GHSA-4rcq-jv2f-898j
LOWIncorrect Provision of Specified Functionality in qutebrowser
Blast Radius
qutebrowserReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects PyPI packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
Description
Description
After a certificate error was overridden by the user, qutebrowser displays the URL as yellow (colors.statusbar.url.warn.fg). However, when the affected website was subsequently loaded again, the URL was mistakenly displayed as green (colors.statusbar.url.success_https). While the user already has seen a certificate error prompt at this point (or set content.ssl_strict to false which is not recommended), this could still provide a false sense of security.
Affected versions and patches
All versions of qutebrowser are believed to be affected, though versions before v0.11.x couldn't be tested.
The issue is fixed in qutebrowser v1.11.1 (pending release) and v1.12.0 (unreleased). Backported patches for older versions are available, but no further releases are planned.
Mitigation
If you are unable to upgrade:
- Treat any host with a certificate exception as insecure, ignoring the URL color
- Or set
content.ssl_stricttoTrue(instead of'ask'), preventing certificate exceptions
References
- qutebrowser issue: https://github.com/qutebrowser/qutebrowser/issues/5403
- Fix (master branch): https://github.com/qutebrowser/qutebrowser/commit/021ab572a319ca3db5907a33a59774f502b3b975
- Related issue for KDE Falkon: https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=420902
- Related issue for eric6 Web Browser: https://tracker.die-offenbachs.homelinux.org/eric/issue328 (fixed in eric6 20.6)
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐍PyPI | qutebrowser | all versions | 1.11.1 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for qutebrowser. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update qutebrowser to 1.11.1 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-4rcq-jv2f-898j is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 pinpoints whether GHSA-4rcq-jv2f-898j is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.
Tailored to GHSA-4rcq-jv2f-898j. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-4rcq-jv2f-898j in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-4rcq-jv2f-898j across PyPI dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.