# CVE-2026-44353: Streamlink: Arbitrary local file read via file:// URI in HLS and DASH

> Attackers can read arbitrary local files by crafting malicious HLS or DASH manifests with file:// URIs, exposing sensitive data to anyone using Streamlink.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 27 May 2026
- **Updated:** 27 May 2026
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2026-44353, GHSA-hgqw-6m45-hw5f, PYSEC-2026-180, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-44353, openSUSE-SU-2026:10733-1

## What is CVE-2026-44353?

CVE-2026-44353 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in streamlink, published on 27 May 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

Streamlink is a CLI utility which pipes video streams from various services into a video player. Prior to 8.4.0, Streamlink's HLS and DASH parsers do not validate the URI scheme of segment entries and other resources. A remote .m3u8 HLS playlist or .mpd DASH manifest can list file:///path/to/file as a segment, and streamlink will read that local file and write its contents to the output stream. This vulnerability is fixed in 8.4.0.

Weakness: CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-44353?

3 open source packages ship an affected version, including streamlink. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `streamlink` | PyPI | All versions | 8.4.0 |
| `streamlink` | PyPI | All versions | 8.4.0 |
| `streamlink` | PyPI | All versions | 8.4.0 |
| `streamlink` | openSUSE:Tumbleweed | All versions | 8.4.0-1.1 |

Products: Streamlink Streamlink.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-44353?

Upgrade streamlink to 8.4.0 or later.

## Is CVE-2026-44353 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-44353 exists.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-44353 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-44353 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in streamlink, published on 27 May 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2026-44353 exists.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- streamlink (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 8.4.0
- streamlink (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 8.4.0
- streamlink (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 8.4.0

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-44353/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-44353/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-44353
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-44353
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-44353

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-44353/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.