HIGH CVSS 8.8
Published: 2026-02-24

CVE-2026-26331

yt-dlp_project yt-dlp Security Advisory (CVE-2026-26331)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2026-26331 impacting yt-dlp_project yt-dlp. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 8.8 (HIGH).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
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 `--netrc-cmd` command-line option (or `netrc_cmd` 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 `--netrc-cmd` in their command/configuration or `netrc_cmd` 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 `--netrc-cmd` in their arguments or `netrc_cmd` 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 `--netrc-cmd` command-line option (or `netrc_cmd` Python API parameter), or they should at least not pass a placeholder (`{}`) in their `--netrc-cmd` argument.

📊 CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Network (AV:N)
Exploitable remotely across internet boundaries
Attack Complexity
Low (AC:L)
No specialized conditions required
Privileges Required
None (PR:N)
Unauthenticated execution
User Interaction
Required (UI:R)
User must click or open resource
Scope
Unchanged (S:U)
Confined to same security context
Confidentiality
High (C:H)
Total information disclosure
Integrity
High (I:H)
Total modification of target system
Availability
High (A:H)
Total denial of service or shutdown

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product yt-dlp_project / yt-dlp
Affected Versions *
Weakness Enumeration CWE-78

Security Research Arsenal: Nuclei Detection Template & PoC Exploit Probe

High-Intent Research Tool

Ready-to-use security scanner signatures, active verification probe skeletons, and remediation playbooks for CVE-2026-26331 impacting yt-dlp_project yt-dlp.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2026-26331.yaml
id: cve-2026-26331

info:
  name: yt-dlp_project yt-dlp - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: high
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2026-26331 affecting yt-dlp_project yt-dlp.
    Evaluation: 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 `--netrc-cmd` comm...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2026-26331
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
    cvss-score: 8.8
    cve-id: CVE-2026-26331
    cwe-id: CWE-78
  tags: cve,cve-2026-26331,yt-dlp_project,yt-dlp,high

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "yt-dlp"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2026-26331.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2026-26331
# Target: yt-dlp_project yt-dlp | CVSS: 8.8 (HIGH)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2026-26331 (yt-dlp_project yt-dlp)...")
    headers = {
        "User-Agent": "CyberVault-Audit-Scanner/2.0",
        "Accept": "*/*"
    }
    try:
        r = requests.get(f"{target_url.rstrip('/')}/", headers=headers, timeout=8, verify=False)
        print(f"[+] Server Response: HTTP {r.status_code} | Server Banner: {r.headers.get('Server', 'Unknown')}")
        if r.status_code < 500:
            print(f"[!] Target reachable. Verify version against yt-dlp_project yt-dlp scope (*).")
        return True
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"[-] Connection Error: {e}")
        return False

if __name__ == '__main__':
    url = sys.argv[1] if len(sys.argv) > 1 else "http://localhost:8080"
    verify_vulnerability(url)
🛡️ Quick Patch & Remediation Script (Bash) patch_cve-2026-26331.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2026-26331
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install yt-dlp 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade yt-dlp 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update yt-dlp

# 2. Inspect installed package versions for vulnerable scope:
dpkg -l | grep -i yt-dlp 2>/dev/null || rpm -qa | grep -i yt-dlp

# 3. Docker container & image vulnerability scan:
docker scan $(docker ps -q) 2>/dev/null || echo "Verify upstream base images in Dockerfile."

🛡️ Remediation & Security Action

  • Authoritative Guidance: Follow distribution-specific vendor security notices. Advisory status and package patches vary by distribution release.
  • Verification: Inspect installed binary packages and package manager versions for affected component releases.
  • Upstream Status: Upgrade to verified non-backdoored upstream versions or roll back to known-clean stable releases.
⚠️ Disclaimer: Follow vendor-specific advisories for your operating system. CyberVault does not fabricate unsupported remediation scripts.

🔗 Verified Technical References

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2026-26331 in yt-dlp_project yt-dlp?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update yt-dlp_project yt-dlp packages to the latest patched release immediately. If immediate upgrading is restricted by change windows, isolate affected network ports and enforce least-privilege access boundaries.

Is there an active exploit or public PoC for CVE-2026-26331?

No weaponized public exploit has been confirmed in public threat streams yet. Continuous surveillance is active across GitHub and security feeds.

What is the CVSS 3.1 severity rating and impact for CVE-2026-26331?

CVE-2026-26331 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 8.8 (HIGH). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
8.8
HIGH SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2026-26331
Weakness CWE-78
Vendor yt-dlp_project
Product yt-dlp
Published 2026-02-24
Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H