Spybot Anti-Beacon for Windows 10

This is list of Address people are block via router for all the telemetry in win 10
grabed from https://github.com/RMerl/asuswrt-merlin/wiki/Disable-Windows-10-tracking

IT it said some of the address are hardcoded and cant be block from system, but router can be told to drop it

Code: 
a.ads1.msn.com
a.ads2.msads.net
a.ads2.msn.com
a.rad.msn.com
a-0001.a-msedge.net
a-0002.a-msedge.net
a-0003.a-msedge.net
a-0004.a-msedge.net
a-0005.a-msedge.net
a-0006.a-msedge.net
a-0007.a-msedge.net
a-0008.a-msedge.net
a-0009.a-msedge.net
ac3.msn.com
ad.doubleclick.net
adnexus.net
adnxs.com
ads.msn.com
ads1.msads.net
ads1.msn.com
aidps.atdmt.com
aka-cdn-ns.adtech.de
a-msedge.net
apps.skype.com
az361816.vo.msecnd.net
az512334.vo.msecnd.net
b.ads1.msn.com
b.ads2.msads.net
b.rad.msn.com
bs.serving-sys.com
c.atdmt.com
c.msn.com
cdn.atdmt.com
cds26.ams9.msecn.net
choice.microsoft.com
choice.microsoft.com.nsatc.net
compatexchange.cloudapp.net
corp.sts.microsoft.com
corpext.msitadfs.glbdns2.microsoft.com
cs1.wpc.v0cdn.net
db3aqu.atdmt.com
df.telemetry.microsoft.com
diagnostics.support.microsoft.com
ec.atdmt.com
fe2.update.microsoft.com.akadns.net
feedback.microsoft-hohm.com
feedback.search.microsoft.com
feedback.windows.com
flex.msn.com
g.msn.com
h1.msn.com
i1.services.social.microsoft.com
i1.services.social.microsoft.com.nsatc.net
lb1.www.ms.akadns.net
live.rads.msn.com
m.adnxs.com
m.hotmail.com
msedge.net
msftncsi.com
msnbot-65-55-108-23.search.msn.com
msntest.serving-sys.com
oca.telemetry.microsoft.com
oca.telemetry.microsoft.com.nsatc.net
pre.footprintpredict.com
preview.msn.com
pricelist.skype.com
rad.live.com
rad.msn.com
redir.metaservices.microsoft.com
reports.wes.df.telemetry.microsoft.com
s.gateway.messenger.live.com
s0.2mdn.net
schemas.microsoft.akadns.net
secure.adnxs.com
secure.flashtalking.com
services.wes.df.telemetry.microsoft.com
settings-sandbox.data.microsoft.com
settings-win.data.microsoft.com
sls.update.microsoft.com.akadns.net
sqm.df.telemetry.microsoft.com
sqm.telemetry.microsoft.com
sqm.telemetry.microsoft.com.nsatc.net
static.2mdn.net
statsfe1.ws.microsoft.com
statsfe2.update.microsoft.com.akadns.net
statsfe2.ws.microsoft.com
survey.watson.microsoft.com
telecommand.telemetry.microsoft.com
telecommand.telemetry.microsoft.com.nsatc.net
telemetry.appex.bing.net
telemetry.microsoft.com
telemetry.urs.microsoft.com
view.atdmt.com
vortex.data.microsoft.com
vortex-bn2.metron.live.com.nsatc.net
vortex-cy2.metron.live.com.nsatc.net
vortex-sandbox.data.microsoft.com
vortex-win.data.microsoft.com
watson.live.com
watson.microsoft.com
watson.ppe.telemetry.microsoft.com
watson.telemetry.microsoft.com
watson.telemetry.microsoft.com.nsatc.net
wes.df.telemetry.microsoft.com
www.msftncsi.com
 
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https://virusscan.jotti.org/en-GB/filescanjob/fes43c9axe
https://www.virustotal.com/en/file/...a68564dc7ca06aeb1f4bd832cb9a26a2b54/analysis/

@Billaboard: There's just one AV reporting something currently:
VirusTotal results
Mighte be bad heuristics, since this tool uses the hosts file, firewall and more.

