This PowerShell script searches for all `.exe` (executable) files in...

This PowerShell script searches for all .exe (executable) files in a specified drive and creates Windows Firewall rules to block their outbound network connections. Here’s a step-by-step explanation of what the code does:

1. Define the drive path:

   $drivePath = "E:\"
   

   • The variable $drivePath is set to "E:\", which means the script will operate on the E: drive. You can adjust this to the specific drive or folder you want to target.

2. Retrieve all .exe files:

   $exeFiles = Get-ChildItem -Path $drivePath -Recurse -Include *.exe
   

   • The Get-ChildItem command (similar to ls or dir in other systems) recursively (-Recurse) searches for all files ending with .exe (-Include *.exe) starting from the root of the E: drive and stores the list of files in the $exeFiles variable.

3. Iterate over each .exe file:

   foreach ($exe in $exeFiles) {
   

   • The foreach loop iterates over each .exe file found in the previous step.

4. Create a firewall rule for each .exe:

   New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Block_$($exe.Name)" -Direction Outbound -Program $exe.FullName -Action Block
   

   • Inside the loop:
     • The New-NetFirewallRule command is used to create a new Windows Firewall rule.
     • Each rule is named Block_<exe_name> (e.g., Block_example.exe) using the -DisplayName parameter.
     • The -Direction Outbound parameter specifies that the rule applies to outbound connections initiated by the .exe file.
     • The -Program $exe.FullName parameter specifies the full path of the .exe file for which the rule applies.
     • The -Action Block parameter sets the rule to block traffic.

Summary:

This script creates firewall rules to block outbound network connections for every .exe file found on the E: drive. It’s commonly used for security purposes to prevent certain executables from accessing the network. Be cautious when running such scripts to ensure you're not unintentionally blocking critical programs.