CVE-2026-50023
Remote attacker can write OS shortcut files via yt-dlp write-link (CWE-641).
Is CVE-2026-50023 being exploited?
Not confirmed. CVE-2026-50023 does not appear in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, which records only exploitation that has been observed and reported publicly. That is evidence of absence of a report, not evidence the flaw is unattacked. EPSS currently estimates a 0.66% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How severe is CVE-2026-50023?
CVE-2026-50023 is rated High with a CVSS score of 8.3. Severity describes how bad exploitation would be, not how likely it is: pair it with exploitation evidence before deciding what to patch first.
Is there a patch for CVE-2026-50023?
Yes. A fix has been recorded for CVE-2026-50023. The vendor advisory is the authority on the exact fixed version — apply it from there rather than from a summary.
What does CVE-2026-50023 affect?
CVE-2026-50023 affects yt-dlp. Confirm the exact affected versions against the vendor advisory before deciding you are exposed.
What should I do about CVE-2026-50023?
Upgrade to 2026-06-09 or later; review --write-link usage.
Exploitation status reflects CISA's KEV catalog as we last synced it. Check the catalog directly.
Writes arbitrary OS shortcuts (.desktop/.url/.webloc) during downloads; could mislead users or host payloads.
Patch when possible
- affected< 2026.06.09
As published in the CVE Program record. A version outside these ranges is not a statement that it is unaffected — vendors sometimes understate a range, and distribution-backported builds carry upstream numbers that do not reflect what was patched into them.