Author Topic: An application is requesting access to a protected item  (Read 9322 times)

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An application is requesting access to a protected item
« on: January 31, 2017, 08:59:50 PM »
For the past few days I have been getting a popup that says, "An application is requesting access to a protected item".

It happened first when using Firefox, but did not show up when I used Chrome, but a few days later it began to appear when I start Chrome too.

The dialogue window has 3 buttons "accept/allow" , "cancel" and "details".

Obviously I have not clicked "allow" because I don't know what this is or even what item is being requested to open.

If I click "cancel" or "x" to close, the dialogue box does not disappear. It just continuously reappears with a slightly different name in the "details-description" window.

If I click on "details", the new window says:

- "Program" C:\Archivos de programa\AVAST Software\Avast\AvastSvc.exe

- "Description" (THIS CHANGES EVERY TIME)

- "Type of Access" Access to a protected item


Some of the variations of the "descriptions" are here in the following screenshots:



Can anyone tell me what this is or how I can find out what the "protected item" is in the first place?

Edit: I don't seem to be able to post screenshots.


Offline Asyn

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Re: An application is requesting access to a protected item
« Reply #1 on: February 01, 2017, 07:44:51 AM »
Edit: I don't seem to be able to post screenshots.
If you reply here you'll find the option below the text box -> "Attachments and other options"
W8.1 [x64] - Avast Free AV 23.3.8047.BC [UI.757] - Firefox ESR 102.9 [NS/uBO/PB] - Thunderbird 102.9.1
Avast-Tools: Secure Browser 109.0 - Cleanup 23.1 - SecureLine 5.18 - DriverUpdater 23.1 - CCleaner 6.01
Avast Wissenswertes (Downloads, Anleitungen & Infos): https://forum.avast.com/index.php?topic=60523.0

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Re: An application is requesting access to a protected item
« Reply #2 on: February 01, 2017, 09:46:15 PM »
Thanks Asyn.

Here are some examples of the variations of text in the "details->description" sections.




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Re: An application is requesting access to a protected item
« Reply #3 on: February 01, 2017, 09:55:59 PM »
Here are some more:


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Re: An application is requesting access to a protected item
« Reply #4 on: February 01, 2017, 09:56:49 PM »
And here are some more:



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Re: An application is requesting access to a protected item
« Reply #6 on: February 06, 2017, 02:35:15 AM »
I'm pretty sure that I don't want to disable this or "suppress" this notification. That would not fix the underlying problem and would probably cause even bigger problems.

Honestly, that link is terrible advice. The person in that thread was creating a self-signed certificate and using it to encrypt data.

I am getting this notification when I open a web browser. Those are not the same things at all.

Did you even read your own link Eddy? Or are you just a scraper bot?

What I want to know is:

1. If this is actually Avast that is requesting access to the  protected item (this seems unlikely given that the "details/description" changes every time I click "cancel" or "x" to close).

2. What exactly is the "protected item" that is being requested access to.

Offline Michael (alan1998)

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Re: An application is requesting access to a protected item
« Reply #7 on: February 06, 2017, 02:51:11 AM »
Are you using Windows XP?

I just have to ask, it's been unsupported for a while now. Will get back to you on your question, I'm still trying to understand it.

That is Avast's Install location. The description is off. Is Avast! attempting to scan something?

The first 3 Screenshots you posted are Avast! attempting to connect to it's servers. Though, it should not require a password.

The other ones are weird. I've reported this thread to the mods, it should garner attention as to why Avast! is asking for it's own password.
« Last Edit: February 06, 2017, 02:56:23 AM by Michael (alan1998) »
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Security is a mindset, not an application. Think BEFORE you click.

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Re: An application is requesting access to a protected item
« Reply #8 on: February 08, 2017, 11:18:38 PM »
Hi Michael, yes, this PC is still running XP.

Offline Michael (alan1998)

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Re: An application is requesting access to a protected item
« Reply #9 on: February 09, 2017, 06:50:31 PM »
OK, may I recommend you search for a newer OS, like Linux or something. Windows XP is a very vulnerable OS, with no further updates being pushed to the OS.

Ubuntu would be a good place to Start: https://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop

As for Avast!'s "odd behaviour", is it still continuing? Is Avast! attempting to scan something on your drive? Any other symptoms? (Eg: Slow, Avast! becoming disabled etc).

Cheers,
Michael
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Security is a mindset, not an application. Think BEFORE you click.

Offline bob3160

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Re: An application is requesting access to a protected item
« Reply #10 on: February 09, 2017, 07:41:26 PM »
Michael offered good advice. If you insist on keeping XP then at least
take a look at the following:
http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/windows_xp_service_pack_4_unofficial.html
Free Security Seminar: https://bit.ly/bobg2023  -  Important: http://www.organdonor.gov/ -- My Web Site: http://bob3160.strikingly.com/ - Win 11 Pro v22H2 64bit, 16 Gig Ram, 1TB SSD, Avast Free 23.5.6066, How to Successfully Install Avast http://goo.gl/VLXdeRepair & Clean Install https://goo.gl/t7aJGq -- My Online Activity https://bit.ly/BobGInternet

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Re: An application is requesting access to a protected item
« Reply #11 on: February 11, 2017, 02:47:37 AM »
Hello again Michael,

Yes, the odd behavior still continues. The "Avast" request happens whenever a browser icon is clicked.

I'm not sure if Avast is trying to scan something on my drive. How would I find out if that was happening? How do Idetermine what item is being requested access to?

Furthermore, this PC cannot currently update Chrome or Java and Zone Alarm does not fully install and consistently posts notices that "the program cannot update, please uninstall and reinstall" even though the manual update button seems to work (I know this is not your area of concern but I thought it might be worth mentioning).

Also, for a while in the past week, when I visited a weather forecast website for my area, the page showed weather in Moscow, Russia. I know that those weather websites track by IP. I don't live in Russia.

Funny you should mention Ubuntu, I was doing searches into switching over to Ubuntu just before all this started.

Cheers,
Stephen

Addendum: Just want to say that while XP in officially unsupported by Microsoft, many security companies including Avast, continue to offer services and solutions for XP users. At the time of writing, there is a specific redirect from the Avast webpage for XP users.

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Re: An application is requesting access to a protected item
« Reply #12 on: January 15, 2018, 11:58:54 PM »
Anyone having this pop-up problem in Windows XP with Avast, try this:

Avast > Settings > Components > SafePrice Browser Extension:  Uninstall (you can always reinstall it here too)

These seems to have worked for me.

Otherwise, try:
Avast > Settings > Components > Wi-Fi Inspector:  Uninstall (you can always reinstall it here too)

Report back on your results  :)

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Re: An application is requesting access to a protected item
« Reply #13 on: January 23, 2018, 01:32:02 AM »
Disabling the AVAST "SafePrice Browser Extension" and "Wi-Fi Inspector"components did not work.
The error message "An application is requesting access to a protected item" continues to stay on the
screen until reboot.  The message was in 'gibberish' text in my UTF-8 XP computer.

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Re: An application is requesting access to a protected item
« Reply #14 on: January 23, 2018, 01:42:43 AM »
I'm using Chrome & FireFox.  What browser(s) are you using ?

Did you try a reboot after making the changes in Avast?

My pop-ups used to have several option-buttons, one of which was "Cancel".  I could keep clicking on "Cancel" repeatedly until the  pop up went away.