CVE-2026-66298
Received Received - Intake

Origin Validation Error in Livebook Allows Session-Wide Keystroke Hijacking

Vulnerability report for CVE-2026-66298, including description, CVSS score, EPSS score, affected products, exploitability, helpful resources, and attack-flow context.

Publication date: 2026-08-05

Last updated on: 2026-08-05

Assigner: EEF

Description

Origin Validation Error vulnerability in livebook-dev livebook allows untrusted notebook output JavaScript to trigger session-wide keyboard shortcuts, including forced evaluation of all cells and runtime restart. Livebook's JS-view feature renders notebook-defined JavaScript inside a sandboxed, cross-origin iframe specifically because that JavaScript is untrusted. The trusted iframe shell in iframe/priv/static/iframe/v5.html forwards every keydown event fired in its own window to the parent page without consulting Event.isTrusted, so an event synthesized by the untrusted script through window.dispatchEvent is forwarded exactly as a genuine keystroke would be. The parent-side relay in assets/js/hooks/js_view.js reconstructs and re-dispatches it on the live page with no further validation, and because assets/js/hooks/session.js registers the global shortcut handler on the document in the capture phase, that handler acts on the replicated event regardless of how it was produced. Sandboxed output JavaScript can therefore drive Livebook's session-wide keyboard shortcuts. Two of them reach LivebookWeb.SessionLive and execute immediately with no confirmation: the shortcut for queueing full evaluation runs every cell in the notebook, and the shortcut for reconnecting the runtime disconnects and reconnects it, discarding in-memory state. A third shortcut deletes the focused cell behind a confirmation dialog that the user can permanently dismiss, after which it too executes silently. Forced full evaluation is the significant consequence, because it causes the notebook's own Elixir code to run without the user choosing to evaluate anything. A user who merely opens a notebook obtained from a third party, or reached from published documentation, can have its code executed on their runtime. Livebook also mirrors cell outputs to every connected client, so a malicious output triggers in a collaborator's browser as soon as it renders. This issue affects livebook: from 0.5.0 before 0.18.7 and from 0.19.0 before 0.19.9.

CVSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published
2026-08-05
Last Modified
2026-08-05
Generated
2026-08-06
AI Q&A
2026-08-05
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
EUVD

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 4 associated CPEs
Vendor Product Version / Range
livebook livebook to 0.18.7 (exc)
livebook livebook to 0.19.9 (exc)
livebook-dev livebook to 0.18.7 (exc)
livebook-dev livebook to 0.19.9 (exc)

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-346 The product does not properly verify that the source of data or communication is valid.

Attack-Flow Graph

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Executive Summary

This vulnerability is an Origin Validation Error in Livebook that allows untrusted notebook output JavaScript to trigger session-wide keyboard shortcuts. The trusted iframe shell forwards keydown events from untrusted scripts without validating their origin, enabling malicious JavaScript to execute commands like forcing all cells to evaluate or restarting the runtime.

Detection Guidance

To detect this vulnerability, check Livebook versions for affected releases (0.5.0 to <0.18.7 and 0.19.0 to <0.19.9). Use commands like 'livebook version' or inspect package metadata. Monitor for unexpected cell evaluations or runtime restarts without user input.

Impact Analysis

If you open a notebook from an untrusted source, the malicious JavaScript in the notebook output can execute commands on your Livebook session without your consent. This includes running all cells automatically, restarting the runtime (losing in-memory state), or deleting cells after bypassing confirmation prompts. It also affects collaborators by triggering actions in their browsers when outputs render.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability could lead to unauthorized code execution in a user's runtime environment, potentially exposing sensitive data processed in Livebook notebooks. This may violate GDPR's integrity and confidentiality principles if personal data is involved, and HIPAA's security requirements for protected health information if medical data is processed.

Mitigation Strategies

Upgrade Livebook to a patched version (0.18.7, 0.19.9, or later) to address the origin validation error in the JS-view feature.

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