Avast free browser accessing webcam warning

[AyEs]

Hi everyone,
Just found out that Avast free browser had accessed my webcam. I'm not sure how long it had been doing this. I have the setting set to ask before accessing but that didn't stop it.

To turn access off, I've used two settings:
1. Settings>Privacy>Camera (turned off "allow apps to access camera" and also turned "off allow desktop apps to access camera")
2. Settings>Apps (apps & features)>Camera>advanced settings and turned off "background apps".

I can't say which of these settings blocked access. But I had never turned any of these settings on and I am not sure what the default setting is and whether Avast free browser is able to override these settings. I also found my mic setting had been turned on and I know that last time I used it (a little over a week ago) I had turned it OFF. (Keyboard mic key was showing as off.)

I guess this is the price we pay for a free app!

Take care, beware, be aware

PS I don't have time to watch this forum. This is posted for your information.

[Asyn]

-> https://forum.avast.com/index.php?board=78.0

[AyEs]

Hello all,

After posting yesterday, I continued to have issues with the Camera app turning on (the camera light did not always show but a process was created and when I tried to open the Camera app, I got an error message saying it was already in use.) This occurred even when Avast browser was not running and even after using Task Manager to end the associated process. I have also run a Malwarebytes scan (twice) and no threats have been found.

This morning, I am unable to open Avast Browser in my regular log in. (I have two accounts on my laptop: 1 admin, 1 regular user). I suspect that the problem may have come from a website I visited yesterday that was using ActiveX popups. These popups were not being blocked by Avast Browser and no threats were detected nor warnings given.

Now I need assistance to restore my Avast Browser (for my regular user account) along with all the important bookmarks. Can anyone advise on how to proceed?. I will post a new thread for answers to this issue.

Thanks

[rocksteady]

I think you may be better off posting in the dedicated ASB product section, to which Asyn provided a link in his reply #1 above.
i.e. https://forum.avast.com/index.php?board=78.0

[AyEs]

copied here https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=263222.0