CVE-2025-54072Public exploitNetwork attack vector

Remote code execution via misquoted filepath placeholder

Published Jul 22, 2025 · Updated Jul 23, 2025

OS command injection in yt-dlp before 2025.07.21 allows remote attackers to execute commands through crafted download metadata on Windows. ExecPP.parse_cmd passes the expanded filepath to shell_quote without shell=True, applying the wrong escaping rules before insertion into a shell command. Exploitation requires --exec, user interaction with attacker-controlled content, and an environment variable containing an odd number of quotation marks.

CVSS severity7.5
High
EPSS probability0.56%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

OS command injection in yt-dlp before 2025.07.21 allows remote attackers to execute commands through crafted download metadata on Windows. ExecPP.parse_cmd passes the expanded filepath to shell_quote without shell=True, applying the wrong escaping rules before insertion into a shell command. Exploitation requires --exec, user interaction with attacker-controlled content, and an environment variable containing an odd number of quotation marks.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-54072
Published
Jul 22, 2025
Updated
Jul 23, 2025
Vendor
yt-dlp
Product
yt-dlp
Classifications
CWE-78, T1059.003
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jul 22, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Jul 23, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=< 2025.07.21

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

yt-dlp · yt-dlpversion=< 2025.07.21

Published CVSS scores

7.5GitHubCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-78Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')
T1059.003Windows Command Shell

Public exploit references

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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