Apache Airflow: Variable Import endpoint missed authentication check
Priority HIGH 82CWE-269Published · Updated
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Privilege escalation, Security bypass
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA and GitHub. Impact type from CWE-269 and CWE-306.
Summary
The variable import endpoint was not protected by authentication in Airflow >=2.0.0, <2.1.3. This allowed unauthenticated users to hit that endpoint to add/modify Airflow variables used in DAGs, potentially resulting in a denial of service, information disclosure or remote code execution. This issue affects Apache Airflow >=2.0.0, <2.1.3.
Why it matters now
EPSS 0.80938 99th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Fixed Apache Airflow (Apache Software Foundation): 2.1.3apache-airflow (PyPI): 2.1.3
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apache | Apache Airflow | Apache Airflow to before 2.1.3 | 2.1.3 | Patch available | CNA |
| — | apache-airflow (PyPI) | 2.0.0 to before 2.1.3 | 2.1.3 | Patch available | GHSA-h88f-r7cw-8fv3 |
- Apache Airflow VendorApache Affected Apache Airflow to before 2.1.3 Fixed in 2.1.3 Patch available CNA
- apache-airflow (PyPI) Vendor— Affected 2.0.0 to before 2.1.3 Fixed in 2.1.3 Patch available GHSA-h88f-r7cw-8fv3
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Apache Airflow (Apache Software Foundation) Fixed in 2.1.3
- Fix · GHSA-h88f-r7cw-8fv3 apache-airflow (PyPI) Fixed in 2.1.3 Advisory →
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2021-38540
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-h88f-r7cw-8fv3
References
Advisory 3
Other 5
- [announce] 20210909 CVE-2021-38540: Apache Airflow: Variable Import endpoint missed authentication check
- https://github.com/apache/airflow/commit/bcec1df703cd4a01520a90c3f801cca6f97d9bfd
- https://github.com/apache/airflow
- https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/apache-airflow/PYSEC-2021-326.yaml
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rac2ed9118f64733e47b4f1e82ddc8c8020774698f13328ca742b03a2@%3Cannounce.apache.org%3E
More Apache Airflow vulnerabilities
- TI-2020-10905 Missing authentication in Apache Airflow KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2020-09638 OS command injection in Apache Airflow KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2022-19017 Apache Airflow <2.4.0 has an RCE in a bash example CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2022-08169 Apache Airflow: RCE in example DAGs CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2024-26776 Apache Airflow: DAG Author Code Execution possibility in airflow-scheduler CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2022-22368 Apache Airflow: Open redirect during login CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 6.1
Sources
- CVE-2021-38540 · CVE Program
- CVE-2021-38540 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-h88f-r7cw-8fv3 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
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