CVE-2026-50023: yt-dlp is a command-line audio/video downloader

Q: How do I fix CVE-2026-50023?

yt-dlp: upgrade to 2026.06.09. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Q: Is CVE-2026-50023 being exploited?

CVE-2026-50023 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

Q: What does CVE-2026-50023 affect?

CVE-2026-50023 affects yt-dlp. Severity is high (CVSS 8.3). yt-dlp is a command-line audio/video downloader. Prior to 2026.06.09, a vulnerability exists in yt-dlp that allows a remote attacker to write arbitrary OS-shortcut files (such as .desktop, .url, .webloc) to the user's filesystem, bypassing

Q: How urgent is CVE-2026-50023?

Priority 47/100. High severity; Public exploit reference

This month

HIGH 8.3UPGRADE

CVE-2026-50023 is a high-severity flaw (CVSS 8.3) affecting yt-dlp. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

yt-dlp is a command-line audio/video downloader. Prior to 2026.06.09, a vulnerability exists in yt-dlp that allows a remote attacker to write arbitrary OS-shortcut files (such as .desktop, .url, .webloc) to the user's filesystem, bypassing the remediation for CVE-2024-38519. The allowlist explicitly included the unsafe extensions .desktop, .url, and .webloc so that the functionality of the --write-link option (and its variants) could be preserved

Why this priority

High severity
Public exploit reference

A fixed release or distro patch exists.

Risk facts

CVSS score	8.3 (High)
Attack vector	Network (remote)
Attack complexity	High
Privileges needed	None
User interaction	Required
EPSS exploit chance	0.7% (top 48%)
CISA exploited list	No
Weakness	CWE-641
Published	2026-06-23
Last modified	2026-06-26

Publisher (CNA): GitHub, Inc. · Vendor: yt-dlp project

Last updated 2026-06-26 · Sources: CVE Program, NVD, CISA KEV, EPSS and vendor advisories · How we score

Am I affected?

Timeline

2026-06-23 17:17 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-26 20:12 UTCUpdated Record last modified

yt-dlp project yt-dlp UPGRADE

Affected: < 2026.06.09

Fixed in: 2026.06.09

Safe to downgrade to: no unaffected older release

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy yt-dlp || rpm -q yt-dlp || yt-dlp --version

2. UPGRADE to 2026.06.09 (Debian / Ubuntu)

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade yt-dlp

2. UPGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

sudo dnf upgrade yt-dlp

Note

Distros often backport fixes without changing the version number. Confirm with the distro advisory or changelog.

Verify at the official source NVD · CVE Program · Report a problem with this page
Scores and fixes here are computed automatically from those and other public sources. Confirm with the vendor advisory before changing production systems.

Quick answers

How do I fix CVE-2026-50023?

yt-dlp: upgrade to 2026.06.09. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2026-50023 being exploited?

CVE-2026-50023 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

What does CVE-2026-50023 affect?

CVE-2026-50023 affects yt-dlp. Severity is high (CVSS 8.3). yt-dlp is a command-line audio/video downloader. Prior to 2026.06.09, a vulnerability exists in yt-dlp that allows a remote attacker to write arbitrary OS-shortcut files (such as .desktop, .url, .webloc) to the user's filesystem, bypassing

How urgent is CVE-2026-50023?

Priority 47/100. High severity; Public exploit reference

Related CVEs

CVE-2026-55404 HIGH 7.5 UPGRADE yt-dlp and youtube-dl are command-line audio/video downloaders
CVE-2026-50019 MEDIUM 6.1 UPGRADE yt-dlp is a command-line audio/video downloader
CVE-2026-50574 HIGH 8.3 UPGRADE yt-dlp is a command-line audio/video downloader

References

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