HIGH

CVE-2026-55404

CVSS v3

7.5

HIGH

EPSS Score

0.6 %

exploit probability, as of 2026-10-19

CISA KEV

known exploited

Exploitation

—

SSVC status

Get an alert for each new CVE published for yt-dlp.

Set up CVE WatchFree account · no credit card

Affected and fixed versions

Packages from OSV.dev and products from the vendors' CSAF advisories.

version not verifiedVersions not verified: read as OSV.dev and the vendors publish them, not checked against each vendor's release list.

Packages

yt-dlpPyPIall versions · fixed in 2026.7.4

Vendor advisories

CVE-2026-55404 Red Hat Product Security
yt-dlp: youtube-dl: yt-dlp/youtube-dl: Arbitrary Code Execution via Malicious Shortcut File Generation

Full record on NVD

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.

Technical details

CVSS v3 Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Published: 2026-07-08
Last Modified: 2026-07-08

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-55404?

Is CVE-2026-55404 actively exploited?

Active exploitation of CVE-2026-55404 has not been confirmed. Its EPSS score was 0.6% on 2026-10-19, the estimated probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What is the CVSS score for CVE-2026-55404?

CVE-2026-55404 has a CVSS v3 base score of 7.5 (HIGH severity), with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.

Running yt-dlp? Hear about its next vulnerability

CVE Watch matches each new CVE to the vendors and products you list (vendor and product, not the version) and puts it in your alerts with its KEV and EPSS status.

Get alerts for this product CISA KEV additions, October 2026 Search CVEs

Already have an account? Open CVE WatchNo credit card required · No monthly cap on website lookups · 250 API requests/month

Go further

Following what attackers exploit right now? The CISA KEV additions of the month, with their patch deadlines.
Running this software? CVE Watch alerts you to new vulnerabilities in your products.

Related vulnerabilities

Same product first, then the same vendor advisory and the same publication week.

Back to CVE Database