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Smart Security Premium & Webcam Access Notifications


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Windows 10 Pro 64-bit (1803)

Since the update to v11.2.63.0 everytime I boot my computer I receive a message stating that access was granted to my webcam; I know, I granted it!  Is there a way to stop the notifications?

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Made an account just to say this. The messages are getting *very* tiresome very quickly.

Can we get an additional setting under Webcam protection settings to limit its notifications??

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23 hours ago, Skier said:

Since the update to v11.2.63.0 everytime I boot my computer I receive a message stating that access was granted to my webcam; I know, I granted it!  Is there a way to stop the notifications?

Here's a write up on how to create web cam access rules: https://help.eset.com/eis/11.2/en-US/idh_config_webcam_rule_dlg.html

When you received the Eset alert about web cam access, did the "allow" option also give an option to create a permanent rule for the action? If so, that is your solution. After the rule is created, examine it to determine what process it is allowing access for. The process might not be one you want to give global allow access for.

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17 minutes ago, itman said:

Here's a write up on how to create web cam access rules: https://help.eset.com/eis/11.2/en-US/idh_config_webcam_rule_dlg.html

When you received the Eset alert about web cam access, did the "allow" option also give an option to create a permanent rule for the action? If so, that is your solution. After the rule is created, examine it to determine what process it is allowing access for. The process might not be one you want to give global allow access for.

I think you misunderstood the post.

Skier didn't have any problems creating webcam access rules, but was rather frustrated by the fact that ESET doesn't provide more granular ways to control notifications. At the current moment, whenever we use Windows Hello biometric webcam login, ESET would feel the need to bombard us with a message (upon every login, and re-login) about the authorized webcam access.

That's not just incredibly frustrating, unnecessary, but also can foreseeable prompt some users to simply disable ESET notifications altogether (amounting to an actual security risk).

 

 

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19 minutes ago, derek328 said:

Skier didn't have any problems creating webcam access rules, but was rather frustrated by the fact that ESET doesn't provide more granular ways to control notifications.

His quoted posting is he granted access.

Quote

Since the update to v11.2.63.0 everytime I boot my computer I receive a message stating that access was granted to my webcam; I know, I granted it! 

No where does he state he created an allow rule for it.

I don't have a web cam attached, so I can't test. I assumed this feature is no different than any other Eset protection feature in that clicking on the "allow" button within the alert amounts to a one time allow action. Normally, the alert has to manually expanded to create a permanent rule for the action selected.

 

Edited by itman
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4 minutes ago, itman said:

His quoted posting is he granted access. No where does he state he created an allow rule for it.

I don't have a web cam attached, so I can't test. I assumed this feature is no different than any other Eset protection feature in that clicking on the "allow" button within the alert amounts to a one time allow action. Normally, the alert has to manually expanded to create a permanent rule for the action selected.

 

Unfortunately, even if a rule is created (as is my case), ESET will still give repeated "webcam access granted" prompts which is just bad design. Wishing there's a bit more we can do about the specific prompts we receive / block out.

Edited by derek328
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3 minutes ago, derek328 said:

Unfortunately, even if a rule is created (as is my case), ESET will still give repeated "webcam access granted" prompts which is just bad design.

The rule section is application; i.e. process, specific. If multiple apps try to access the webcam, a rule has to be created for each one.

If any alert is being generated for an app for which a previous allow rule was created, then that is a bug. 

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To be clear, I have setup 3 rules permitting webcam access: 2 for Skype and 1 for the Logitech software - it's a Logitech HD webcam.  Regardless of the rules, I receive an alert on every boot.  At this point I choose to live with it rather than disabling Webcam Notifications but it needs correcting.

Edited by Skier
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48 minutes ago, Skier said:

To be clear, I have setup 3 rules permitting webcam access: 2 for Skype and 1 for the Logitech software - it's a Logitech HD webcam.  Regardless of the rules, I receive an alert on every boot.  At this point I choose to live with it rather than disabling Webcam Notifications but it needs correcting.

Try manually adding an allow rule for C:\Windows\System32\svchost.exe. I know that Skype runs as a Win service and I suspect also your Logitec software; i.e. as a driver.

I suspect the Eset Webcam rule feature suffers from the same issue the HIPS has in that you cannot create rules for specific Win services.

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15 hours ago, itman said:

Try manually adding an allow rule for C:\Windows\System32\svchost.exe. I know that Skype runs as a Win service and I suspect also your Logitec software; i.e. as a driver.

