Avast Free Antivirus has pop-ups telling me I have 75 unprotected passwords on my PC. Should I be worried?

[mrmike16]

I am not only asking if I should be worried about having unprotected passwords (although that is a concern as well), I am also asking if I should be worried that Avast even knows this. I never signed up for their password protection.

Windows 10, 16 GB RAM, 1TB HDD, 500 GB SSD, Firefox, Edge, and Opera (Main browser is Opera)

 

[jetfighter545]

This forum with the same question links to this FAQ site which says how to disable certain components of the antivirus. Avast is a very trusted software though, and if avast can find the passwords, malware can. Perhaps follow avast's instructions on how to get rid of/hide these passwords?
I imagine that the passwords would be stored in browser data, it should be easy to clear. I use an encrypted drive with a text file of my passwords to remember them. The encrypted drive is also protected with a password though

 

[mrmike16]

This forum with the same question links to this FAQ site which says how to disable certain components of the antivirus. Avast is a very trusted software though, and if avast can find the passwords, malware can. Perhaps follow avast's instructions on how to get rid of/hide these passwords?
I imagine that the passwords would be stored in browser data, it should be easy to clear. I use an encrypted drive with a text file of my passwords to remember them. The encrypted drive is also protected with a password though

What Avast wants me to do is buy their services to protect them. They are stored in Opera and Firefox and protected by having me type my Windows password in if I wanted to see them. I also have my other passwords in an encrypted Word file- hopefully that one is safe.

 

[jetfighter545]

I see. I had a hunch that it was a premium service. If you have an encrypted word file there isn't much need for your browser passwords. Perhaps delete the really important passwords stored on the browser for security reasons. Assuming your passwords aren't all the same, that is.

 

[mrmike16]

Browser stored passwords save me tons of time, though...

 

[USAFRet]

Browser stored passwords save me tons of time, though...

If your browser can use them
and if Avast can find them
....other things can find them as well.

Paying Avast to 'fix' this is not the problem.
That applications other than your browser can find them is the problem.

 

[mrmike16]

Browser stored passwords save me tons of time, though...

If your browser can use them
and if Avast can find them
....other things can find them as well.

Paying Avast to 'fix' this is not the problem.
That applications other than your browser can find them is the problem.

So any application can see how many passwords I have stored, but they cannot see what they are since that would require my Windows login, correct?

 

[USAFRet]

Browser stored passwords save me tons of time, though...

If your browser can use them
and if Avast can find them
....other things can find them as well.

Paying Avast to 'fix' this is not the problem.
That applications other than your browser can find them is the problem.

So any application can see how many passwords I have stored, but they cannot see what they are since that would require my Windows login, correct?

Not 'any' application.
But malware specifically written to read into the browser storage, maybe.
If it can count them, it can probably read them.

If you are logged in as you, and there is some malware running that can read that browser store....
It could read your passwords, and the associated sites.