How to create an Application Control exception or stop sysfer.dll injection into a process with Endpoint Protection

Products

• Endpoint Protection
• Endpoint Security

Issue/Introduction

The Symantec Endpoint Protection (SEP) and Symantec Endpoint Security (SES) Application Control feature relies on the injection of a DLL (sysfer.dll) into processes being launched on the machine. Some applications may be incompatible with this behavior. How can a particular process be excluded from Application Control monitoring with SEP/SES?

Resolution

Exception (or exclusion) policies can be created in the Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager (SEPM) under Policies - Exceptions:

• With SEP 14.x Application Control exceptions are created via: Add - Windows Exceptions - File - then check the Application Control checkbox.

 

Note: We can add a full path or .exe name as well for making an exception.

Exception (or exclusion) policies can be created in ICDm portal for SES clients under the Default Allow List Policy

• With SES Application Control Exceptions are created via: Excluded by Filename - Device Control or Excluded by Path - Device Control

 

Note: A reboot is necessary for the exclusions to apply.

 

To verify that the exception has been correctly implemented, the Microsoft Process Explorer tool can be used to check if sysfer.dll was injected inside the process.