Defender Firewall changing inbound and outbound rules on its own

Ronald r · 27 Mar 2021

window 10 version 1909 (OS Build 18363.1443)
First of all I block most of Windows Defender Firewalls rules to keep security to a maximum.
I regularly check Windows Defenders Firewalls advanced rules and find that the program regularly changes its own rules.

It enables the Xbox Game Console and Your Account setting among others. I have disable all windows 10 updates and find that this issue is still ongoing. It makes no sense to me that windows should be doing this or even has the moral right to alter the security levels you decide to apply to your own private computer, which you purchased with your own money.

This happens to me all the time, so if it is normal behavior it must be happening to most Windows 10 users.
Although I suspect it is not windows doing this, but a someone else hacking my system to make it easier for them to accomplish their goals.
Please do not respond with wild conspiracy theories. I would apricate input from users that have had this happen to them an has reasonable explanations of why.

Wild guesses from users really doesn't help anyone.

Regards

zebal · 27 Mar 2021

Ronald r said:

This happens to me all the time, so if it is normal behavior it must be happening to most Windows 10 users.
Although I suspect it is not windows doing this, but a someone else hacking my system to make it easier for them to accomplish their goals.

Haha, no you're not hacked and yes it's Windows and programs that do this.

Random programs which install rules as part of their installation process may update rules that they made, that means your modifications are thrown away.

Windows and it's predefined rules do the same.

The only way to get around this is to not use windows firewall in control panel, but instead define your rules in GPO and choose option to inherit rules from control panel if you wish so.

press win key and type secpol.msc
Right click on secpol.msc and click Run as administrator
Expand node: Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security

Here, what ever rules you define will never be overriden, to inherit rules from control panel into GPO:
right click on "Windows Defender Firewall with Advanced Security" and select "properties"
For your network profile click on "settings" button and under "rule merge" choose "Yes" for "Apply local firewall rules"

Modifications made by Windows and other programs will still be inherited but here you can override "bad rules" by defining custom block rules.