Apache Airflow: Arbitrary import in custom deadline-reference deserialization
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Code execution
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- Low · Low · Low
- 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's scheduler-side deadline-reference decoder (`SerializedCustomReference.deserialize_reference`) imported and dispatched arbitrary class paths drawn from DAG-author-controlled serialized state without an allowlist or plugin-registry gate. A DAG author whose code reaches the scheduler — the default on single-host deployments where the DAG bundle is importable from the scheduler process — could embed a custom `DeadlineReference` whose serialized form named an attacker-controlled module path, causing the scheduler to `import_string(...)` and instantiate that class with a live SQLAlchemy session attached. Affects deployments where DAG-author code is less trusted than the scheduler process. Users are advised to upgrade to `apache-airflow` 3.2.2 or later.
Why it matters now
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
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Apache Airflow (Apache Software Foundation) Fixed in 3.0.0
- Fix · CNA Apache Airflow (Apache Software Foundation) Fixed in 3.2.2
- Fix · GHSA-2r5m-76wx-56gx apache-airflow (PyPI) Fixed in 3.2.2 Advisory →
Fixed in the same release
Records fixed by the same vendor advisory or release, as the CNA lists them.
- Release ·
Apache Airflow 3.2.2
17 records Highest priority Priority MEDIUM 3 MEDIUM, 14 LOW
Other records, highest priority first
- TI-2026-30568 Apache Airflow: BashOperator Jinja2 injection via dag_run.conf — low-privilege user patternPriority MEDIUM 47
- TI-2026-36484 Apache Airflow: JWT Token Exposure in KubernetesExecutor Command-Line ArgumentsPriority MEDIUM 41
- TI-2026-30661 Apache Airflow: Authenticated RCE via XCom PATCH endpoint — XComUpdateBody missing FORBIDDEN_XCOM_KEYS validatorPriority MEDIUM 41
- Release ·
Apache Airflow 3.0.0
9 records Highest priority Priority MEDIUM 1 MEDIUM, 8 LOW
Other records, highest priority first
- TI-2026-36484 Apache Airflow: JWT Token Exposure in KubernetesExecutor Command-Line ArgumentsPriority MEDIUM 41
- TI-2026-29518 Apache Airflow: Arbitrary File Read via Log Symlink following in FileTaskHandlerPriority LOW 30
- TI-2026-36006 Apache Airflow: revoke_token() unreachable in FabAuthManager / KeycloakAuthManager logout pathPriority LOW 29
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-45360
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-2r5m-76wx-56gx
- 2026-10-25 Priority changed: MEDIUM → LOW
- 2026-11-03 Fix available: [email protected], [email protected] · CNA
References
Advisory 3
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-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
Sources
- CVE-2026-45360 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-45360 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-2r5m-76wx-56gx · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
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