CVE-2026-26331
yt-dlp is a command-line audio/video downloader.
Published Feb 24, 2026 · updated Jun 17, 2026 · yt-dlp project yt-dlp
yt-dlp is a command-line audio/video downloader. Starting in version 2023.06.21 and prior to version 2026.02.21, when yt-dlp's command-line option (or Python API parameter) is used, an attacker could achieve arbitrary command injection on the user's system with a maliciously crafted URL. yt-dlp maintainers assume the impact of this vulnerability to be high for anyone who uses in their command/configuration or in their Python scripts. Even though the maliciously crafted URL itself will look very suspicious to many users, it would be trivial for a maliciously crafted webpage with an inconspicuous URL to covertly exploit this vulnerability via HTTP redirect. Users without in their arguments or in their scripts are unaffected. No evidence has been found of this exploit being used in the wild. yt-dlp version 2026.02.21 fixes this issue by validating all netrc "machine" values and raising an error upon unexpected input. As a workaround, users who are unable to upgrade should avoid using the command-line option (or Python API parameter), or they should at least not pass a placeholder ( ) in their argument.
Code
The project this record applies to. Exploit listings stay in References.
Timeline
Detection, updates, and resolution for this record.
Feb 24, 2026 · NIST NVD
Detected
yt-dlp is a command-line audio/video downloader. Starting in version 2023.06.21 and prior to version 2026.02.21, when yt-dlp's command-line option (or Python API parameter) is used, an attacker could achieve arbitrary command injection on the user's system with a maliciously crafted URL. yt-dlp maintainers assume the impact of this vulnerability to be high for anyone who uses in their command/conf
Jun 17, 2026 · NIST NVD
Updated
yt-dlp is a command-line audio/video downloader. Starting in version 2023.06.21 and prior to version 2026.02.21, when yt-dlp's command-line option (or Python API parameter) is used, an attacker could achieve arbitrary command injection on the user's system with a maliciously crafted URL. yt-dlp maintainers assume the impact of this vulnerability to be high for anyone who uses in their command/conf
Affected
- cpe yt-dlp project/yt-dlpversion unspecified
Sources
- CVE.orgVulnerability recordCVE-2026-26331
Official CVE identifier
cve.org - NIST NVDVulnerability recordCVE-2026-26331
yt-dlp is a command-line audio/video downloader. Starting in version 2023.06.21 and prior to version 2026.02.21, when yt-dlp's command-line option (or Python API parameter) is used, an attacker could achieve arbitrary command injection on the user's syst
nvd.nist.gov