Altruistics malware: what is it and how to get rid of it?

Some malware are more damaging than others, and the Altruistics trojan is among the more dangerous. Although sometimes called as Altruistics virus, to be precise, it's a CoinMiner, a malicious process that uses device resources to mine cryptocurrency disguised as some other legitimate program.

You can suspect Altruistics is infecting your device if it suddenly starts working significantly slower. This CoinMiner requires a lot of system resources and can render the device unusable. More so, mining crypto uses an astounding amount of electricity, giving another unpleasant surprise with the next bill.

This trojan uses several tricks to remain within the system for as long as possible. Even if you identify and uninstall the program, it can reappear the next time you start your computer. In this article, we'll walk you through how to remove the Altruistics malware from your system for good and prevent future infections.

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What is Altruistics malware and what does it do?

The Altruistics malware is a trojan developed to mine cryptocurrency using resources of the infected device. It can use 80% or more of computational power, making all other processes run extremely slow. Excessive resource consumption can also cause overheating that can damage the device in the long run, so it's essential to remove Altruistics infection as soon as possible.

Mining crypto is not the only malicious task. Some report that it can access crypto wallets to steal assets or record other important credentials, like passwords, which is not unusual for trojans. It also modifies scheduled tasks to reinstall the malware if you manually remove it, so it's best to use a reliable antivirus program to ensure it's gone for good.

You can catch the Altruistics CoinMiner if you visit illegal torrenting websites, download pirated games, open malicious email attachments, or install it via bundled software packs. However, it will not infect smartphones because they lack computational power, and we haven't found any reports of this malware targeting Macs.

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How do I know if I have an Altruistics Trojan malware?

You should immediately notice the Altruistics malware because a CoinMiner uses a lot of system resources.

Here's a list of symptoms that indicate your device is used to mine cryptocurrency:

• Slow device performance. Because Altruistics CoinMiner can use more than 80% of device computation power, all other processes will run extremely slow.
• Overheating. Excessive resource consumption can cause overheating and the wear and tear of device components.
• Loud cooling fans. When trying to cool down an overheating device, your cooling fans will work at a maximum capacity, making a lot of noise.
• Altruistics files and folders. Altruistics Trojan likely infects your device if you find any files and folders with its name.
• Disabled Windows Defender. This malware can turn off Windows Defender antivirus to remain undetected for as long as possible.
• Blocked crypto wallet access. You will not be able to access your crypto wallet if the Altruistics malware successfully steals its credentials.

How to get rid of the Altruistics malware?

Because a CoinMiner is not a typical Altruistics software virus, removing it manually can get tricky. The easiest way to remove the Altruistics infection is by scanning your device with reliable antivirus software. However, because it consumes a lot of system resources, sometimes launching the antivirus program is not an option. Below are step-by-step instructions on how to get rid of Altruistics malware both manually and with reliable antivirus software.

Step 1. Remove the Altruistics malware using antivirus software

This Trojan is particularly hard to remove manually. More so, it modifies the task scheduler to reinstall it even if you uninstall the malware and remove its files. Using an antivirus app to neutralize Altruistics trojan is best, and here's how:

1. Subscribe to a reliable antivirus service. We recommend TotalAV, with excellent detection rates
2. Download and install it on your device
3. Launch the app and perform a full system scan
4. Follow the antivirus instructions to remove the infection

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Step 2. Stop the Altruistics malware process manually

Follow the instructions to manually remove the Altruistics Trojan if it prevents you from performing a full system scan using antivirus software.

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the task manager
2. Sort the processes according to CPU use
3. Right-click on Altruistics.exe or a differently named process that consumes most CPU resources
4. Click End task to shut it down

Step 4. Remove Altruistics from scheduled tasks

1. Press the Windows key to open the search toolbar
2. Search for Task Scheduler and open it
3. Click on Task Scheduler Library on the left side
4. Locate the malicious task and remove it (it could be called Altruistics, but also disguised as a random string of symbols)

Step 5. Delete infected files and folders

1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run application
2. Type in %AppData% and click OK
3. Locate the infected folders. Their creation date should be the same as the malware installation
4. Right-click on the folder, press delete, and confirm it
5. Navigate to the desktop, right-click on the Recycle Bin, and empty it
6. Press the Windows key + R again
7. Type in %localappdata% and click OK
8. Look for any suspicious folders and delete them

Step 6. Reset the PC

If none of the steps above work, you can Reset your PC to reinstall the operating system with the option to keep personal files.

1. Press the Windows key + I to open the settings
2. Go to System
3. Find and go to Recovery
   
4. Click Reset PC
   
5. Choose whether to keep personal files or remove them and follow Windows instructions

Examples of Altruistics virus on different devices

Altruistics malware is a PC-specific infection that attacks Windows devices. Be particularly careful if you use a legacy Windows version, like Windows 7 or 8. Microsoft stopped releasing updates for both operating systems, so they do not receive essential cybersecurity patches, making them vulnerable to trojans like this one. We recommend using these Windows versions only with additional cybersecurity software, like the TotalAV antivirus.

Luckily, smartphone users can relax. Smartphones still cannot compete with PCs regarding computational power, which is necessary for the Altruistics CoinMiner to do its job. However, there are numerous trojans developed to infect smartphone devices to steal passwords or other confidential information, so here's a list of the best antivirus for Android and iPhone.

On Windows devices, Altruistics Trojan appears as a disguised application, hidden process, or just infected files. Sometimes, it uses its official Altruistics.exe process, but it can also be any other name to avoid detection. We recommend opening the Windows task manager and checking what process consumes the most CPU power if you suspect infection.

How to prevent the Altruistics virus?

After removing the Altruistics malware from your device, preventing future infections is essential. Here's how to safeguard your device from this CoinMiner and other Trojans:

• Use reliable antivirus program. Antivirus software is the best tool to protect your device from Trojans. Once you subscribe to an antivirus app, schedule regular full system scans to identify and neutralize any threats.
• Avoid suspicious websites. Trojans are often inserted into cracked video game downloads, movie torrents, adult content websites, or shady online casinos. Avoiding them will significantly reduce infection risks.
• Phishing emails. Cybercriminals often craft convincing emails, adding infected attachments. Don’t download and open any attachments from an unverified sender. Such emails often present a false sense of urgency, so slowly check the content for grammatical errors and the sender's address for inaccuracies.
• Update your apps and OS. Software updates include important cybersecurity fixes, so apply them as soon as they roll out. Operating system and cybersecurity software updates are particularly important because cybercriminals exploit devices with open vulnerabilities.
• Public Wi-Fi protection. Wi-Fi hotspots often lack sufficient cybersecurity protocols, which could lead to Trojan infection. Use a reliable VPN whenever you connect to a public Wi-Fi network.

Conclusion

Like many other CoinMiners, the Altruistics Trojan, sometimes simply called Altruistics software virus, can cause significant harm to the device and even result in financial loss. Furthermore, it uses several tricks to stay within the system for as long as possible, even if you've already removed it manually.

The best way to protect your device from such threats is by using an antivirus software. Our tests revealed that TotalAV is a secure choice that successfully blocked 97% of zero-day malware in 2022 and has a perfect 100% identification rate for other viruses.

Remember that antivirus software is just a part of a bigger cybersecurity toolkit. Trojans are often spread via suspicious websites and phishing emails, thus developing safe browsing habits is essential. Don’t visit illegal websites or download email attachments from unverified sources, and if you notice strange behavior on your device, promptly scanning it with an antivirus program will ensure safety.

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