PacketHound gives Windows an ask-first outbound firewall without a kernel driver
Released November 6th, PacketHound 1.2.0 prompts about unfamiliar outbound connections and writes Windows Firewall rules without a kernel driver.
By RuntimeWire Staff · Published
Primary source: Hacker News
Why it matters
Windows allows outbound traffic by default, so telemetry, updaters and malware downloaders all leave through the same open door until a user writes rules by hand. PacketHound packages that missing consent step into a prompt, keeps the resulting rules visible inside Windows Firewall, and publishes the source under GPL v3.
PacketHound 1.2.0, released on November 6th, 2026, turns Windows Firewall into an ask-first outbound firewall: when a third-party app without a rule tries to connect, PacketHound shows the app, its publisher, the destination and the port, then asks the user to allow or block it. The PacketHound download page lists version 1.2.0 alongside versions 1.1.0 on November 6th, 2026 and 1.0.0 on November 5th, 2026, a rapid opening sequence for a security tool that asks for administrator rights and control over firewall policy.…
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