CVE-2025-54072: yt-dlp Command Injection — Fix

Description

yt-dlp is a feature-rich command-line audio/video downloader. In versions 2025.06.25 and below, when the --exec option is used on Windows with the default placeholder (or {}), insufficient sanitization is applied to the expanded filepath, allowing for remote code execution. This is a bypass of the mitigation for CVE-2024-22423 where the default placeholder and {} were not covered by the new escaping rules. Windows users who are unable to upgrade should avoid using --exec altogether. Instead, the --write-info-json or --dump-json options could be used, with an external script or command line consuming the JSON output. This is fixed in version 2025.07.21.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

7.5

HIGH

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-78 OS Command Injection

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Versions
yt-dlp_project	yt-dlp	< 2025.07.21

References

Advisories & Patches

https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/commit/959ac99e98c3215437e573c22d64be42d361e863 https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/security/advisories/GHSA-45hg-7f49-5h56

Other References

https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/releases/tag/2025.07.21

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2025-54072? +

yt-dlp is a feature-rich command-line audio/video downloader. In versions 2025.06.25 and below, when the --exec option is used on Windows with the default placeholder (or {}), insufficient sanitization is applied to the expanded filepath, allowing for remote code execution. This is a bypass of the mitigation for CVE-2024-22423 where the default placeholder and {} were not covered by the new escaping rules. Windows users who are unable to upgrade should avoid using --exec altogether. Instead, the --write-info-json or --dump-json options could be used, with an external script or command line consuming the JSON output. This is fixed in version 2025.07.21. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH).

How severe is CVE-2025-54072? +

CVE-2025-54072 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.5 out of 10, rated HIGH. This is a high-severity vulnerability that should be prioritized for patching.

What products are affected by CVE-2025-54072? +

CVE-2025-54072 affects products from yt-dlp_project, specifically: yt-dlp. Check the affected products table above for specific version ranges.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2025-54072? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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