Summary
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)
Impact
CVE-2020-11054 has a CVSS score of 3.5 (Low). The vector is network-reachable, low privileges required, and user interaction required. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (1.11.1); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2020-11054? CVE-2020-11054 is a low-severity security vulnerability in qutebrowser (pip), affecting versions < 1.11.1. It is fixed in 1.11.1.
- How severe is CVE-2020-11054? CVE-2020-11054 has a CVSS score of 3.5 (Low). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Which versions of qutebrowser are affected by CVE-2020-11054? qutebrowser (pip) versions < 1.11.1 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2020-11054? Yes. CVE-2020-11054 is fixed in 1.11.1. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2020-11054 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2020-11054 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2020-11054 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix CVE-2020-11054? Upgrade
qutebrowserto 1.11.1 or later.