@Kyzoku: Thanks for the reporting regarding Bing, I'll re-label this!

@tsumai2311: wow, thanks for the extensive list! The issue with lists like these is that it blocks not just MS stuff, but also some ad servers, for example (good for me, but not the purpose of the app), and complete apps like Skype. As for the hardcoded stuff - that might work around the DNS blocking via hosts file, but with 1.4, we've also started using the integrated Windows Firewall. Might be worth checking whether that can get passed as well.

@Mariovit: the About list of parameters is auto-generated, this one is indeed not implemented yet in 1.4. Will be in 1.5 (just tested, it's there now).

To sum up: thanks to all of you for helping finding what's up next for 1.5 :)
 
Hi PepiMK.

I got a chance to try out the latest version of your Spybot Anti-Beacon app (a Portable one) and ran it on a Win7 computer.
Found a minor bug in v1.4. After running it and clicking on the Minimize button to minimize the program window, it minimizes on the lower-left hand side of the screen and when I try to click on it (or click on the restore window icon), the spybot anti-beacon program window does not get restored. while it was minimized, I had to click on the close button [X] to close the program - that was my only option.

I've figured out what CEIP Scheduled Tasks that are being blocked by Spybot Anti-Beacon...almost all of them.
I opened Task Scheduler by running taskschd.msc, expand the Microsoft section, then expand the Windows section, and checked the following sections:

Application Experience > set the "ProgramData" task to Disable
Autochk > set the "Proxy" task to Disable
Customer Experience Improvement Program > set the "Consolidator" task to Disable
DiskDiagnostic > set the "Microsoft-Windows-DiskDiagnosticDataCollector" task to Disable

If you manually disable these specified Tasks in Task Scheduler, the Spybot Anti-Beacon app will see these CEIP based tasks as Blocked.
 
I am running version 1.4 on Windows 10 and have noticed 2 issues.

1. The check update functionality is not working. I get an error saying "An unknown error occured while trying to search for updates: SSL/TLS support is not compiled!"
2. The most important, the app has placed a file-write lock or changed some permission of the hosts file because now I can't edit it to add my own entries. I am used to adding entries used for web-deving, now I can't. Even if I disable the 'immunizations' I still can edit the host file, not even as an administrator.
 
Spybot Anti-Beacon v1.4.0.26 Install Error

I just installed Spybot Anti-Beacon v1.4.0.26 on my Win7SP1 x64 Ultimate PC. Install completed and return this pop-up window:

SpybotAntiBeacon.png

Clicking "OK", the program ran just fine. This happens on all subsequent launches.
 
request please don't use 127.0.0.1 but 0.0.0.0 or even 0 to block via the hosts file, it's faster because you don't have to wait for a timeout.
 
PepiMK said:
As for the hardcoded stuff - that might work around the DNS blocking via hosts file, but with 1.4, we've also started using the integrated Windows Firewall. Might be worth checking whether that can get passed as well.
Click to expand...

Indeed, they've skipped the hosts, might as well jump the firewall too?

Thanks for the handy tool
 
@PepiMK

Yes it huge list I got from https://github.com/RMerl/asuswrt-merlin/wiki/Disable-Windows-10-tracking

I was gona just block all of it from my router I have not fiqure out how to do that yet. Block it from router is only way to stop it with 100% certainty. as for the "apps" i hate them all they should not be on windows desktop OS so i could care less about it that breaks things, I might switch to LTSB of enterpise win 10, just to not have any of the "apps" installed

Win7 and 8.1 have been infect with all this in recent updates too
 
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Again many thanks for the valuable feedback everyone :)

@noel-pr7: the immunize bug will be fixed in 1.5 :)

You can find out what gets blocked by clicking the "Show details" button... we try to list it all there :)


@4ayo19: my apologies, I'll make sure the latest version of the necessary OpenSSL libraries are included in the installer!


Setting the hosts file read only is something we do in Spybot as well. Simply right-click it, open Properties, and remove the read-only flag.


