RCE in Yt-Dlp
CVE-2024-22423
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.
Vulnerability class: Command Injection (OS Command Injection)
EPSS: 0.013 (66.4th percentile) — read the EPSS interpretation.
CVSS v3 metric
CVSS v3 base score 8.3 (High). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H.
Affected products
- Yt-dlp — versions >= 2021.04.11, < 2024.04.09
- Yt-dlp_project Yt-dlp
Weakness classification (CWE)
Public proof-of-concept exploits
References
- security-advisories@github.com (x_refsource_CONFIRM, Exploit, Vendor Advisory)
- security-advisories@github.com (x_refsource_MISC, Not Applicable)
- security-advisories@github.com (Patch, x_refsource_MISC)
- security-advisories@github.com (Patch, x_refsource_MISC)
- security-advisories@github.com (Product, x_refsource_MISC, Release Notes)
- security-advisories@github.com (Product, x_refsource_MISC, Release Notes)
- security-advisories@github.com (Third Party Advisory)
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2024-22423?
- CVE-2024-22423 is a high-severity vulnerability in Yt-Dlp, classified under OS Command Injection. CVSS score: 8.3/10. Published 2024-04-09.
- How severe is CVE-2024-22423?
- High severity. CVSS v3 base score is 8.3 out of 10.
- Is CVE-2024-22423 known to be exploited?
- 2 public proof-of-concept repositories are indexed. Not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.