CVE-2026-118598
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
Statement
This issue is rated Moderate. Exploitation requires the user to visit a malicious website and explicitly approve a clipboard or website-data-access permission dialog. That action silently also grants camera and microphone permission for the origin, so confidentiality impact can be high, but there is no integrity or availability impact and no privilege escalation beyond what the browser process already has. The need for deliberate user interaction keeps the overall severity at Moderate.
Mitigation
Do not approve Clipboard or Website Data Access prompts on untrusted sites. Review and revoke camera and microphone site permissions in Epiphany (site permissions / privacy settings) for any origin where those prompts were accepted. Prefer browsing untrusted content with media devices disconnected or disabled at the OS level. Upgrade to a fixed Epiphany build containing MR !2249 / commit 480c3648 when available for your stream.
Acknowledgements
Red Hat would like to thank Fernando Munoz for reporting this issue.
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