Windows 11 has been released with massive updates to its security system. When it comes to Windows 10 and Windows 11 comparison, the new OS version shows up to be fully reworked in the security features. New Microsoft Defender impresses with the functionality of controlled folder access, tampering and application control. A lot of cybersecurity analysts concluded that Defender in Windows 11 is ready to squeeze out the majority of anti-malware solutions.

Nonetheless, a number of users deny the default security solution. They name different reasons for that: from high resource consumption to unwillingness to share the data [...]

On affected devices, Microsoft Defender places thousands of files in the directory: C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Scans\History\Store

For example, on a test system running Windows 10, version 20H2, there were more than 10,800 objects in this folder. Other users report that in just 24 hours, Microsoft Defender created over 950,000 files, taking up over 30 gigabytes of disk space. Most files are small: 1 or 2 kilobytes.

The error can affect certain operations, such as sync or backup jobs. [...]

The Microsoft Defender Command Line Tool update now includes a new command line argument -DownloadFile. The directive allows a local user to use the Microsoft Antimalware Service Command Line Utility (MpCmdRun.exe) to download a file from a remote location using a dedicated command.

“Well, you can download a file from the internet using Windows Defender itself. In this example, I was able to download Cobalt Strike beacon [...]

After the release of KB2267602 update and Windows Defender version 1.321.1319.0, users unexpectedly found that Citrix Broker and High Availability Services could not work properly. The BrokerService.exe file is marked as malware (Agent Tesla Trojan) and is sent to quarantine.

“Those wondering when the Microsoft love-in with Citrix might end will be relieved to learn that Microsoft Defender decided yesterday that Citrix Broker and High Availability Services bore all the hallmarks of a trojn”, — speak [...]

According to the publication, since the end of July, the modified hosts file has been identified as posing a threat “SettingsModifier: Win32/HostsFileHijack“. If the user clicks on “More” after receiving such a warning, nothing is explained to him, only he is told that the file exhibits “potentially unwanted behavior.”

If the user agrees to eliminate the “threat”, the system will clear the hosts file and [...]

CCleaner is a popular Windows tool for removing temporary files in order to free up disk space. The program offers several advanced features such as updating installed applications, checking your computer, and cleaning the registry.

Potentially unwanted software is not necessarily malicious, but it can annoy users.

Reference: Typically, PUAs include applications, installation files of [...]