Bitdefender is blocking and detecting uTorrent as a threat

I've tried adding uTorrent.exe to exceptions and no luck, whenever I run the program it says "disinfection in progress" and "threat detected".

Comments

  • Flexx
    Flexx DEFENDER OF THE YEAR 2023 / DEFENDER OF THE MONTH ✭✭✭✭✭ mod

    uTorrent is a pup/pua and detection for it will remain and not be removed.

    More information on pup/pua can be found in below stated link

    https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/answer/26046/

    Additionally, almost all antimalware vendors follow the rules of pup/pua as per AppEsteem https://customer.appesteem.com/deceptors

     If you want to use the software, follow the below steps.

    1) Temporarily disable Bitdefender Protection: https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/answer/28557/

    2) Set exclusion in Bitdefender Antivirus: https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/answer/13427/

    3) Set exclusion in Bitdefender Advanced Threat Defense: https://www.bitdefender.com/consumer/support/answer/2393/

    4) Re-enable real time protection in Bitdefender.

    Regards

    Life happens, Coffee helps!

    Show your Attitude, when you reach that Altitude!

    Bitdefender Ultimate Security Plus (user)

  • Thank you.

    But I've used Bitdefender with uTorrent installed for years and not once I've encountered this problem until today.

  • Flexx
    Flexx DEFENDER OF THE YEAR 2023 / DEFENDER OF THE MONTH ✭✭✭✭✭ mod

    Recently bitdefender has started to detect some samples of uTorrent & BitTorrent (since both software are of similar companies but with different brand names)

    As stated earlier, almost all antimalware vendors follow the rules of pup/pua as per AppEsteem https://customer.appesteem.com/deceptors

    Regards

    Life happens, Coffee helps!

    Show your Attitude, when you reach that Altitude!

    Bitdefender Ultimate Security Plus (user)

  • Gjoksi
    Gjoksi DEFENDER OF THE YEAR 2022 / DEFENDER OF THE MONTH ✭✭✭✭✭

    Hello.

    I just did some research and it seems that only the UPDATE file is detected as malicious.

    So, uncheck the "Automatically install updates" option in uTorrent's preferences and the program will work without any issues.

    Regards.

    @Flexx Mate, can you check with the antimalware team? Thanks.

  • Flexx
    Flexx DEFENDER OF THE YEAR 2023 / DEFENDER OF THE MONTH ✭✭✭✭✭ mod
    edited May 2023

    Sure I can @Gjoksi, but let me give a brief information as to how the detection is made for some samples. If a sample is detected as malicious or pup/pua, the malware team tries to figure out a common file that may be part of all the previous or the newer builds so as to create a generic detection. Generic detection is helpful because then the malware research team will not have to create new detection for every new version of the software that the company will create.

    As, in the above case, as you found out that the update file was detected as pup/pua instead of the main executable file is because the executable file will keep on changing with every new release, but the update file might remain the same and hence bitdefender is detecting it as part of generic detection which may detect the previous and future version of the software also as pup/pua without creating a new detection again & again.

    Regards

    Life happens, Coffee helps!

    Show your Attitude, when you reach that Altitude!

    Bitdefender Ultimate Security Plus (user)

  • How do I just disable PUP detection as threat or downgrade PUP detection as a warning instead of a threat ?


    Other AV provide this option. I cant find it in the Bitdefender app ?

  • Gjoksi
    Gjoksi DEFENDER OF THE YEAR 2022 / DEFENDER OF THE MONTH ✭✭✭✭✭

    @zzzatang

    Hello.

    You can only enable / disable scanning for PUP/PUA in Antivirus module Advanced settings:

    Regards.

  • Hello everyone,

    I just got word that there is indeed a conflict between ATD and Utorrent and the situation is currently under investigation. In the meantime, I would try the workaround suggested by @Gjoksi above.

    We're looking deeper into it and surely the devs will get to the bottom of this soon. I'll keep you posted on the progress.

    Regards

    Premium Security & Bitdefender Endpoint Security Tools user

  • zzzatang
    edited May 2023

    @Gjoksi

    The main issue is, as seen in the attached image, I don't get to toggle like you as a free antivirus user !

    Another issue is that toggle button is for PUP which includes 'spyware' ! Surely people who tolerate or use uTorrent would not appreciate that their antivirus stops scanning for 'Spyware' .

    IMHO.. Software peddled by authoritarian regimes / bad actors and uTorrent can't be clubbed together under one setting !

    Lastly, just wanted to highlight that uTorrent is being flagged as a TROJAN and not PUP by Bitdefender AV. Not sure whether toggling that PUP button in advance settings would make any difference to other users (who are allowed to toggle that button).

  • Hello,

    According to our developers, this issue has been solved.

    Kindly check and let us know if uTorrent works as expected now.

    Regards

    Premium Security & Bitdefender Endpoint Security Tools user

  • No, it doesn't. The download fails (insufficient permissions), so there's no path/filename to enter into the dropdown field. Also, the dropdown field doesn't accept typed input nor cntrl-V paste.

  • Hi @Laura_0,

    I'm not sure I understand exactly what you are referring to. If a download fails and the antivirus is still blocking utorrent, then there should be a notification displayed. Do you still get the messages "disinfection in progress" or "threat detected"?

    Regards

    Premium Security & Bitdefender Endpoint Security Tools user

  • Gjoksi
    Gjoksi DEFENDER OF THE YEAR 2022 / DEFENDER OF THE MONTH ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited May 2023

    @Alexandru_BD

    I just downloaded the uTorrent install (exe) file from here:

    After i double-clicked on the file to install uTorrent on my laptop, Bitdefender blocked it.

    But, no worries, i already reported both the URL and the file to Bitdefender labs as false positive.

    Ticket number for the URL: [FP] [URL] Submission 1008365412

    Ticket number for the file: [FP] [Sample] Submission 1008365424

    You can chechk on ticket's status on Monday.

    Regards.

  • @Gjoksi maybe the update didn't reach you or this was another issue. As far as I know, the blocking issue has been resolved and following your feedback, I have also asked one of our engineers to test and they could not reproduce this behavior. 🙄

    Premium Security & Bitdefender Endpoint Security Tools user

  • Gjoksi
    Gjoksi DEFENDER OF THE YEAR 2022 / DEFENDER OF THE MONTH ✭✭✭✭✭

    Hello all.

    UPDATE:

    [FP] [URL] Submission 1008365412 -> The file is clean and detection should be removed in the next couple of updates.

    [FP] [Sample] Submission 1008365424 -> The file is clean and detection should be removed in the next couple of updates.

    @Alexandru_BD Thanks for the update, buddy. 🙌

  • Since this hasn't been fixed, any recommendations for another Anti Virus?

  • can confirm this is still a problem, I also contacted support about this. I'm using the latest version

  • Flexx
    Flexx DEFENDER OF THE YEAR 2023 / DEFENDER OF THE MONTH ✭✭✭✭✭ mod

    Sorry, we are not authorized to recommend you any information related to any other antivirus.

    Regards

    Life happens, Coffee helps!

    Show your Attitude, when you reach that Altitude!

    Bitdefender Ultimate Security Plus (user)