Chromium Browsers: Pages open the clipboard without being prompted

Many users use their computer’s clipboard to quickly transfer content from one app to another. Sensitive information is often also stored. In combination with Chromium browsers, pages can read the data unsolicited.

There is no mechanism in the browsers that prevents access to the clipboard without the user’s prior consent. This gives site operators the ability to cache content. As Ghacks is noticed, that is from the side webplatform.news demonstrated. After the page is called up, there is text in the tray indicating the problem. In addition, on the GitHub page describing the potential vulnerability.

Firefox and Safari require interaction

All browsers based on the Chromium engine are currently affected by the issue. This includes not only Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge, but also Opera and Vivaldi. Firefox and Safari, on the other hand, do not allow websites to access the clipboard without permission. The programs offered by Mozilla and Apple require user interaction so that data can be written to the cache.

For example, the user must select text or press the “Ctrl + C” key combination to make the browser save content. There was also a limitation in Chromium browsers. However, the mechanism has been removed, so they are no longer used in the current versions. A post on the Chromium page reveals that security has prevented Google Doodles from being shared in new tabs. It’s unclear if and when a patch will be released to fix both issues.