Summary
yt-dlp: Arbitrary command injection possible if --exec option used with yt-dlp
Impact
The impact is limited to users who pass an --exec command template containing unsafe conversions in their yt-dlp command or configuration file: %()s, %()a, %()r, %()j, %()S (including any of their flagged variants.)
Untrusted input reaches a shell command, allowing arbitrary commands to run on the host. Typical impact: code execution in the application's environment.
GHSA-69QJ-PVH9-C5WG has a CVSS score of 7.5 (High). The vector is network-reachable, no privileges required, and user interaction required. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (2026.6.9); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
Remediation advice
yt-dlp version 2026.06.09 fixes this issue by restricting the conversions that can be used in an --exec command template to those known to be safe: %()d, %()i, %()f, %()q (including any of their flagged variants.) It also restricts the characters that can be used in command template defaults and placeholders when the user passes an --exec argument containing output template syntax.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is GHSA-69QJ-PVH9-C5WG? GHSA-69QJ-PVH9-C5WG is a high-severity OS command injection vulnerability in yt-dlp (pip), affecting versions >= 2021.4.11, < 2026.6.9. It is fixed in 2026.6.9. Untrusted input reaches a shell command, allowing arbitrary commands to run on the host.
- How severe is GHSA-69QJ-PVH9-C5WG? GHSA-69QJ-PVH9-C5WG has a CVSS score of 7.5 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Which versions of yt-dlp are affected by GHSA-69QJ-PVH9-C5WG? yt-dlp (pip) versions >= 2021.4.11, < 2026.6.9 is affected.
- Is there a fix for GHSA-69QJ-PVH9-C5WG? Yes. GHSA-69QJ-PVH9-C5WG is fixed in 2026.6.9. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is GHSA-69QJ-PVH9-C5WG exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether GHSA-69QJ-PVH9-C5WG is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether GHSA-69QJ-PVH9-C5WG is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix GHSA-69QJ-PVH9-C5WG? Upgrade
yt-dlpto 2026.6.9 or later.