{
  "schema_version": "1.4.0",
  "id": "GHSA-22fp-mf44-f2mq",
  "modified": "2025-05-27T19:56:40Z",
  "published": "2025-04-18T20:24:07Z",
  "aliases": [],
  "summary": "youtube-dl vulnerable to file system modification and RCE through improper file-extension sanitization",
  "details": "#### Description\nThis advisory follows the security advisory [GHSA-79w7-vh3h-8g4j published by the _yt-dlp/yt-dlp_ project](https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/security/advisories/GHSA-79w7-vh3h-8g4j) to aid remediation of the issue in the _ytdl-org/youtube-dl_ project.\n\n### Vulnerability\n_youtube-dl_ does not limit the extensions of downloaded files, which could lead to arbitrary filenames being created in the download folder (and path traversal on Windows). \n\n### Impact\nSince _youtube-dl_ also reads config from the working directory (and, on Windows, executables will be executed from the _youtube-dl_ directory by default) the vulnerability could allow the unwanted execution of local code, including downloads masquerading as, eg, subtitles.\n\n### Patches\nThe versions of _youtube-dl_ listed as _Patched_ remediate this vulnerability by disallowing path separators and whitelisting allowed extensions. As a result, some very uncommon extensions might not get downloaded.\n\n**Master code d42a222 or later and nightly builds tagged 2024-07-03 or later** contain the remediation.\n\n### Workarounds\nAny/all of the below considerations may limit exposure in case it is necessary to use a vulnerable version\n* have `.%(ext)s` at the end of the output template\n* download from websites that you trust\n* do not download to a directory within the executable search `PATH` or other sensitive locations, such as your user directory or system directories\n* in Windows versions that support it, set [`NoDefaultCurrentDirectoryInExePath`](https://stackoverflow.com/a/50118548) to prevent the _cmd_ shell's executable search adding the default directory before `PATH`\n* consider that the path traversal vulnerability as a result of resolving `non_existent_dir\\..\\..\\target` does not exist in Linux or macOS\n* ensure the extension of the media to download is a common video/audio/... one (use `--get-filename`)\n* omit any of the subtitle options (`--write-subs`/` --write-srt`, `--write-auto-subs`/`--write-automatic-subs`, `--all-subs`).\n\n### References\n* [GHSA-79w7-vh3h-8g4j](https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/security/advisories/GHSA-79w7-vh3h-8g4j)\n* https://github.com/ytdl-org/youtube-dl/pull/32830",
  "severity": [
    {
      "type": "CVSS_V3",
      "score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
    }
  ],
  "affected": [
    {
      "package": {
        "ecosystem": "PyPI",
        "name": "youtube-dl"
      },
      "ranges": [
        {
          "type": "ECOSYSTEM",
          "events": [
            {
              "introduced": "2015.01.25"
            },
            {
              "last_affected": "2021.12.17"
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "references": [
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://github.com/dirkf/youtube-dl/security/advisories/GHSA-22fp-mf44-f2mq"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/security/advisories/GHSA-79w7-vh3h-8g4j"
    },
    {
      "type": "ADVISORY",
      "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-38519"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://github.com/ytdl-org/youtube-dl/pull/32830"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://github.com/ytdl-org/youtube-dl/commit/d42a222ed541b96649396ef00e19552aef0f09ec"
    },
    {
      "type": "PACKAGE",
      "url": "https://github.com/dirkf/youtube-dl"
    },
    {
      "type": "ADVISORY",
      "url": "https://securitylab.github.com/advisories/GHSL-2024-089_youtube-dl"
    }
  ],
  "database_specific": {
    "cwe_ids": [
      "CWE-434",
      "CWE-669"
    ],
    "severity": "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed": true,
    "github_reviewed_at": "2025-04-18T20:24:07Z",
    "nvd_published_at": null
  }
}