Tabs API is usable without tabs permission.

chrome/browser/extensions/menu_manager.cc

 // Copyright (c) 2012 The Chromium Authors. All rights reserved.
 // Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style license that can be
 // found in the LICENSE file.
 
 #include "chrome/browser/extensions/menu_manager.h"
 
 #include <algorithm>
 
 #include "base/json/json_writer.h"
 #include "base/logging.h"
@@ skipping 625 matching lines @@
     properties->SetString("selectionText", params.selection_text);
 
   properties->SetBoolean("editable", params.is_editable);
 
   args->Append(properties);
 
   // Add the tab info to the argument list.
   // No tab info in a platform app.
   if (!extension || !extension->is_platform_app()) {
     // Note: web_contents only NULL in unit tests :(
-    if (web_contents)
-      args->Append(ExtensionTabUtil::CreateTabValue(web_contents));
+    if (web_contents && extension)
+      args->Append(ExtensionTabUtil::CreateTabValue(web_contents, extension));
     else
       args->Append(new DictionaryValue());
   }
 
   if (item->type() == MenuItem::CHECKBOX ||
       item->type() == MenuItem::RADIO) {
     bool was_checked = item->checked();
     properties->SetBoolean("wasChecked", was_checked);
 
     // RADIO items always get set to true when you click on them, but CHECKBOX
@@ skipping 183 matching lines @@
       if (uid < other.uid)
         return true;
       if (uid == other.uid)
         return string_uid < other.string_uid;
     }
   }
   return false;
 }
 
 }  // namespace extensions