DCOM port not in stealth mode - is that a problem?

Forgive my lack of networking knowledge.

On a whim, I ran a port scan of my PC using a website called "Shields UP!!" (https://www.grc.com/shieldsup). I've done this occasionally in the past when I've been using different firewall products, and it has always given a "pass" result showing all ports in stealth mode. This is the first time I've tried it since I started using Bitdefender Total Security, and it gave a "failed" result, showing everything in stealth except for port 1024:

Is this anything to worry about or is Shields UP!! (and me!) being paranoid? If it's a problem, how do I make sure this port is in stealth mode?

In my Bitdefender firewall settings, port scan protection is on with no exceptions listed. Stealth mode is also on.

I'm still using Windows 10 if that makes a difference.

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Comments

Alexandru_BD

Hi,

I think this is not usually not something to worry about. What shieldsup is reporting is that port 1024 responded instead of being fully “stealthed.” In practice, that does not automatically mean the port is vulnerable or exposed in a dangerous way. On Windows systems, DCOM/RPC-related services can use dynamically assigned ports.
Also, shieldsup itself distinguishes between closed and stealth ports, basically a stealth port simply ignores probes, while a closed port replies that nothing is listening. Stealth can look nicer in a scan report, but a non-stealthed result does not by itself prove there is a security issue. Since you already have the firewall, port scan protection, and stealth mode enabled, the result you are seeing is most likely related to normal Windows networking behavior rather than a Bitdefender malfunction..

I think what matters most in this scenario is that the port should not show as openly listening to unsolicited Internet traffic for an unnecessary service, and your router and firewall should still be blocking unwanted inbound connections. Furthermore, there should be no manual port forwarding or firewall rule exposing that service externally. If you want extra peace of mind, check whether your router has any port-forwarding rules enabled and make sure the network profile is set appropriately, but in my humble opinion there is no immediate sign here of a security risk..

Regards

Anthony42

Thanks for your comprehensive reply, you've put my mind at rest.