Description
yt-dlp and youtube-dl are command-line audio/video downloaders. Prior to 2026.7.4, the --write-link, --write-url-link, and --write-desktop-link options can write .url or .desktop shortcut files using attacker-controlled webpage_url or filename metadata without sufficient validation or escaping, allowing malicious file:// URI injection on Windows or newline-based desktop entry key injection on Linux that can execute commands if the generated shortcut is opened. This issue is fixed in version 2026.7.4.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| yt-dlp | yt-dlp | < 2026.7.4 | — |
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 14 | yt-dlp | 2026.07.04-1 | — |
| Debian 13 | yt-dlp | No fix yet | — |
| Debian 12 | yt-dlp | No fix yet | — |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 26.10 | yt-dlp | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | yt-dlp | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 25.10 | yt-dlp | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | yt-dlp | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | yt-dlp +1 | No fix yet | — |
Show 3 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | youtube-dl | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 18.04 LTS | youtube-dl | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 16.04 LTS | youtube-dl | No fix yet | — |
openSUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| openSUSE Tumbleweed | yt-dlp | 2026.07.04-1.1 | openSUSE-SU-2026:11196-1 |
| openSUSE Leap 16.0 | yt-dlp | 2026.08.19-bp160.1.1 | openSUSE-SU-2026:22142-1 |
Affected packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected | Fixed | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PyPI | yt-dlp | < 2026.7.4 | 2026.7.4 | GHSA-6v4j-43gg-vj32 |
Advisories 2
- openSUSE-SU-2026:22142-1 Security update for yt-dlp SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Oct 22, 2026
- openSUSE-SU-2026:11196-1 python313-yt-dlp-2026.07.04-1.1 on GA media SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Jul 7, 2026