMR64.exe variants
3. Run a full system scan to detect all components of the cryptominer
4. Remove all detected threats identified by the scan
5. Reboot the system to ensure complete removal

Step 6: Post-Removal Verification

1. Verify that CPU usage has returned to normal levels
2. Check for any remaining suspicious network connections
3. Run a follow-up scan with GridinSoft Anti-Malware to confirm complete removal
4. Monitor system performance for any signs of persistent mining activity

Technical Prevention Measures

Implement these technical controls to prevent XMR64.exe and similar cryptominer infections:

System Hardening

• Implement application whitelisting through Windows Defender Application Control or AppLocker
• Restrict PowerShell execution policy:

  Set-ExecutionPolicy Restricted

• Enable controlled folder access in Windows Defender to prevent modifications to critical directories
• Disable unnecessary Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) capabilities

Network Defenses

• Implement DNS filtering to block connections to known mining pools
• Configure firewall rules to block outbound connections to non-standard ports commonly used by mining software
• Deploy TLS inspection for enterprise networks to identify malicious encrypted communications
• Implement network behavior analysis to detect mining traffic patterns

Security Policy Enhancements

• Deploy a robust patch management system to address vulnerabilities exploited by cryptominers
• Implement least privilege principles for user accounts
• Regularly audit scheduled tasks and startup items
• Establish baseline performance metrics to quickly identify abnormal resource usage

Maintaining these defenses can help prevent cryptomining malware as well as other threats like Wacatac Trojan that often use similar infection vectors.

Advanced Behavioral Analysis for Security Researchers

For security researchers conducting in-depth analysis of XMR64.exe samples, these advanced indicators and techniques may prove valuable:

1. Code Injection and Execution Techniques

The XMR64.exe cryptominer employs several advanced code injection techniques:

• Process Hollowing: Creates a suspended process and replaces its memory with malicious code
• Reflective DLL Injection: Loads malicious DLLs directly into memory without writing to disk
• Living-off-the-Land (LOL): Leverages legitimate Windows utilities like mshta.exe, regsvr32.exe, and wmic.exe for execution
• Thread Execution Hijacking: Redirects execution flow of legitimate threads to malicious code

2. Anti-Analysis Features

Researchers should be aware of these anti-analysis mechanisms:

• API Unhooking: Detects and removes security product hooks from system APIs
• Timing Checks: Detects debuggers through execution timing discrepancies
• Anti-VM Techniques: Checks for virtualization artifacts in registry, WMI, and hardware identifiers
• Process Enumeration: Terminates execution if security tools are detected running
• Sleep Patching Evasion: Uses alternative delay methods to avoid sleep-patch detection in sandboxes

3. Memory Forensics Indicators

When analyzing memory dumps, look for these patterns:

• Modified thread stacks in legitimate processes
• Suspicious memory regions with both READ, WRITE, and EXECUTE permissions
• Hidden code caves in legitimate module memory space
• Strings related to XMRig configuration and mining pools
• Cryptographic functions used for mining operations

4. Advanced Configuration Analysis

Mining configuration often contains these elements:

{
  "algo": "rx/0",
  "pools": [
    {
      "url": "pool.supportxmr.com:5555",
      "user": "4BrL51JCc9NGQ71kWhnYoDRffsDZy7m1HUU7MRU4nUMXAHNFBEJhkTZV9HdaL4gfuNBxLPc3BeMkLGaPbF5vWtANQn6naKDGDPP8Frr9XA",
      "pass": "x",
      "keepalive": true,
      "tls": true
    }
  ],
  "api": {
    "port": 0,
    "access-token": null,
    "worker-id": null,
    "ipv6": false,
    "restricted": true
  },
  "http": {
    "enabled": false,
    "port": 0,
    "access-token": null,
    "restricted": true
  },
  "background": false,
  "colors": true,
  "donate-level": 0,
  "log-file": null,
  "print-time": 60,
  "retries": 5,
  "retry-pause": 5,
  "syslog": false,
  "user-agent": "Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64) AppleWebKit/537.36",
  "watch": false
}

Note the obfuscated user-agent string and the Monero wallet address in the “user” field, typical indicators of XMR64.exe configuration.

Cross-Platform Implications

While XMR64.exe specifically targets Windows 64-bit systems, researchers should be aware that the same threat actors often deploy variants for other platforms:

• Linux Variants: Often target vulnerable servers with weak SSH credentials or exploit unpatched vulnerabilities
• macOS Variants: Typically distributed through trojanized applications or malicious browser extensions
• Android Variants: Deployed through malicious apps that mine in the background while showing legitimate functionality

These cross-platform campaigns share infrastructure and wallet addresses, allowing for attribution and tracking across different environments.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I tell if my system is infected with the XMR64.exe cryptominer?

Look for these key symptoms: unusually high CPU or GPU usage when the system should be idle, fans running at high speed due to overheating, significant decrease in system performance, unexpected increases in electricity bills, and the presence of unfamiliar processes in Task Manager (particularly those with names like xmr64.exe, svcmonit.exe, or other variants).

Can XMR64.exe damage my computer hardware?

Yes, prolonged infection can potentially cause hardware damage. The continuous high CPU/GPU utilization leads to increased heat generation and power consumption. This can accelerate component wear, reduce hardware lifespan, and in extreme cases, cause system instability or failure, particularly in systems with inadequate cooling.

Why do cryptominers target Monero instead of Bitcoin?

Cryptominers like XMR64.exe target Monero (XMR) for several technical reasons: Monero’s mining algorithm (RandomX) is designed to be CPU/GPU-friendly rather than requiring specialized ASIC hardware; Monero provides built-in privacy features that make transactions untraceable, helping attackers hide their activities; and Monero mining can still be profitable on consumer hardware, unlike Bitcoin which requires specialized equipment to be economically viable.

After removal, should I change my passwords and check my accounts?

While XMR64.exe primarily focuses on mining cryptocurrency rather than stealing credentials, it’s still a best practice to change passwords after any malware infection. Some variants of cryptominers are distributed alongside information-stealing malware or may have secondary payloads with broader capabilities. Check your accounts for any unauthorized activity, particularly cryptocurrency wallets.

Is it possible for XMR64.exe to return after removal?

Yes, reinfection is possible if the root cause isn’t addressed. The malware may have established persistence mechanisms that weren’t fully removed, or the original infection vector might still be present (such as a vulnerable application or compromised account). To prevent reinfection, ensure all persistence mechanisms are removed, all security patches are applied, and implement the prevention measures outlined in this article.

Conclusion

The XMR64.exe cryptominer represents a sophisticated threat that combines elements of traditional malware with cryptocurrency mining capabilities. While its primary purpose is resource theft rather than data exfiltration, the significant system impact and sophisticated evasion techniques make it a serious concern for organizations and individuals alike.

By understanding its technical operation, implementing proper detection mechanisms, and following the advanced removal procedures outlined in this analysis, security professionals can effectively combat this threat. Additionally, the preventive measures described will help strengthen overall security posture against similar threats.

To protect against this and similar threats, we recommend maintaining updated security software like GridinSoft Anti-Malware, which can detect and remove cryptominers before they cause significant damage. For organizations managing multiple endpoints, implementing robust monitoring for unusual CPU usage patterns and suspicious network connections remains essential for early detection.

Remember that cryptominers like XMR64.exe often serve as indicators of security gaps that could be exploited by more dangerous malware. Addressing these vulnerabilities is crucial for maintaining a strong security posture against the evolving threat landscape.