VPS Malware & Crypto-Miner Cleanup
Investigation and cleanup of Linux servers infected with crypto-miners and other common malware — evidence captured first, persistence removed, confirmed items cleaned, the server rechecked — with an incident report, a secret rotation plan, and a rebuild recommendation when cleanup is not enough.
STYD investigates and cleans Linux servers infected with crypto-miners and common malware such as kinsing, kdevtmpfsi and xmrig, capturing evidence first and removing only confirmed malicious processes, cron and systemd entries, files and backdoor users. Each cleanup ends with an incident report and a secret rotation plan, and a rebuild is recommended when root-level compromise is suspected or malware returns.
The problem
Crypto-mining malware such as kinsing, kdevtmpfsi or xmrig is a common infection on internet-facing Linux servers. It gets in through something ordinary — a weak SSH password, an exposed Docker port, an old web app — then hides in cron jobs, systemd services, temp folders or hidden users. Killing the process rarely works: it reinstalls itself, and the credentials on the server stay exposed.
Who it's for
Owners of servers showing high CPU, unknown processes, suspicious cron jobs, unknown Docker containers or unexpected users; servers flagged by a hosting provider's abuse warning; and servers where a security audit found indicators of compromise.
The outcome
The active infection stopped, its persistence removed, evidence preserved, and a written account of what was found, what was cleaned, which credentials must now be treated as exposed, and whether the server can stay in service or should be rebuilt.
What STYD delivers
STYD captures evidence before touching anything, then investigates running processes, public listeners, cron, systemd and startup persistence, suspicious files in /tmp, /var/tmp and /dev/shm, Docker containers, users and SSH authorized keys. Only confirmed malicious items are removed: malware processes are killed, malicious cron and systemd entries deleted, suspicious files quarantined rather than destroyed, backdoor users removed, and known malicious outbound IPs blocked where appropriate. The server is rechecked, and the incident report lists findings, actions, remaining risks and a secret rotation plan. If root-level compromise is suspected, malware returns, or the entry point cannot be identified, STYD recommends a rebuild rather than trusting a cleaned server.
Common questions this service helps with
- remove crypto miner from Linux server
- kdevtmpfsi kinsing malware removal
- VPS high CPU unknown process
- xmrig malware cleanup
- VPS provider abuse warning malware
- hacked VPS cleanup service
Pricing
Final pricing is confirmed after a short scoping conversation.
FAQ
You can, and it often comes back. Miners reinstall themselves from cron jobs, systemd services, startup files or hidden users. Cleanup means finding and removing all of those — and understanding how they got in.
Only confirmed malicious entries are removed. Suspicious files are quarantined, not deleted, so they can be examined and restored if needed.
Manual cleanup cannot guarantee a compromised server is 100% clean. If root-level compromise is suspected or the entry point cannot be found, the honest recommendation is a rebuild on a fresh server, quoted separately.
Anything stored on a compromised server should be treated as exposed. The report includes a rotation plan; carrying out the rotation is excluded by default and available as a quoted option.
Yes — urgent cases and production incidents are quoted on contact, based on the server and the situation.
Forensic investigation for legal or insurance purposes, application code review, and ongoing monitoring. Baseline hardening can follow once the server is stable, with separate approval. This is not a penetration test or a certified compliance audit.
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Tell us about your setup and we'll confirm fit, scope, and pricing.