PUA: Win32/NetFilter (NetFilterSDK) and ASUS Recovery

[FJ181]

My PC came with preinstalled Windows 10 and I've got this PC for 2 years. It is ASUS laptop (Republic of gamers). I would check the model but I'm not home yet...so ill update that later.

Windows Defender keeps telling me about this PUA. I have been scanning my PC all over again and tried clearing out temporary files and such but still shows the PUA as active,I have F-secure installed and as my main AV but I did a full scan with WD too after getting a blue screen while browsing internet.

I know the Recovery folder is not even visible by default...I know I can't access it even when it is visible.

Location of the PUA that Windows Defender notifications keeps telling about --->

containerfile: C:\Recovery\Customizations\usmt.ppkg

file: C:\Recovery\Customizations\usmt.ppkg->\ICB\MachineSpecific\File\C$\Program Files (x86)\ASUS\GameFirst IV\Driver\tdi\i386\netfilter2.sys

file: C:\Recovery\Customizations\usmt.ppkg->\ICB\MachineSpecific\File\C$\Windows\System32\drivers\netfilter2.sys

I think it might be ASUS preinstalled program but I can't know for sure since I can't access the Recovery folder (and even if I could I think I still would not know for sure).The other netfilter2.sys was deleted (maybe) since it was no longer in it's folder. Win32 ASUS drivers folder (deleted by Windows Defender after full Scan)?

Windows Defender keeps telling me about the PUA. I have tried deleting the detection history but it has no effect.The notification only appears with Windows Defender full scan. No other AV program will detect it (MalwareBytes, HitmanPro, AdwCleaner, F-secure, Windows Defender Offline scan/quick scan, Windows Safety Scanner).

I would just like to get rid of it I don't care if the program is actually made/preinstalled by ASUS or not as long as deleting it has no effect on my PC/it's performance.

Is netfilter2.sys important? What does it do and do I need it for my PC to work or will it have any impact on my PC's performance?

Is the Recovery folder important and will deleting/altering it have severe harmful effects on my PC? Some people said they got blue screen and that their PC wont boot after deleting it.

I have been told in Microsoft community, Microsoft Support, F-secure forums and else where that it is most likely a false positive but no one could confirm this for sure. Since F-secure never detected anything it should be false positive and nothing more yet I have not been able to use my PC without feeling paranoid over my accounts/safety.

I'm just too paranoid about this. I don't want to do a system reset since getting F-secure back and installing all the 30+ games and other software that I have would be a pain.

Can ASUS Backtracker get rid of the Recovery folder that (should?) be ASUS Recovery folder and not the Windows 10 itself since it was preinstalled?

Can the netfilter SDK itself somehow be deleted or just delete its Recovery files since Windows Defender can't seem to get rid of it and other AVs don't detect it.

Is here anyway to either get rid of it or confirm that it is actually not harmful? I can't check the original file since it got deleted and just the file in the Recovery folder remains.

Also what is Win32/DefenderTamperingRestore? Got that notification after scanning the recovery folder with Windows Safety Scanner. No mention about the PUA tho and said that
Win32/DefenderTamperingRestore was deleted. I did a Repair Upgrade from USB when trying to get rid of the notification so that might have caused this?

If anyone has any suggestions or ideas on what I should do I would really appreciate it. (Sorry for having so many dumb questions and sorry that this is so long but I'm just really freaked out about this).

Edited December 8, 2020 by AdvancedSetup
corrected font issue

[AdvancedSetup]

Hello @FJ181

They might be valid detections, or they could be false. Let's go ahead and scan the system for possible malware and see what we can find.

 

Please run the following steps and post back the logs as an attachment when ready.
Temporarily disable your antivirus or other security software first. Make sure to turn it back on once the scans are completed.
Temporarily disable Microsoft SmartScreen to download software below if needed. Make sure to turn it back on once the scans are completed.
If you still have trouble downloading the software please click on Reveal Hidden Contents below for examples of how to allow the download.
 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

 

Spoiler

 

When downloading with some browsers you may see a different style of screens that may block FRST from downloading. The program is safe and used hundreds of times a week by many users.

