Incorrect Provision of Specified Functionality in qutebrowser
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 software
Click a technology to see all vulnerabilities affecting it.
| Platform | Package | Vulnerable versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Python (PyPI) | qutebrowser | < 1.11.1 | 1.11.1 |
References
- https://github.com/qutebrowser/qutebrowser/commit/19f01bb42d02da539446a52a25bb0c1232b86327
- https://github.com/qutebrowser/qutebrowser/commit/4020210b193f77cf1785b21717f6ef7c5de5f0f8
- https://github.com/qutebrowser/qutebrowser/commit/a45ca9c788f648d10cccce2af41405bf25ee2948
- https://github.com/qutebrowser/qutebrowser/commit/021ab572a319ca3db5907a33a59774f502b3b975
- https://github.com/qutebrowser/qutebrowser/commit/d28ed758d077a5bf19ddac4da468f7224114df23
- https://github.com/qutebrowser/qutebrowser/commit/6821c236f9ae23adf21d46ce0d56768ac8d0c467
- https://github.com/qutebrowser/qutebrowser/commit/9bd1cf585fccdfe8318fff7af793730e74a04db3
- https://tracker.die-offenbachs.homelinux.org/eric/issue328
- https://github.com/qutebrowser/qutebrowser/security/advisories/GHSA-4rcq-jv2f-898j
- https://github.com/qutebrowser/qutebrowser/commit/f5d801251aa5436aff44660c87d7013e29ac5864
- https://github.com/qutebrowser/qutebrowser/commit/2281a205c3e70ec20f35ec8fafecee0d5c4f3478
- https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=420902
- https://github.com/qutebrowser/qutebrowser/issues/5403
- https://github.com/qutebrowser/qutebrowser/commit/1b7946ed14b386a24db050f2d6dba81ba6518755
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/7YWJ5QNHXKTGG5NLV7EGEOKPBVZBA5GS/
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/MKAZOOTJ2MBHTYVYQQ52NL53F5CB2XAP/
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-11054
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/MKAZOOTJ2MBHTYVYQQ52NL53F5CB2XAP
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/7YWJ5QNHXKTGG5NLV7EGEOKPBVZBA5GS
- https://github.com/qutebrowser/qutebrowser
- https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/qutebrowser/PYSEC-2020-97.yaml
- CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N- Weakness (CWE)
CWE-684- Platform
- Python (PyPI)
- Package
qutebrowser- Disclosed
- 07.05.2020
- Updated
- 11.10.2026 15:17
Sources and licenses
OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - PYSEC-2020-97 - PyPA Advisory Database; CC BY 4.0
OSV / GitHub Advisory Database - GHSA-4rcq-jv2f-898j - CC BY 4.0
Vulnerability history: qutebrowser
All published vulnerabilities of this package (Python (PyPI)), newest first. Shows whether this is a one-off slip or a package that needs watching.
- Total entries
- 4
- First → latest
- 06.2018 10.2021
- Without a fix
- 0
- Exploited in attacks
- 0
Severity breakdown
- High 2
- Medium 1
- Low 1
Disclosures per year
- 2018: 2
- 2019: 0
- 2020: 1
- 2021: 1
- 2022: 0
- 2023: 0
- 2024: 0
- 2025: 0
- 2026: 0
-
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