CVE-2024-22423: yt-dlp `--exec` command injection when using `%q` in yt-dlp on Windows
Affects yt-dlpSource GCVE Database
Mentioned vulnerabilities
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 8.3 High : upgrade to 2026.7.4 soon.
Data as of 30 Oct 2026, 07:30 UTC
- Patch
- Available – fixed in 2026.7.4
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 13 Aug 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponized: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 29 Oct 2026.
What to do
Upgrade yt-dlp to 2026.7.4.
Patches and advisories
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
Homebrewyt-dlppkg:brew/yt-dlpOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.
Description
yt-dlp is a youtube-dl fork with additional features and fixes. The patch that addressed CVE-2023-40581 attempted to prevent RCE when using `--exec` with `%q` by replacing double quotes with two double quotes. However, this escaping is not sufficient, and still allows expansion of environment variables. Support for output template expansion in `--exec`, along with this vulnerable behavior, was added to `yt-dlp` in version 2021.04.11. yt-dlp version 2024.04.09 fixes this issue by properly escaping `%`. It replaces them with `%%cd:~,%`, a variable that expands to nothing, leaving only the leading percent. It is recommended to upgrade yt-dlp to version 2024.04.09 as soon as possible. Also, always be careful when using `--exec`, because while this specific vulnerability has been patched, using unvalidated input in shell commands is inherently dangerous. For Windows users who are not able to upgrade, avoid using any output template expansion in `--exec` other than `{}` (filepath); if expansion in `--exec` is needed, verify the fields you are using do not contain `"`, `|` or `&`; and/or instead of using `--exec`, write the info json and load the fields from it instead.
References
- github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/releases/tag/2021.04.11 (opens in a new tab)
- github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/releases/tag/2024.04.09 (opens in a new tab)
- kb.cert.org/vuls/id/123335 (opens in a new tab)
- github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2024/22xxx/CVE-2024-22423.json (opens in a new tab)
- github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/security/advisories/GHSA-42h4-v29r-42qg (opens in a new tab)
- github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/security/advisories/GHSA-hjq6-52gw-2g7p (opens in a new tab)
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-22423 (opens in a new tab)
- github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/commit/de015e930747165dbb8fcd360f8775fd973b7d6e (opens in a new tab)
- github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/commit/ff07792676f404ffff6ee61b5638c9dc1a33a37a (opens in a new tab)