Persistent ad-block disablement via DOM event
Published Aug 17, 2026 · Updated Aug 19, 2026
Improper authorization in Adblock for Youtube 7.2.0 through 7.2.1 allows attackers to disable ad blocking via a DOM event. The contentscript.js listener treats the hard-coded yt-anti-adblock-detected window event as authority, writes ads=false into chrome.storage.local, and triggers updateDynamicRules to remove Declarative Net Request rules without validating the event source. Exploitation requires script execution in a YouTube page, or a co-installed extension with YouTube access, and leaves the extension persistently disabled until the setting is changed again.
Summary
What happened
Improper authorization in Adblock for Youtube 7.2.0 through 7.2.1 allows attackers to disable ad blocking via a DOM event. The contentscript.js listener treats the hard-coded yt-anti-adblock-detected window event as authority, writes ads=false into chrome.storage.local, and triggers updateDynamicRules to remove Declarative Net Request rules without validating the event source. Exploitation requires script execution in a YouTube page, or a co-installed extension with YouTube access, and leaves the extension persistently disabled until the setting is changed again.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-19986
- Published
- Aug 17, 2026
- Updated
- Aug 19, 2026
- Vendor
- AdBlock Ltd.
- Product
- Adblock for Youtube
- Classifications
- CWE-285, CWE-266, T1562.001
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Aug 17, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 19, 2026Record 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.
- Affected versionversion=7.2.0
- Affected versionversion=7.2.1
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- AdBlock Ltd. Adblock for Youtube 7.2.1 allows persistent disabling of ad blocking through an unauthenticated DOM eventproof of concept · demonstrated
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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