Is yt-dlp.exe safe?
The file is a legitimate, widely used open-source video downloader, and the few engine detections are likely false positives resulting from its PyInstaller-based compilation.
Our analysis indicates this file is a legitimate, popular open-source utility. The small number of engine detections are typical for PyInstaller-compiled binaries and are not corroborated by our tier-1 antivirus network.
66674953fe251b89f4…562af101dd3e7aRecommended next actions
Before running
Run it only when it came from the developer's official site or another source you independently trust.
If you already ran it
Keep normal device protection enabled and stop if the file behaves unexpectedly.
Intelligence
The saved assessment, checked against the scan evidence and recorded coverage.
The reasoning behind this verdict
This section explains the evidence supporting the verdict and keeps conflicting or missing signals visible.
Our analysis indicates this file is a legitimate, popular open-source utility. The small number of engine detections are typical for PyInstaller-compiled binaries and are not corroborated by our tier-1 antivirus network.
The file is a well-known, legitimate command-line tool. The detections from a small minority of engines are consistent with heuristic flags often triggered by PyInstaller-compiled binaries, as noted in the community research. All tier-1 engines in our no complete contacted-host reputation result was available. Furthermore, the file shows no malicious network activity or sandbox behavior, and its high prevalence confirms it is a standard, widely distributed utility.
What We Detected
The file 'yt-dlp.exe' is a legitimate, open-source command-line tool used for downloading audio and video content. The detections from a small number of engines are generic and likely stem from the file's structure as a PyInstaller-compiled binary, which is a common pattern for this software.
Threat Behavior
Our analysis found no evidence of malicious behavior. While the sandbox observed the use of cryptographic libraries, this is expected functionality for this tool. no complete contacted-host reputation result was available, dropped malicious files, or unauthorized system modifications were detected.
What To Do Now
This file is considered safe for use. Ensure you always download this utility from the official project repository to maintain integrity and receive updates.
Where this verdict could be wrong2 caveats
- Two engines (APEX, Elastic) flagged the file as malicious, though these are not corroborated by the tier-1 engine consensus.
- The file is unsigned, which can be a risk factor for executables, though it is common for this specific open-source project.
These are the assessment's weak points. If you believe one applies to your file, report the verdict and we'll re-review it.
- 17/17 tier-1 engines reported clean
- High prevalence (307 submissions)
- No malicious network activity
- No malicious sandbox verdict
- Unsigned executable
- PyInstaller-compiled binary (often triggers heuristic alerts)
The file is safe to use. Continue to obtain it from the official project source.
Coverage & freshness
Complete means the check returned a usable result. It does not mean the file is safe.
Antivirus
Complete2 of 75 engines flagged the file.
Sandbox
Complete1 isolated runtime environment contributed observations.
Network
Not runNo contacted-host reputation check is recorded.
No timestamp recordedYARA
CompleteRule evaluation completed with no recorded matches.
External intel
PartialIndependent reference checks were attempted but are incomplete.
Behavior
Plain-English impact first, then the observed runtime evidence.
Runtime flight recorder
Capture complete- 1isolated sandbox run
- 12MITRE ATT&CK techniques
- 5spawned processes
- 0network contacts
- 15filesystem & mutex artifacts
Attack story
Runtime observations grouped by analysis stage. Arrows organize the stages; they do not claim chronology or causality.
Input file
The submitted object
- FileObserved
yt-dlp.exe
66674953fe251b89f4d08c5f0e35e0728679bd67ab3d7d05c0562af101dd3e7a
01Uploaded file
Processes
Runtime execution
- ProcessObserved
Observed process
"C:\Users\<USER>\Desktop\yt-dlp.exe"
02Isolated runtime analysis - ProcessObserved
Observed process
C:\Windows\system32\cmd.exe /c "ver"
03Isolated runtime analysis - +1 more recorded observation in Analyst mode
Files
Created or changed
- Written fileObserved
_ARC4.pyd
C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\_MEI55642\Cryptodome\Cipher\_ARC4.pyd
04Isolated runtime analysis - Written fileObserved
_Salsa20.pyd
C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\_MEI55642\Cryptodome\Cipher\_Salsa20.pyd
05Isolated runtime analysis - +1 more recorded observation in Analyst mode
5 recorded facts from one runtime window. Every fact remains independently traceable in Analyst mode.
What this file did when executed
This file was detonated in 1 sandbox and its runtime behaviour was observed.
