When we ran uTorrent through the Virustotal scan many red flags appeared but qBitTorrent is pretty much clean. Also, Windows Defender classifies PUAs as a ‘severe threat’. Microsoft’s article stresses that unwanted software isn’t the same as malware, but that isn’t mentioned in its own malware encyclopedia. The article suggests that it applies to “enterprise” only, but the complaints we have seen apply to other Windows versions as well. In a background article on what’s considered unwanted software, torrent clients are specifically mentioned, along with advertising software and cryptominers. In fact, Microsoft itself suggests as much. This is not unlikely as many other torrent clients are being flagged as unwanted software as well. until the next restart.”Īnother commenter wonders whether this is an organized action against torrent clients. “After allowing the quarantined software, qBittorrent works…. “Windows Defender keeps silently removing the software despite being explicitly allowed on the machine,” athelas64 writes. This has resulted in numerous complaints on Reddit as well as the qBitTorrent GitHub page, with people sharing similar experiences. While it’s not malware, but a PUA, Windows Defender actively blocks and removes the software. Earlier this month qBitTorrent was added to Microsoft’s malware database as well. Interestingly, uTorrent isn’t the only torrent client being flagged as potentially unwanted software. Several of these complaints appear on social media as well, with people looking for advice. We have heard from several people who had uTorrent removed from their systems recently, and are unable to re-install it. That doesn’t mean that the impact isn’t real. According to Microsoft, this is not the same as malware. The term unwanted is broad can range from changing browser settings to installing third-party tools without permission. While the exact nature of the problem may vary, “potentially unwanted software” is a recurring theme. In fact, the company has had a dedicated uTorrent page in its malware database for years, labeling the software as a severe threat. Microsoft, for example, categorizes uTorrent as a “Potentially Unwanted Application” (PUA). The reasons differ from “riskware,” through “Trojan.BtcMine,” to “bundled installer.” We ran the latest installer through a Virustotal scan which shows that uTorrent is flagged by 19 separate companies. This issue flared up again recently and at the time of writing several anti-virus tools, including Windows Defender and Malwarebytes, label the torrent client as dangerous. Over the past few years, uTorrent has been repeatedly flagged as ‘malicious’ software. That is, if they manage to run it without anti-virus vendors getting in the way. For now, however, most users still prefer the standalone client. In 2018, the uTorrent team released a “Web” version of the software. Research last year showed that roughly two-thirds of all BitTorrent users prefer it over the many available alternatives. Installed on dozens of millions of devices, uTorrent remains the go-to torrent client for people all around the world.
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