CVE-2023-35934 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies

A detailed overview of CVE-2023-35934 focusing on the yt-dlp File Downloader cookie leak vulnerability.

Understanding CVE-2023-35934

This section delves into the vulnerability details, impact, affected systems, and mitigation steps.

What is CVE-2023-35934?

The CVE-2023-35934 vulnerability involves a cookie leak issue in yt-dlp, a command-line program for video downloads, where cookies are exposed during file downloads.

The Impact of CVE-2023-35934

The vulnerability affects versions of yt-dlp prior to 2023.07.06, potentially leading to the unauthorized exposure of sensitive information to external actors.

Technical Details of CVE-2023-35934

Explore the technical aspects including the vulnerability description, affected systems, and exploitation mechanism.

Vulnerability Description

yt-dlp may inadvertently leak cookies to unauthorized hosts during downloads, impacting both external and native downloaders, except for specific exceptions like curl and httpie.

Affected Systems and Versions

The vulnerability impacts yt-dlp versions earlier than 2023.07.06, and nightly builds up to 2023.07.06.185519.

Exploitation Mechanism

Cookies are transmitted as headers in requests to unintended domains due to improper scoping, potentially leading to unauthorized access to sensitive data.

Mitigation and Prevention

Discover immediate steps to take, long-term security practices, and patching recommendations.

Immediate Steps to Take

Users are advised to update to yt-dlp version 2023.07.06 or later, avoid using cookies and authentication, and carefully validate download links.

Long-Term Security Practices

To enhance security, consider using secure download tools, validating sources, and avoiding fragmented download formats.

Patching and Updates

Ensure the timely installation of patches and updates released by yt-dlp that address the cookie leak vulnerability.