PUM.Optional.DisableMRT

[RJW2]

I have Norton 360 running on Windows 11.  (I also posted this on Norton's forum but just thought someone here might also know)

Today I had a phishing popup on Firefox browser, so I closed the browser and ran Norton full scan, it found nothing.

I then downloaded the free MB trial and ran Malwarebytes, it found these two issues,

-Scan Details-
Registry Value: 2
PUM.Optional.DisableMRT, HKLM\SOFTWARE\WOW6432NODE\POLICIES\MICROSOFT\MRT|DONTREPORTINFECTIONINFORMATION, No Action By User, 7617, 676881, 1.0.83661, , ame, , ,
PUM.Optional.DisableMRT, HKLM\SOFTWARE\POLICIES\MICROSOFT\MRT|DONTREPORTINFECTIONINFORMATION, No Action By User, 7617, 676881, 1.0.83661, , ame, , ,

My question: Thinking maybe Norton 360 set these windows settings to OFF since Norton is now handling detections instead of Windows Security?

Otherwise ust curious why or how these Registry settings got set to OFF?

 

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[RJW2]

Well I found some good data on this forum on this at

https://forums.malwarebytes.com/topic/246740-new-potentially-unwanted-modification-disablemrt

I had searched previously for PUP and PUM and didn't find it. I should have searched the elongated Potentially Unwanted Modification.

 

[Porthos]

https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/detections/pum-optional

[RJW2]

Suspecting O&OShutup set the \MRT to not report, I changed these O&O Shutup settings
Under Local Machine tab
I unchecked->Disable App access to Diagnostic Info.
Under Current User Tab
I unchecked->Disable App access to Diagnostic Info.
--
Then in registry editor at,
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Policies\Microsoft\MRT
 I cleared (deleted) the entry->DontReportInfectionInformation
 Leaving only the Default REQ_SZ  Value not set.

Also checked at,
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\MRT
 But it was already set only to Default
Then I ran another MBam scan and got zero issues no PUPs No PUMs.

To see if O&O Shutup was why ..\MRT was disabled, I ran O&O Shutup and again disabled app access to Diagnostic Info and then rebooted. But even after a reboot the aforesaid ..\MRT entry->DontReportInfectionInformation     setting did not appear again in Registry. So I really don't know what or how it got set OFF prior. Maybe by delaying an update?

In case I now have learned how to Add an exclusion as per,
https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/detections/pum-optional(link is external)

However from what I read of MS's aggresive blocking of 3rd party apps in proposed updates of Win11, the O&O Shutup does have some validity in premise IF the new update of Windows will even allow it to run.

[RJW2]

UPDATE: This appears to be a Windows Security setting, specifically the Reputation-based protection. This setting says it:
Protects your device from malicious or potentially unwanted apps. Turn on or off.

However in many cases it blocks apps the are OK and very useful especially as MS seems to be more leaning towards the S mode premise with proposded future updates along with advertisements that MS promotes.
Just my opinion.

[David H. Lipman]

I tried O&O Shutup.  Not enough info, for me, on the Ripple Effects of some settings causing chaos..

 

[Porthos]

There are many scripts and tools around that turn off any and all reporting to MS.This setting is there only to warn a user that it is off and most users who turn off all communication from Windows to MS would know they did it with "something" on purpose and can set it to ignore.

Others, however, who have no clue or wish to restrict communication to MS, need to take action as malware can set that just like the other software and scripts do to hide detection from MS.

This is what gets turned off.