How to block in Windows10 Telemetry with pfsense

[foresthus]

Hi there,

I would like to do more than editing the regsitry in Windows to block the funktion telemetry. Is it possible to block it in pfblocker, squidguard or native with firewall rules? The aim is that the updates should still work.

In the regedit you can navigate to "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Policies \ Microsoft \ Windows \ Data Collection" and create by right-clicking a file DWORD (32-bit). Rename it to "AllowTelemetry". The value must be set to "0" (normally this is done automatically).

Another idea is to block cloud-server to microsoft an d those to https://www.iblocklist.com/.

Any ideas?

[n3by]

Hi,
try this:

make an alias to allow MS_update with this:

download.windowsupdate.com	-w7 xp
update.microsoft.com	- w7 xp
sls.update.microsoft.com.akadns.net	- w8.1
vortex.data.microsoft.com	- w8.1
vortex-win.data.microsoft.com	- w8.1
fe2.update.microsoft.com.akadns.net	- w8.1
statsfe2.update.microsoft.com.akadns.net	-w8.1 not required at the moment ?

make another alias to block MS_telemetry with this:

vortex.data.microsoft.com
vortex-win.data.microsoft.com
telecommand.telemetry.microsoft.com
telecommand.telemetry.microsoft.com.nsatc.net
oca.telemetry.microsoft.com
oca.telemetry.microsoft.com.nsatc.net
sqm.telemetry.microsoft.com
sqm.telemetry.microsoft.com.nsatc.net
watson.telemetry.microsoft.com
watson.telemetry.microsoft.com.nsatc.net
redir.metaservices.microsoft.com
choice.microsoft.com
choice.microsoft.com.nsatc.net
df.telemetry.microsoft.com
reports.wes.df.telemetry.microsoft.com
wes.df.telemetry.microsoft.com
services.wes.df.telemetry.microsoft.com
sqm.df.telemetry.microsoft.com
telemetry.microsoft.com
watson.ppe.telemetry.microsoft.com
telemetry.appex.bing.net
telemetry.urs.microsoft.com
telemetry.appex.bing.net:443
settings-sandbox.data.microsoft.com
vortex-sandbox.data.microsoft.com
survey.watson.microsoft.com
watson.live.com
watson.microsoft.com
statsfe2.ws.microsoft.com
corpext.msitadfs.glbdns2.microsoft.com
compatexchange.cloudapp.net
cs1.wpc.v0cdn.net
a-0001.a-msedge.net
statsfe2.update.microsoft.com.akadns.net
sls.update.microsoft.com.akadns.net
fe2.update.microsoft.com.akadns.net
diagnostics.support.microsoft.com
corp.sts.microsoft.com
statsfe1.ws.microsoft.com
pre.footprintpredict.com
i1.services.social.microsoft.com
i1.services.social.microsoft.com.nsatc.net
feedback.windows.com
feedback.microsoft-hohm.com
feedback.search.microsoft.com
rad.msn.com
preview.msn.com
ad.doubleclick.net
ads.msn.com
ads1.msads.net
ads1.msn.com
a.ads1.msn.com
a.ads2.msn.com
adnexus.net
adnxs.com
az361816.vo.msecnd.net
az512334.vo.msecnd.net
vortex-bn2.metron.live.com.nsatc.net
vortex-cy2.metron.live.com.nsatc.net
dmd.metaservices.microsoft.com

add appropriate rules at firewall to allow the MS_update and after that rule to block the MS_telemetry.

feel free to experiment and add another domains if you have… in case you want to block all MS just disable the MS_update rule.

[foresthus]

Hi,

thnx 4 the quick response. Where did u get all the urls from?

[n3by]

from here and from traffic logs:
http://pastebin.com/ULJjVM7w

edit:

here it is an updated list
http://www.pcsympathy.com/

[foresthus]

Thank you very much.

[cyberbot]

@foresthus:

Thank you very much.

telemtry uses a million links
Blocking those won't rely block it
I have created some powershell to disable this .

[foresthus]

Hi there,

and do you show us all this script?

