Potential Malware Disguised as Avira Password Manager

Hello Avira Community,

I’m reaching out for guidance on a critical issue that seems to involve the Avira Password Manager extension or potentially malware posing as it on my laptop. I’ve noticed some unusual system behaviors that may be connected to this extension, even though I never installed it and it doesn't appear in my Edge browser extensions.

Symptoms I'm Experiencing:

1. Constant Disk Space Reduction: My C drive’s space is steadily decreasing without any downloads or installations, which suggests hidden files or background processes are involved.

2. Unwanted Browser Activity: Microsoft Edge has been automatically opening random pages, even when I’m not actively using the browser.

3. Identification of Avira Extension in System Files: I reviewed my system files and found that a manifest.json file in a suspected extension folder lists the name Avira Password Manager. Despite not appearing in my browser, this extension seems to be active on my system, potentially contributing to these issues.

Given these symptoms, I’m concerned that this could be malware disguised as Avira Password Manager. Could anyone provide advice on:

• How to confirm if this is Avira software or a possible impostor?
• Steps for safely removing or disabling any related files or processes.
• Recommended Avira or third-party tools that could help identify and remove any unauthorized files.

Any help or similar experiences shared would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for the support!

Note: I have never installed anything related to Avira by  mistake and I checked my installed programs list on my pc and there is no Avira software installed