CVE-2023-40581: PYSEC-2026-2064 - yt-dlp on Windows vulnerable to `--exec` command injection when using `%q`

CVE-2023-40581 · Severity: low · CVSS 3.1 · Published 2026-07-07

yt-dlp on Windows vulnerable to `--exec` command injection when using `%q`

Technologies: yt-dlp (PyPI). Vendors: PyPI.

Quick answers

Is CVE-2023-40581 exploited in the wild?
No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2023-40581 being exploited in the wild.
How severe is CVE-2023-40581?
Low severity, with a CVSS score of 3.1, published 7 July 2026.
Which products and versions are affected?
yt-dlp (PyPI) ECOSYSTEM:introduced=2021.04.11,fixed=2023.09.24.
Is there a fix for CVE-2023-40581?
Yes. yt-dlp (PyPI): upgrade to 2023.09.24 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.
Am I affected by CVE-2023-40581?
Check whether you run yt-dlp (PyPI) at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

How to fix

  • yt-dlp (PyPI): upgrade to 2023.09.24 or later
    pip install "yt-dlp>=2023.09.24"

Affected products

  • yt-dlp (PyPI) ECOSYSTEM:introduced=2021.04.11,fixed=2023.09.24

Identifiers

  • CVE-2023-40581
  • GHSA-42h4-v29r-42qg
  • PYSEC-2026-2064

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