CompTIA A+ Core 2 (220-1202)Software TroubleshootingMedium
A user's Android smartphone becomes uncomfortably hot even while sitting idle and not charging. In the running processes list, the technician finds an unfamiliar app consuming continuously high CPU usage in the background. Which of the following is the MOST likely explanation?
- AThe device needs an OS update to improve thermal management
- BThe phone's battery is nearing the end of its normal service life
- CBackground App Refresh is syncing photos to the cloud
- DA cryptomining malware app is running in the background
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: D. A cryptomining malware app is running in the background
Sustained high CPU usage from an unfamiliar app while the phone is idle, combined with excessive heat, is a classic sign of cryptomining (cryptojacking) malware silently using device resources. Normal battery aging or background syncing wouldn't produce continuous unexplained high CPU load from an unknown process.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. An OS update wouldn't explain an unfamiliar process consuming CPU constantly.
- B. Battery aging causes reduced capacity, not sustained unexplained CPU spikes from an unknown app.
- C. Background App Refresh would appear tied to a known app, not an unfamiliar process.
Cryptomining Malware (Mobile)
Malicious software that uses a device's CPU/GPU resources to mine cryptocurrency without the user's consent, causing overheating, battery drain, and sluggish performance.
- Symptom: constant high CPU even when idle
- Causes overheating and rapid battery drain
- Often hides as unfamiliar background process
Memory trick: 'Hot phone, hidden miner' — CPU sweat means crypto theft.