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TI-2023-27836 Aliases CVE-2023-50943GHSA-c3c6-f2ww-xfr2

Apache Airflow: Potential pickle deserialization vulnerability in XComs

Priority MEDIUM 41CWE-502Published · Updated

Key facts

Attack vector
Network
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
Low
Impact type
Code execution
Confidentiality · integrity · availability
None · High · None
Fix status
Fixed

Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CISA ADP. Fix status from CNA and GitHub. Impact type from CWE-502.

Summary

Apache Airflow, versions before 2.8.1, have a vulnerability that allows a potential attacker to poison the XCom data by bypassing the protection of "enable_xcom_pickling=False" configuration setting resulting in poisoned data after XCom deserialization. This vulnerability is considered low since it requires a DAG author to exploit it. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 2.8.1 or later, which fixes this issue.

Why it matters now

Exploitation None reported CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV
EPSS 0.0122 68th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Fixed Apache Airflow (Apache Software Foundation): 2.8.1apache-airflow (PyPI): 2.8.1rc1

SSVC decision points

CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3

Exploitation
None
Automatable
Yes
Technical impact
Partial

The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.

Affected products

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed inStatusSource
ApacheApache Airflowbefore 2.8.12.8.1Patch availableCNA
—apache-airflow (PyPI)before 2.8.1rc12.8.1rc1Patch availableGHSA-c3c6-f2ww-xfr2
  • Apache Airflow VendorApache Affected before 2.8.1 Fixed in 2.8.1 Patch available CNA
  • apache-airflow (PyPI) Vendor— Affected before 2.8.1rc1 Fixed in 2.8.1rc1 Patch available GHSA-c3c6-f2ww-xfr2

CPE configurations NVD · 1

CPEVersionsRoleVendor
cpe:2.3:a:apache:airflow:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*before 2.8.1VulnerableApache
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:airflow:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions before 2.8.1 Vulnerable ·Apache

Remediation

  • Fix · CNA Apache Airflow (Apache Software Foundation) Fixed in 2.8.1
  • Fix · GHSA-c3c6-f2ww-xfr2 apache-airflow (PyPI) Fixed in 2.8.1rc1 Advisory →

Fixed in the same release

Records fixed by the same vendor advisory or release, as the CNA lists them.

  • Release ·

    Apache Airflow 2.8.1

    2 records Highest priority Priority MEDIUM 1 MEDIUM, 1 LOW

    Other records, highest priority first

    • TI-2023-27837 Apache Airflow: Bypass permission verification to read code of other dagsPriority LOW 31
    Show all 2 records →

Timeline

  1. 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2023-50943
  2. 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-c3c6-f2ww-xfr2

References

Patch 1

Advisory 2

Other 4

  • 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-2021-16140 Apache Airflow: Variable Import endpoint missed authentication check CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
  • 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
See all 157 →

Sources

This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences