CVE-2026-118599
epiphany: TAR-based .xpi with hard links can overwrite user files during WebExtension install
Description
A file overwrite vulnerability exists in Epiphany when installing WebExtension packages from .xpi files. In src/webextension/ephy-web-extension-manager.c, decompress_xpi_thread() used libarchive with archive_read_support_format_all() (and filters), so the installer did not require a real ZIP. A TAR file named *.xpi was extracted. TAR supports hard-link entry types; with Epiphany's archive_write_disk options (including ARCHIVE_EXTRACT_PERM), a crafted hard-link target can cause an attacker-chosen existing user-writable file to be truncated and overwritten with attacker-controlled content and mode bits, without a dedicated warning dialog, when the user installs or opens the crafted .xpi. This is related to but separate from the ZIP-slip path traversal fixed as CVE-2026-77679 (#2922 / MR !2143). Requirements: the victim must install or open a malicious WebExtension (.xpi). Affected: Epiphany >= 47.0 (WebExtension XPI install path). Fixed: https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/epiphany/-/merge_requests/2248 (commit 0cc9ab55 — only enable ZIP format support). Upstream: https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/epiphany/-/work_items/2988 Reporter acknowledgment: Fernando Munoz
INFO
Published Date :
Oct. 31, 2026, 10:16 a.m.
Last Modified :
Oct. 31, 2026, 10:16 a.m.
Remotely Exploit :
No
Source :
[email protected]
CVSS Scores
| Score | Version | Severity | Vector | Exploitability Score | Impact Score | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | MEDIUM | 92fb86c3-55a5-4fb5-9c3f-4757b9e96dc5 | ||||
| CVSS 3.1 | MEDIUM | MITRE-CVE | ||||
| CVSS 3.1 | MEDIUM | [email protected] |
Solution
- Update Epiphany to version with commit 0cc9ab55.
- Ensure XPI installs only use ZIP format.
- Avoid installing extensions from untrusted sources.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth
information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to
CVE-2026-118599.
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-118599 is
associated with the following CWEs:
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification
(CAPEC)
stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and
approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-118599
weaknesses.
We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).
Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.
The following list is the news that have been mention
CVE-2026-118599 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2026-118599 vulnerability over time.
Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.
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New CVE Received by [email protected]
Oct. 31, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Description A file overwrite vulnerability exists in Epiphany when installing WebExtension packages from .xpi files. In src/webextension/ephy-web-extension-manager.c, decompress_xpi_thread() used libarchive with archive_read_support_format_all() (and filters), so the installer did not require a real ZIP. A TAR file named *.xpi was extracted. TAR supports hard-link entry types; with Epiphany's archive_write_disk options (including ARCHIVE_EXTRACT_PERM), a crafted hard-link target can cause an attacker-chosen existing user-writable file to be truncated and overwritten with attacker-controlled content and mode bits, without a dedicated warning dialog, when the user installs or opens the crafted .xpi. This is related to but separate from the ZIP-slip path traversal fixed as CVE-2026-77679 (#2922 / MR !2143). Requirements: the victim must install or open a malicious WebExtension (.xpi). Affected: Epiphany >= 47.0 (WebExtension XPI install path). Fixed: https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/epiphany/-/merge_requests/2248 (commit 0cc9ab55 — only enable ZIP format support). Upstream: https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/epiphany/-/work_items/2988 Reporter acknowledgment: Fernando Munoz Added CVSS V3.1 AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N Added CWE CWE-59 Added Affected New affected value received. <a href="https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/blob/main/cves/2026/118xxx/CVE-2026-118599.json">CVE-2026-118599</a> Added Reference https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-118599 Added Reference https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2562969 Added Reference https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/epiphany/-/merge_requests/2248 Added Reference https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/epiphany/-/work_items/2988