CVE-2026-118599: Epiphany · File Overwrite Vulnerability Exists
Affects epiphanySource GCVE Database
Mentioned vulnerabilities
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.5 Medium.
Data as of 31 Oct 2026, 13:37 UTC
Thin evidence
One scorer or none| CNA (fedora) | CVSS 3.1 | 5.5 |
|---|
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:NExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 31 Oct 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponized: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 30 Oct 2026.
What to do
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
Ubuntuubuntu/epiphanypkg:deb/ubuntu/epiphanyOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.
AI-suggested
Do not install WebExtensions (.xpi) from untrusted sources. Disable WebExtensions when not in use, as recent Epiphany versions can refuse installation when the feature is disabled. After any installation attempt from untrusted sources, inspect user files for unexpected modifications, such as shell startup files, autostart desktop entries, or SSH authorized_keys. Upgrade to a fixed Epiphany version containing the patch from merge request !2248 (commit 0cc9ab55) when it becomes available.
Description
A file overwrite vulnerability exists in Epiphany browser when installing WebExtension packages from .xpi files. The vulnerability arises because the installer accepts TAR archives disguised as .xpi files, which can contain hard-link entries. This allows an attacker to overwrite existing user-writable files without warning when the user installs or opens a crafted malicious .xpi file. The issue affects Epiphany versions 47.0 and later and has been fixed by restricting support to ZIP format only.
References
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-118599 (opens in a new tab)
- access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-118599 (opens in a new tab)
- bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2562969 (opens in a new tab)
- gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/epiphany/-/merge_requests/2248 (opens in a new tab)
- gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/epiphany/-/work_items/2988 (opens in a new tab)