Windows 10 Alert - Invisible virus can slow your PC until it becomes unusable
Windows 10 fans have been alerted to malware that can slow down their computers at a snail's pace and is invisible to them.
The adware was discovered by Bleeping Computer analysts who revealed that it could deplete the processor's resources by 80%.
The malware has been dubbed FileTour and the software steals the processing power to extract the cryptocurrency.
The adware, which is of Russian origin, creates a Windows autorun that launches the Google Chrome browser in an invisible way for the victim.
The browser starts without a window appearing on the desktop each time a user logs on. Once Chrome is open, it runs a CoinCube extraction script.
The adware pocketing up to 80% of the processing power to exploit Monero, its rival Bitcoin.
Depending on the amount of victim RAM on their machine, affected computers can slow down considerably.
And because Chrome opens up in an invisible state, it may be that victims take a long time to understand what is draining their resources.
While the Chrome window does not appear when the adware Monero analysis, users can discover what consumes the power of their processor.
When the task manager is open, it shows that chrome.exe is running and the amount of CPU resources it is using.
Bleeping Computer investigated the Windows 10 adware further and watched the site being opened by the malware.
This is a page that claims to be a Cloudflare anti-DDoS verification site that is complete with its own Captcha test.
In a blog post describing the threat, Bleeping Computer's creator and owner, Lawrence Abrams, said: "FileTour is a set of adware that is commonly rumored to be cracks or cheats for games and other software.
"This bundle is known to cross the border between what is traditionally known as adware and PUPs and more dangerous computer infections such as Trojans and minors stealing passwords.
"This adware bundle has started to create a Windows autorun that automatically launches Chrome and connects to a in-browser mining page when a user logs into Windows.
"To make matters worse, it does it in a way that makes it so Chrome is invisible to the user."
Describing how users can stay safe, Abrams added: "Miners are becoming an epidemic and in-browsing mining is only going to continue to get worse.
"Therefore, it is important that all users protect themselves by installing antivirus software that detects when a browser connects to known mining services such as CoinCube.
"Unfortunately, the new data mining services continue to appear and have become a strategy game for the security industry, so your installed software can not detect the URL or scripts associated with any new minor.
"To add extra protection, you can use an adblocker with Chrome, which will block data mining scripts in the browser. For those looking for a more granular approach, you can use the CoinBlockerLists site to download address lists." IP and affiliate domains. Browser browsing. "