Windows Firewall Control (WFC) by BiniSoft.org

I've now tried this:

- Installs fine - no exception thrown.
- Initially runs
- After reboot: does not load (no tray icon). Manually loading and it's again disconnected.
- After uninstall: leaves restore.wfw and wfc.exe in C:\program files\Windows Firewall Control

 

Unfortunately, I can't reproduce this problem on neither of my machines, nor real ones, nor VMs. I can't get the exception System.ComponentModel.Win32Exception: The requested security package does not exist that you receive on the first line of your screenshot no matter what I try.

1. Try to run sfc /scannow to fix any corrupted system file, if there is the case.
2. Check the recently installed Windows updates. If there is one related to NET Framework, try to uninstall it.

In the past years, there were 3 users that had the same issue with WFC, same exception, same behavior. I could not find the cause, not then, not now. What did help was a system restore or a Windows reinstallation.

 

Darn I hate bugs like that.

Well I used a different folder and quit malwarebytes as advised and the exception didn't happen. Weird too that everything initially runs fine but not after reboot!

I've effectively already reinstalled Windows - since an in place upgrade installs a new OS and migrates your settings across.

This is the latest update:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb...ion-22h2-50ec866f-233e-4f5f-9b5b-4337b13c103c

 

I have the same update installed on my laptop since 6 days ago:





WFC and other NET Framework applications that I use work as expected. Something else must be broken on your side.

 

I do appreciate you looking so thank you. Out of interest I tried a quick WCF test app - and it seems to work fine:

 

Playing around again (I don't give up so easily):

- Updated Malwarebytes to 4.5.34.275, Update package 1.0.72985, Component 1.0.2085
- Allowed it to register with Windows Security Center (didn't allow it before)
- Delayed real time protection by 30 seconds on startup
- Quit malwarebytes
- Install WFC - no exceptions
- Run WFC and (as before) it runs fine and turn on medium filtering and notifications
- Everything is working - but of course we haven't rebooted
- Reboot
- WFC loads fine.. and continues to work.

BTW SFC is clear too.

Will continue to test - currently nervous to reboot of course!

 

..second reboot - still working!

I forgot one other thing - in the process of testing WCF I did enable WCF features in Visual Studio 2022. I don't currently believe this is WCF related oddly - since WFC runs first time (which means WCF works..) and so does the test app. Certainly there are some odd interactions with Malwarebytes so current 'hunch' is that the delayed start may be helping OR that allowing Malwarebytes to take over from Defender is stopping something when it's alive. I'm flying blind of course so please see this as thinking out loud I've been a user (registered one) for years and love this tool.

 

I've now turned off the delay for Malwarebytes starting and rebooted - WFC is still working at this point (edit: and after second boot too).

Tried disabling registering with Windows Security Center (reenables defender) and this still doesn't break anything.

 

Thank you for your updated and valuable feedback. I did not find the culprit yet, but I am thinking to replace WCF with gRPC which will solve all these random issues with WCF. Unfortunately, this will take some time until a new version will be ready for release.

 

Thanks - I'm in software so I know this stuff can be difficult (hate a bug you can't track down). We use gRPC for projects and I'd highly recommend it. We used it to replace some .NET Remoting code from years back and also for machine control.

I've burnt a lot of time here and I'm not sure I really helped narrow things down but at least wanted to document what I did for others.

 

Hello,

Is there a way to see what rule is blocking?

I have the windows DNS client being blocked connecting to my pihole on another device in my lan. it shows up in the connection logs hunreds of times but I have no blocking rules setup yet.
I have clicked on DNS client is the connection log and allowed it but it still keeps being blocked.
Any ideas?

 

See here https://www.wilderssecurity.com/thr...-by-binisoft-org.347370/page-239#post-2968580

 

I have a problem in Windows 11: I can't use WFC because the Smart App Control block it, and it seems it's impossible to configure the Smart Control to allow WFC.

 

from here
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us...-control-285ea03d-fa88-4d56-882e-6698afdb7003

smart app control is only active for fresh installations, for some reasons it may be deactivated.

 

That is funny considering that WFC uses Malwarebytes signature valid to 2025, you can not get more trusted signature than from the AV vendor. Smart App Control is definitely weird.

 

Last time I had problems with SAC reporting a false positive helped (they had an on option for that in one of the tabs). If the haven't removed the option maybe try it.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/wdsi/filesubmission

 

It's unsafe disabling Smart Control ?

 

I did a search for this win10 app online and on this forum and the info Im getting is spotty -

@{MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_1000.19041.1000.0_x64__cw5n1h2txyewy

The issue I am having is somehow, this app is creating a rule in Windows Firewall, bypassing WFC. Not only that but if I disable/block or modify the rule my changes get over written - allowing the app unfettered access to the internet on all ports/protocal's.

The only fix thus far that has worked is to rename the app folder in C:\Windows\SystemApps. but does this then breaks the "ctrl-alt-s" function to launch the snipping function, which I tend to use a lot.

 

No, it basically only allows apps with a digital signature and then based on some made up rating system like world of trust. I just use ValidateAdminCodeSignatures with EnableCertPaddingCheck, that is pretty much the same thing.

 

WFC has protection against unauthorized created rules and knows how to create rules for UWP applications with a modifiable path.

 

When you mean unauthorised rules, I assume your refering to "Security>Secure Rules>Authorised Groups"..? I havethe option "Disable unauthorised rules" enabled but this has no effect. The app path and group are both called "@{MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_1000.19041.1000.0_x64__cw5n1h2txyewy?ms-resource://MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS/Resources/ProductPkgDisplayName}" and its being created, enabled to allow.

If you not refering the above then I dont understand what your saying or refering too.

 

https://malwaretips.com/threads/microsoft-defender-config-max-smart-app-control.120267/post-1021258

 

You have a software that keeps insisting to be allowed. WFC can't prevent the creation of the rule, but it can disable/delete such unwanted rules when they are created. Does Secure Rules work like expected?

To find out which program messes up with your rules:
- Open Event Viewer, by launching eventvwr.msc
- Navigate to the following log name: Applications and Services Logs -> Microsoft -> Windows -> Windows Firewall With Advanced Security -> Firewall
- Select the latest events with ID 2004/2005 and check the Modifying Application. It contains the software that added/modified the firewall rule. See if you can find and isolate the culprit.

 

Thank you. I disabled Smart Control and now WFC works fine.

 

I also installed and configured Defender UI, and now I feel more safe.