Vulnerability Instance

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{
    "url": "http://public2.vulnerablecode.io/api/vulnerabilities/18505?format=api",
    "vulnerability_id": "VCID-awc7-n2gp-kkf3",
    "summary": "Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')\nyt-dlp is a youtube-dl fork with additional features and fixes. yt-dlp allows the user to provide shell command lines to be executed at various stages in its download steps through the `--exec` flag. This flag allows output template expansion in its argument, so that metadata values may be used in the shell commands. The metadata fields can be combined with the `%q` conversion, which is intended to quote/escape these values so they can be safely passed to the shell. However, the escaping used for `cmd` (the shell used by Python's `subprocess` on Windows) does not properly escape special characters, which can allow for remote code execution if `--exec` is used directly with maliciously crafted remote data. This vulnerability only impacts `yt-dlp` on Windows, and the vulnerability is present regardless of whether `yt-dlp` is run from `cmd` or from `PowerShell`. Support for output template expansion in `--exec`, along with this vulnerable behavior, was added to `yt-dlp` in version 2021.04.11. yt-dlp version 2023.09.24 fixes this issue by properly escaping each special character. `\\n` will be replaced by `\\r` as no way of escaping it has been found. It is recommended to upgrade yt-dlp to version 2023.09.24 as soon as possible. Also, always be careful when using --exec, because while this specific vulnerability has been patched, using unvalidated input in shell commands is inherently dangerous. For Windows users who are not able to upgrade: 1. Avoid using any output template expansion in --exec other than {} (filepath). 2. If expansion in --exec is needed, verify the fields you are using do not contain \", | or &. 3. Instead of using --exec, write the info json and load the fields from it instead.",
    "aliases": [
        {
            "alias": "CVE-2023-40581"
        },
        {
            "alias": "GHSA-42h4-v29r-42qg"
        }
    ],
    "fixed_packages": [
        {
            "url": "http://public2.vulnerablecode.io/api/packages/65916?format=api",
            "purl": "pkg:pypi/yt-dlp@2023.1.2",
            "is_vulnerable": false,
            "affected_by_vulnerabilities": [],
            "resource_url": "http://public2.vulnerablecode.io/packages/pkg:pypi/yt-dlp@2023.1.2"
        }
    ],
    "affected_packages": [
        {
            "url": "http://public2.vulnerablecode.io/api/packages/65915?format=api",
            "purl": "pkg:pypi/yt-dlp@2021.4.11",
            "is_vulnerable": true,
            "affected_by_vulnerabilities": [
                {
                    "vulnerability": "VCID-awc7-n2gp-kkf3"
                },
                {
                    "vulnerability": "VCID-na3q-qecn-wuf4"
                }
            ],
            "resource_url": "http://public2.vulnerablecode.io/packages/pkg:pypi/yt-dlp@2021.4.11"
        }
    ],
    "references": [
        {
            "reference_url": "https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2023-40581",
            "reference_id": "",
            "reference_type": "",
            "scores": [
                {
                    "value": "0.12983",
                    "scoring_system": "epss",
                    "scoring_elements": "0.94194",
                    "published_at": "2026-05-30T12:55:00Z"
                }
            ],
            "url": "https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2023-40581"
        },
        {
            "reference_url": "https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/commit/de015e930747165dbb8fcd360f8775fd973b7d6e",
            "reference_id": "",
            "reference_type": "",
            "scores": [],
            "url": "https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/commit/de015e930747165dbb8fcd360f8775fd973b7d6e"
        },
        {
            "reference_url": "https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/releases/tag/2023.09.24",
            "reference_id": "",
            "reference_type": "",
            "scores": [],
            "url": "https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/releases/tag/2023.09.24"
        },
        {
            "reference_url": "https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-42h4-v29r-42qg",
            "reference_id": "GHSA-42h4-v29r-42qg",
            "reference_type": "",
            "scores": [],
            "url": "https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-42h4-v29r-42qg"
        },
        {
            "reference_url": "https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/security/advisories/GHSA-42h4-v29r-42qg",
            "reference_id": "GHSA-42h4-v29r-42qg",
            "reference_type": "",
            "scores": [],
            "url": "https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/security/advisories/GHSA-42h4-v29r-42qg"
        }
    ],
    "weaknesses": [
        {
            "cwe_id": 1035,
            "name": "OWASP Top Ten 2017 Category A9 - Using Components with Known Vulnerabilities",
            "description": "Weaknesses in this category are related to the A9 category in the OWASP Top Ten 2017."
        },
        {
            "cwe_id": 78,
            "name": "Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')",
            "description": "The product constructs all or part of an OS command using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended OS command when it is sent to a downstream component."
        },
        {
            "cwe_id": 937,
            "name": "OWASP Top Ten 2013 Category A9 - Using Components with Known Vulnerabilities",
            "description": "Weaknesses in this category are related to the A9 category in the OWASP Top Ten 2013."
        }
    ],
    "exploits": [],
    "severity_range_score": null,
    "exploitability": null,
    "weighted_severity": null,
    "risk_score": null,
    "resource_url": "http://public2.vulnerablecode.io/vulnerabilities/VCID-awc7-n2gp-kkf3"
}