[KOM]

A centralized solution would be best.  If you're going to go local, why not just use one of the many utils already out there?

http://www.oo-software.com/en/shutup10

http://pxc-coding.com/portfolio/donotspy10/

[BBcan177]

http://thehackernews.com/2015/08/windows-10-privacy-spying.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheHackersNews+%28The+Hackers+News+-+Security+Blog%29

http://thehackernews.com/2015/08/windows-10-disables-pirated-games-microsoft.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheHackersNews+%28The+Hackers+News+-+Security+Blog%29

[robi]

Well, looking at the news, I decided to simply not upgrade my Win7 to the free Win10.
Instead, I'm starting to evaluate seriously using a Linux distro as a desktop OS. Ubuntu-MATE is a really good candidate given that the user interface can be easily customized to look similar to Windows (just as Linux Mint too).

[foresthus]

@cyberbot:

@foresthus:

Thank you very much.

telemtry uses a million links
Blocking those won't rely block it
I have created some powershell to disable this .

Hi there,

Still waiting for the script. Will it be posted?

[foresthus]

@robi:

Well, looking at the news, I decided to simply not upgrade my Win7 to the free Win10.
Instead, I'm starting to evaluate seriously using a Linux distro as a desktop OS. Ubuntu-MATE is a really good candidate given that the user interface can be easily customized to look similar to Windows (just as Linux Mint too).

Hi,

do u really think, that win7 or above are not connecting to MS? LOL
You mentioned to stay close to win7. That is OK 4 me, but a solution to the problem that ms-infos of your station might be send to ms or even other companies working with ms together is still present. There I would test your workstation, with a firewall before, what traffic is going to which URL or ip.

The best solution is say farewell 2 your ms-system and switch over to linux.

It just an idea  ;) Do not 4get that the whole world wants 2 go to cloudservices (not only ms)

cu

[KOM]

I decided to simply not upgrade my Win7

All the same telemetry shit was added to 7, 8 and 8.1 in a recent Windows Update.

[n3by]

Do you have that w7 w8.1 update nr ?

If is not marked as security then can be uninstalled if by mistake somebody installed.

[robi]

Thank God I already switched my machines to Linux.
To be really honest, I really don't see any difference while using it. I was perfectly able to switch over all my workflows to Ubuntu Mate.

Win7 is still there "dormant" on the disk as the installs are dual-boot at the moment, but if I'll be able to sustain the Linux desktop the way it is, absolutely frustrationless for about 2-3 months, I'll be surely deleting the Windows partition to reclaim the space.

[robi]

@KOM:

A centralized solution would be best.

Agree, but that would be very hard to accomplish, because at a central location, it will be very hard to distinguish between useful traffic and and Microsoft telemetry traffic.
I guess they were smart enough to bypass simple firewall rules by frequently changing CDN IPs and addresses.

And local solutions installed on Windows 10s themselves are not trustful.

So, the only real solution is to either:
a) don't upgrade to Windows 10
b) switch over to something else

Of course the fact that all this telemetry was deployed to Win7 and Win8 engraves the situation. Hopefully it can be uninstalled somehow.

[robi]

@n3by:

Do you have that w7 w8.1 update nr ?

http://www.infoworld.com/article/2911609/operating-systems/kb-2952664-compatibility-update-for-win7-triggers-unexpected-daily-telemetry-run-may-be-snooping.html
https://www.reddit.com/r/pcmasterrace/comments/3g7hr0/removing_telemetry_from_windows_7_and_8x/

[KOM]

Thank God I already switched my machines to Linux.

I've been contemplating that for 10+ years, but there was always a reliance on special software that I couldn't get for Linux.  Now that I don't do a lot of desktop stuff at home anymore, I'm thinking now might be the time to dump Win10 and go with Mint Cinnamon.

[robi]

You can find equivalent programs under Linux for most of the daily tasks. No to little effort is required to switch over.
There could be though very special industrial apps which were made for Windows-only, that's true. But for the regular home user, Linux is a perfect alternative.

[KOM]

I've been adminning Linux boxes for more than a decade so I'm generally aware of what's available.  For me, the showstoppers were always a decent money-management app (eg. Quicken, MS Money), a good Usenet browser (eg. Newsleecher, Forte Agent) and a decent RSS reader (eg. Feeddemon, QuiteRSS).  Nowadays I don't use a money app, Usenet indexers have removed the need for an NNTP browser, and there are several decent RSS readers for Linux.  I really should have thought of this 2 weeks ago before I spent a weekend doing the Windows 10 thing.

