CVE-2026-26331
8.8 · HIGHOverview
CVE-2026-26331 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting yt-dlp_project yt-dlp. It was published on February 24, 2026 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.8 (HIGH).
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.8, rated HIGH. It can be exploited remotely over the network. No authentication or special privileges are required for exploitation.
Technical Description
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 i
Remediation
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from yt-dlp_project. Update yt-dlp to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.
Affected Products
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| yt-dlp_project | yt-dlp | >= 2023.06.21, < 2026.02.21 | Affected |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2026-26331?
CVE-2026-26331 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting yt-dlp_project yt-dlp. It was published on February 24, 2026 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.8 (HIGH).
How severe is CVE-2026-26331?
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.8, rated HIGH. It can be exploited remotely over the network. No authentication or special privileges are required for exploitation.
How do I fix or remediate CVE-2026-26331?
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from yt-dlp_project. Update yt-dlp to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.
How can CyberStrike help with CVE-2026-26331?
CyberStrike's AI-powered security agents can automatically detect CVE-2026-26331 across your infrastructure using autonomous pentesting, DAST scanning, and HackBrowser. The platform continuously monitors for known vulnerabilities and provides actionable remediation guidance prioritized by real-world exploitability.
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