Adversary techniques mapped to the MITRE ATT&CK framework.
- C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\_MEI55642\Cryptodome\Cipher\_ARC4.pyd
- C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\_MEI55642\Cryptodome\Cipher\_Salsa20.pyd
- C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\_MEI55642\Cryptodome\Cipher\_chacha20.pyd
- C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\_MEI55642\Cryptodome\Cipher\_pkcs1_decode.pyd
- C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\_MEI55642\Cryptodome\Cipher\_raw_aes.pyd
Files this sample writes at runtime
This file drops 10 children at runtime. None are currently flagged malicious in our cache.
- 33f4fddc181066fce06b…510c57Never scannednever seen before
- 3a72b4f29f39a265d32a…5e78adNever scannednever seen before
- 39095f59c41d76ec81bb…9c84f9Never scannednever seen before
- 6ee44dd0d8510dc024c9…34e5dcNever scannednever seen before
- 1bd81dfd19204b446625…c16818Never scannednever seen before
- e029cabce12aea3d77f2…e9bc3aNever scannednever seen before
- 4cadbc0c39da7c672220…d1990dNever scannednever seen before
- 262d771de19a071c2d08…4495aeNever scannednever seen before
- 6eda016742a6171205a3…24207dNever scannednever seen before
- 11cf9155436c23de02ab…ad38f6Never scannednever seen before
Detection & Forensics
Consensus, attribution, signatures, code structure, prevalence, and identity.
Evidence integrity
Chain of custody for the facts preserved in this report.
- 0rule hits recorded
- 2 / 75engines flagged
- 269sources in submission history
Why these facts are shown
Each statement identifies whether it was directly recorded or derived from saved scan facts.
- 01
One or more independent reference checks were incomplete or unavailable.
ProvenanceDerivedSourceExternal-intelligence coverageObserved at - 02
2 of 75 antivirus engines flagged the file, including APEX and Elastic.
Verdict inputView chapterProvenanceObservedSourceAntivirus analysisObserved at - 03
The hash has been submitted 307 times from 269 sources.
ProvenanceDerivedSourceSaved report factsObserved at - 04
Scanned file: yt-dlp.exe — 66674953fe251b89f4d08c5f0e35e0728679bd67ab3d7d05c0562af101dd3e7a
ProvenanceObservedSourceUploaded fileObserved at - 05
Observed process — "C:\Users\<USER>\Desktop\yt-dlp.exe"
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at - 06
Observed process — C:\Windows\system32\cmd.exe /c "ver"
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at - 07
File written: _ARC4.pyd — C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\_MEI55642\Cryptodome\Cipher\_ARC4.pyd
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at - 08
File written: _Salsa20.pyd — C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\_MEI55642\Cryptodome\Cipher\_Salsa20.pyd
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at
Detection sources at a glance
The available sources did not agree on a named threat category.
Available reference checks returned no match, but at least one source was unavailable. This is not a clean result.
YARA rules
No matchesThe rule pass completed without a saved public match.
2 of 75 engines flagged this file
View all 75 engine results
Section entropy & packers
No high-entropy executable section or known packer signature was detected. Data and resource sections can still have high entropy without indicating packed code.
How widely this file has been seen
Lots of people are uploading this but it's recent — typical of newly-released legitimate software. Low prior for malware.
Fingerprint and provenance
- File name
- yt-dlp.exe
- Format
- Win32 EXE
- Code signing
- No verified publisher
- Size
- 17.0 MB
- Last analyzed
- Aug 21, 2026, 3:08 AM UTC
66674953fe251b89f4d08c5f0e35e0728679bd67ab3d7d05c0562af101dd3e7aSafety & FAQ
Complete recovery guidance and answers for the next decision.
What to do now
This file appears low risk based on the evidence available now.
- Recovery step 01
Run it only when it came from the developer's official site or another source you independently trust.
- Recovery step 02
A clean result reduces known risk, but it cannot guarantee that every new or targeted threat has been detected.
- Recovery step 03
Keep your antivirus and Windows updates switched on so you stay protected.
Safety FAQ
Direct answers grounded in the saved verdict and evidence in this report.
Is yt-dlp.exe safe?
What is yt-dlp.exe?
How many antivirus engines detected yt-dlp.exe?
What is the SHA-256 hash of yt-dlp.exe?
Is it safe to run yt-dlp.exe?
How up to date is this analysis of yt-dlp.exe?
Community
Member reviews and reports for this exact file hash.