[foresthus]

@KOM:

A centralized solution would be best.  If you're going to go local, why not just use one of the many utils already out there?

http://www.oo-software.com/en/shutup10

http://pxc-coding.com/portfolio/donotspy10/

Do not use that, you cannot go back without using a " restore point".

[n3by]

have a look here:

https://github.com/WindowsLies/BlockWindows

http://www.ghacks.net/2015/08/28/microsoft-intensifies-data-collection-on-windows-7-and-8-systems/

[KOM]

Do not use that, you cannot go back without using a "  restore point".

ShutUp10 will prompt you to let it create one before it applies its changes.  I didn't bother as I can't see any scenario where I would need to undo that stuff.

[Sea Monkey]

Please forgive me.  I'm a bit of a noob.  Do these look right?


[n3by]

yes it looks ok.

[KOM]

Your pass rule isn't required unless you've really locked down your LAN.  By default, LAN has full access out to everywhere.

[n3by]

yes it is required because other way update destinations will be blocked from Blocked rule that have these destinations included in case you don't want to allow update.

[KOM]

yes it is required because other way update destinations will be blocked from Blocked rule that have these destinations included in case you don't want to allow update.

Huh?  Windows Update domains shouldn't be included in your telemetry alias.

[n3by]

some people want to block everyhing because MS can deliver an "security update" that will install telemetry and also use update hosts to get data from computer so this way is better, at least for me to have updates (allow only updates-block everything).

[KOM]

I still don't see how this is a good solution.  Are you literally whitelisting every destination address you want access to and blocking everything else on the Internet?  Because MS can spin up a zillion new domains on a whim.

[n3by]

MS can do whatever they want, but they must be able to make your computer to talk with any new domains ( and they can do this only with an allowed to install update ).
If now you block the telemetry C&C servers, there is no other way your computer will know to talk with new domains until you will install that update.

This is what we have for now, if we have another better way please elaborate ( except unplug the cable, stop using MS OS… ).

[robi]

@n3by:

yes it looks ok.

It's not ok as per your description, because it's a pass rule, not a block rule.

[robi]

@KOM:

yes it is required because other way update destinations will be blocked from Blocked rule that have these destinations included in case you don't want to allow update.

Huh?  Windows Update domains shouldn't be included in your telemetry alias.

Which are the Windows Update domains, btw?

I found these:

windowsupdate.microsoft.com	 
update.microsoft.com	 
windowsupdate.com	 
download.windowsupdate.com	 
wustat.windows.com	 
ntservicepack.microsoft.com	 

Are there any others?

[Sea Monkey]

@robi:

@n3by:

yes it looks ok.

It's not ok as per your description, because it's a pass rule, not a block rule.

It's two rules.

[Harvy66]

Setup a WSUS server, whitelist that to talk to Microsoft, and block all clients?

I'm torn between Linux and FreeBSD. Linux has better Steam support, but a lot of stuff is being done in FreeBSD to increase comparability. ZFS and Jails are very attractive, even on a desktop.

[2chemlud]

Whenever I have the choice, M$-shyt has been replaced by opensuse or PC-BSD (the later has a steeper learning curve and is not so well supported, but is free of systemd). Big plus: you can both run with KDE desktop, which made it much easier to switch between these two, and btw the handling is not sooo far away from Windows xp/7…

[2chemlud]

PS: Here

http://techne.alaya.net/?p=12499

you can find a long list of IPs and host names to block for Windows telemetry.

[2chemlud]

…just for the record:

I uninstalled on Win 7 pro 64/32 (various computers) the following KBs:

97 1033
290 2907
295 2664
299 0214
302 1917
302 2345
303 5583
304 4374
305 0265
306 2345
306 5987
306 8708
307 5249
307 5851
308 0149
308 3325

and in addition I set up a block rule with loggin for an alias containing all the IPs and host names listed here

http://techne.alaya.net/?p=12499

As you might expect, the firewall log is full of blocked "MS telemetry" this morning.

[2chemlud]

…just to add:

Had my PC-BSD 10 PC up today for updating. Really amazing, I found in the firewall logs repeated access of this computer to an IP blocked for MS Telemetry.

WHAT has PC-BSD with MS-Telemetry in common? Or is it more correctly NSA telemetry featured by Microshyte?

I'm surprised!


[KOM]

That IP address is a-msedge.net and it takes you to Bing.