I suspect the Eset Webcam rule feature suffers from the same issue the HIPS has in that you cannot create rules for specific Win services.

As far as I can see there's no facility to manually add a rule to the Webcam Protection.  

I only use Skype for Desktop and the executable is C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Skype for Desktop\Skype.exe  (I have deleted the second Skype rule).

The Logitech executable is C:\Program Files (x86)\Logitech\LWS\Webcam Software\Launcher_Main.exe

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12 minutes ago, Skier said:

As far as I can see there's no facility to manually add a rule to the Webcam Protection.  

Yeah, I just noticed that. Sorry for the mis-posting. There is also no capability to edit and existing rule.

The question to be determined is if the rules are only being ignored at boot time or if the same occurs after boot time.

If it only occurs at boot time, one possibility is the Eset Web Cam feature is not fully initialized. Suspect that the Eset GUI must be loaded and fully initialized for the Web Cam protection including rule processing to be fully functional. Also suspect that if Web Cam protection when fully functional sees a process is using the web cam, it will throw an alert regards of if an existing allow rule exists for the process. In other words, Eset Web Cam is only processing any existing rules at process startup time.

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The notification appears at boot and anytime the webcam is accessed by any program i.e. the Logitech software and Skype in my case.  To my mind if the webcam is accessed by a program that has been granted permission and a rule created reflecting this, then the notification shouldn't be shown.  It's not a big deal but is annoying.

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23 hours ago, Skier said:

The notification appears at boot and anytime the webcam is accessed by any program i.e. the Logitech software and Skype in my case.  To my mind if the webcam is accessed by a program that has been granted permission and a rule created reflecting this, then the notification shouldn't be shown.  It's not a big deal but is annoying.

Exactly my sentiment as well.

If I've already created a rule allowing Skype for calls, or Windows 10 biometrics (Windows Hello) to use my webcam for login verification, I don't need ESET to notify me every time they access my webcam anymore.

Seeing ESET's popup about authorized webcam access at every login (telling me it has authorized Windows Hello to use my webcam) is insanely annoying.

Edited by derek328
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46 minutes ago, derek328 said:

Seeing ESET's popup about authorized webcam access at every login (telling me it has authorized Windows Hello to use my webcam) is insanely annoying.

Appears Eset needs to add an option in User Interface -> Application Statuses -> Webcam Protection not to display the access alert for allowed processes. This appears to be the simplest way to do this since there presently is no editing capability for Web Cam rules.

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1 minute ago, itman said:

Appears Eset needs to add an option in User Interface -> Application Statuses -> Webcam Protection not to display the access alert for allowed processes. This appears to be the simplest way to do this since there presently is no editing capability for Web Cam rules.


Fully agreed. Any chance we can get this implemented by the product UI team, @Marcos?

It would certainly be worthwhile, especially since the currently non-discriminant notification design could foreseeably prompt most users (like us here) to simply disable ESET notifications altogether (amounting to an actual security risk).

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Hi Marcos, many thanks for the suggestion. That appears to have worked though I’ve not yet looked in detail at what that change in Windows settings really means and what implications it may have.

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Marcos's solution works aside from the notification at boot that I still receive.  I have Skype start (minimised) with Windows and it is a notification that Skype has been allowed access that I receive at boot up.

 

ETA: My statement above was not correct.  I am now receiving notifications whenever the webcam is accessed by either Skype or the Logitech software, (and at boot up from Skype).

Edited by Skier
To correct an incorrect statement.
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This is definitely new since the last update (11.2.63.0) on Windows 10 and the trick with the Privacy in Windows only works for things that use the feedback hub and use the webcam. I presume it's not supposed to notify every single time something accesses it, it's got confused with the setting that asks you permission each time. I have tried and there is no way to make it a rule so it doesn't notify again.

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The "issue" is being investigated. The reason why this started after upgrade to v11.2.63 is that in previous versions Webcam protection didn't work with Windows 10 RS4/RS5 due to internal changes in Windows.

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It might be useful to have a look into the discussion on the same topic on the Microsoft forum at:

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-hardware/device-census/62ef3c01-56fe-41ec-a4bc-72f295e27b98

page 4 bottom, contribution by Varelse.

It seems that Microsoft schedules from time to time a search into the use of the camera, independent from any setting of the apps that can use it. These actions of the program DeviceCensus (in Windows32) are monitored by the Eset Internet Security and pop up every time. So any rule regarding Skype or whatever other application will not prevent the popping up.

 

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