A logic error in Epiphany's site permission handling can cause camera and microphone access to be granted when the user only approves a different permission.
In src/ephy-window.c, set_permission() stores the user's Allow/Deny choice after a WebKit permission dialog. Types CLIPBOARD and WEBSITE_DATA_ACCESS are not stored by ephy_permission_is_stored_by_permissions_manager(), so control fell into an else-if that was written as:
} else if (EPHY_PERMISSION_TYPE_ACCESS_WEBCAM_AND_MICROPHONE) {
Because that expression is a non-zero enum constant, the branch always ran for those types and wrote EPHY_PERMISSION_PERMIT for both ACCESS_WEBCAM and ACCESS_MICROPHONE for the site origin. The user only saw a Clipboard or Website Data Access dialog.
A malicious site that obtains approval for clipboard or third-party storage access can afterwards use getUserMedia without a further camera/microphone prompt, exposing audiovisual confidentiality.
Requirements: the victim must visit a malicious page and click Allow on a clipboard or website-data-access prompt.
Affected: Epiphany >= 45.0 (bug present at least through 51.x).
Fixed: https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/epiphany/-/merge_requests/2249 (commit 480c3648).
Upstream: https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/epiphany/-/work_items/2976
Reporter acknowledgment: Fernando Munoz

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History

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 00:30:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description A logic error in Epiphany's site permission handling can cause camera and microphone access to be granted when the user only approves a different permission. In src/ephy-window.c, set_permission() stores the user's Allow/Deny choice after a WebKit permission dialog. Types CLIPBOARD and WEBSITE_DATA_ACCESS are not stored by ephy_permission_is_stored_by_permissions_manager(), so control fell into an else-if that was written as: } else if (EPHY_PERMISSION_TYPE_ACCESS_WEBCAM_AND_MICROPHONE) { Because that expression is a non-zero enum constant, the branch always ran for those types and wrote EPHY_PERMISSION_PERMIT for both ACCESS_WEBCAM and ACCESS_MICROPHONE for the site origin. The user only saw a Clipboard or Website Data Access dialog. A malicious site that obtains approval for clipboard or third-party storage access can afterwards use getUserMedia without a further camera/microphone prompt, exposing audiovisual confidentiality. Requirements: the victim must visit a malicious page and click Allow on a clipboard or website-data-access prompt. Affected: Epiphany >= 45.0 (bug present at least through 51.x). Fixed: https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/epiphany/-/merge_requests/2249 (commit 480c3648). Upstream: https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/epiphany/-/work_items/2976 Reporter acknowledgment: Fernando Munoz
Title epiphany: epiphany: clipboard/website-data permission prompt incorrectly grants camera and microphone access
Weaknesses CWE-863
References
Metrics threat_severity

None

cvssV3_1

{'score': 6.5, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N'}

threat_severity

Moderate


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cve-icon MITRE

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cve-icon Vulnrichment

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cve-icon NVD

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cve-icon Redhat

Severity : Moderate

Publid Date: 2026-10-24T00:00:00Z

Links: CVE-2026-118598 - Bugzilla

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

Updated: 2026-10-30T01:45:04Z

Weaknesses