CVE-2025-54072

yt-dlp allows `--exec` command injection when using placeholder on Windows

HIGH
8.1
CVSS Score
Published: July 22, 2025 at 09:34 PM UTC
Updated: June 17, 2026 at 09:39 AM UTC
2 products affected across 2 vendorsYt DlpYt Dlp

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Severity
HIGH8.1
Exploit prediction
EPSS 0.7%
SSVC
PoC

Description

yt-dlp is a feature-rich command-line audio/video downloader. In versions 2025.06.25 and below, when the --exec option is used on Windows with the default placeholder (or {}), insufficient sanitization is applied to the expanded filepath, allowing for remote code execution. This is a bypass of the mitigation for CVE-2024-22423 where the default placeholder and {} were not covered by the new escaping rules. Windows users who are unable to upgrade should avoid using --exec altogether. Instead, the --write-info-json or --dump-json options could be used, with an external script or command line consuming the JSON output. This is fixed in version 2025.07.21.

Affected

Our own answer: ranges merged, affected separated from platform-only, with confidence and review flags.

v < 2025.07.21
v < 2025.07.21
Affected range stops below 2025.07.21, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement

Remediation

No guide yet

No remediation guidance has been written for this CVE yet. What the record does show:

SSVC — Action Prioritization

SSVCPoCNot automatableTotal impact

SSVC signals action urgency (what to patch first), separate from CVSS which measures severity.

CVSS

Attack Vector
NETWORK
Complexity
HIGH
Privileges
NONE
User Interaction
NONE
Scope
UNCHANGED
Confidentiality
HIGH
Integrity
HIGH
Availability
HIGH
Vector?

Quick Info

StatusANALYZED
CWE
CWE-78

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