Example of Microsoft Edge blocking the download

 

 

STEP 01

• If you already have Malwarebytes installed then open Malwarebytes and click on the Scan button. It will automatically check for updates and run a Threat Scan.
• If you don't have Malwarebytes installed yet please download it from here and install it.
• Once installed then open Malwarebytes and select Scan and let it run.
• Once the scan is completed make sure you have it quarantine any detections it finds.
• If no detections were found click on the Save results drop-down, then the Export to TXT  button, and save the file as a Text file to your desktop or other location you can find and attach that log on your next reply.
• If there were detections then once the quarantine has completed click on the View report button, Then click the Export drop-down, then the Export to TXT  button, and save the file as a Text file to your desktop or other location you can find and attach that log on your next reply.
• If the computer restarted to quarantine you can access the logs from the Detection History, then the History tab. Highlight the most recent scan and double-click to open it. Then click the Export drop-down, then the Export to TXT  button, and save the file as a Text file to your desktop or other location you can find and attach that log on your next reply.
• If Malwarebytes won't run then please skip to the next step and let me know in your next reply that the scanner would not run.

STEP 02

Please download AdwCleaner by Malwarebytes and save the file to your Desktop.

• Double-click to run the program
• Accept the End User License Agreement.
• Wait until the database is updated.
• Click Scan Now.
• When finished, if items are found please click Quarantine.
• Your PC should reboot now if any items were found.
• After reboot, a log file will be opened. Attach or Copy its content into your next reply.

RESTART THE COMPUTER Before running Step 3

STEP 03
Please download the Farbar Recovery Scan Tool and save it to your desktop.

Note: You need to run the version compatible with your system. You can check here if you're not sure if your computer is 32-bit or 64-bit

• Double-click to run it. When the tool opens, click Yes to disclaimer.
• Press the Scan button.
• It will make a log (FRST.txt) in the same directory the tool is run. Please attach it to your reply.
• The first time the tool is run, it also makes another log (Addition.txt). If you've, run the tool before you need to place a check mark here each time
• Please attach the Additions.txt log to your reply as well.
• On your next reply, you should be attaching frst.txt and additions.txt to your post, every time.

 

Thanks

[FJ181]

I'll try doing the scans with Malwarebytes and Adwcleaner but I think I don't want to try "Farbar Recovery Scan Tool" even if it is safe since I haven't heard of it before (also I don't trust pages like these, sorry if this is making helping me more difficult). I'll post another reply after I'm done with the scans (I'm not home at the moment since I needed to go to work).

 

[FJ181]

So I did scans with MalwareBytes and Adwcleaner with F-secure turned off. The scans didn't find anything (Adwcleaner told about preinstalled ASUS programs but I know those are legit since my PC is ASUS after all). Like I said earlier I'm unfortunately not comfortable with trying/installing the Farbar Recovery Scan Tool so I didn't try scanning with that. I did do a scan with HitmanPro tho and it didn't find anything either. I attached the scan logs to this message. Should these scans not finding anything either mean that it is a false positive by Windows Defender? (Also I hope you don't mind that my MalwareBytes log is not in English).

Adwcleaner.txt MalwareBytes scan.txt

[AdvancedSetup]

Well I'm sorry, but if you are unwilling to run the FRST scans then I won't be able to assist you. Without such logs it is impossible to determine what is running on your computer. You can run antivirus scanners and hope they've found, or fixed your problem but often times they do not as many times issues are not due to malware.

You can look around the forum here or on many other forum sites that do malware removal and you'll find that all of them use FRST

You can send me the logs in a private message if you like but if you simply refuse to run the tool period then sadly I won't be able to assist you any further.

Thank you

 

[FJ181]

I understand thank you for your replies anyway.

[AdvancedSetup]

You're quite welcome.

Take care and stay safe out there