There's now a group policy (call gpedit.msc, check Administrative.../Safer-Networking.../Spybot Anti-Beacon/Hosts/)


@MarkAtHome: as for 4ayo19, the issue is that Anti-Beacon should not depend on the SSL libraries to exist on the system. Will fix!


@OnePingOnly: I remember lengthy discussions about 127.0.0.1 vs. 0.0.0.0 from the early times of Spybots immunization. I've just noticed that while in Spybot, there's a registry tweak to change this, there is none in Anti-Beacon.


There's now a group policy for this as well in 1.5.
 
Virus Warning In Bitdefender - modification of hosts

After running Spybot Anti-Beacon my anti-virus software Bitdefender Total Security warns me for an infection of the file C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts. Bitdefender adds that it has desinfected the item. It also claims the virus is Trojan.QHost.Gen.

I'm running Spybot Anti-Beacon 1.0.4 (installer version) on Windows 8.1.

Before the warning Spybot Anti-Beacon showed a 100% protection. After the virus warning, I ran Anti-Beacon again and now the protection level is only 22% (7 of 32). None of the Telemetry Hosts are blocked, the other three (Telemetry Group Policy, CEIP Group Policy and CEIP Scheduled Tasks) are all blocked (see image). The optional Remote Registry Service is "all blocked" too.

spybot-anti-beacon-2015-10-19.png
 
Hello Mijnged8,

Mijnged8 said:
I'm running Spybot Anti-Beacon 1.0.4 (installer version) on Windows 8.1.
Click to expand...

The subject of this topic is Spybot Anti-Beacon for Windows 10.

PepiMK said:
Spybot Anti-Beacon for Windows 10 is a small utility designed to block and stop the various tracking (aka telemetry) issues that come with Windows 10.
Click to expand...

Have you used Spybot Anti-Beacon on a Windows 10 operating system? :)

Best regards.
 
Skype not working

After applying the block to the Optional Telemetry Hosts (Extensive list), I noticed skype chats wouldn't update properly. I could see some updates, but several rooms wouldn't even load. In a future update, I would suggest that the Skype servers could either be excluded, or the ones that affect usage be removed from the list or included in their own category. That way, I could benefit from the additional block without loosing functionality on skype.

Once I identified what was causing my skype issues, I had to undo that block to recover skype use.
 
Actually, a few of its immunizations are available on Windows 8.1 (due to the Windows Update adding telemetry to older OS as well), and I must admit I haven't opened a separate thread for those.

Btw, 1.5 was released yesterday.

Anyway... looks like your BitDefender seems to think that blocking Microsoft servers is a bad thing. Understandable, since malware might block MS to avoid updates, but a bit too harsh here.
 
Small Bugs and Thanks

1. Love the program Thank You!!
2. For those who want version 1.5 go here https://forums.spybot.info/downloads.php
3. In version 1.5.0.35 it does not disable the Office 16 (2016) Task Schedule, when clicking apply...however i fixed this by looking at Show Details to see which tasks they were and then went into Task Scheduler manually and disabled them there. Upon reloading Anti-Beacon it then showed them as blocked.
4. Had to do the Telemetry Hosts (Extensive List) twice to get it to update the hosts file and stay updated (Did it first time, said all blocked, exited program, went in again,said needed protection,blocked again,exited, went in again this time showing all blocked) Might be something my end,who knows seems fine now :)


Thanks again and great job !
 
spinout said:
Hi,
where can i download v1.5(just the executable) e.g. SDCutTheLine-1.5.exe?

Installer or PortableApps(worse than Installer) not needed...
Click to expand...

I concur, there is no need for an installer for this program.
Is there any info on what is new in 1.5?
Also, some clarity that this is also for windows 7 and 8.1 is probably in order as it seems even your own "team member" is unaware.

:thanks:
 
I appreciate the effort spinout, and I'm sure the file is probably safe. But I just can't bring myself to run an exe from an unknown source. :fear:
 
I usually copy the pure .exe over as well, just didn't link it anywhere. I've updated the first post here. Will think about adding it to the downloads portal as well.

What's new is listed on the downloads page, but will add above.


Edit #2: the download portal now has all stand-alone releases as well, and the link here points to there, so it'll always be up to date!
 
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