CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2026-33511NVD status: Analyzed

pyload: Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2026-33511 is a critical-severity authorization bypass through user-controlled key vulnerability in pyload, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. Affected pyload versions: >= 0.4.20, < 0.5.0b3.dev97. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.45% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.

Patch this week

Critical severity: a successful attack would have severe impact.

What to do

  1. Update Pyload-ng to 0.5.0b3.dev97 or a later version.
  2. Read the advisory on github.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
  3. Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
Pyloadpyload>= 0.4.20, < 0.5.0b3.dev97Not stated
Pyload-ng ProjectPyload-ng0.5.0a5.dev528 up to, but not including, 0.5.0b3.dev970.5.0b3.dev97

Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.

How the severity score breaks down

Attack vector
NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
Attack complexity
LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
Privileges required
NoneNo account or login is needed.
User interaction
NoneNo action by a victim is required.
Scope
UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
Confidentiality
HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
Integrity
HighData or code can be modified at will.
Availability
HighThe component can be taken down completely.

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by NVD.

Scoring systemScoreSeverityScored by
CVSS 4.08.8HighCNA (github.com)
CVSS 3.19.8CriticalNVD

Official description

pyLoad is a free and open-source download manager written in Python. From version 0.4.20 to before version 0.5.0b3.dev97, the local_check decorator in pyLoad's ClickNLoad feature can be bypassed by any remote attacker through HTTP Host header spoofing. This allows unauthenticated remote users to access localhost-restricted endpoints, enabling them to inject arbitrary downloads, write files to the storage directory, and execute JavaScript code. This issue has been patched in version 0.5.0b3.dev97.

Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.

The underlying weakness: Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key

The system's authorization functionality does not prevent one user from gaining access to another user's data or record by modifying the key value identifying the data.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • For each and every data access, ensure that the user has sufficient privilege to access the record that is being requested.
  • Make sure that the key that is used in the lookup of a specific user's record is not controllable externally by the user or that any tampering can be detected.
  • Use encryption in order to make it more difficult to guess other legitimate values of the key or associate a digital signature with the key so that the server can verify that there has been no tampering.

More Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key vulnerabilities (CWE-639)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: poc, automatable: yes, technical impact: partial).
  3. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Other vulnerabilities in pyload

All pyload vulnerabilities

Recent Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key vulnerabilities

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