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TI-2026-48479 Aliases CVE-2026-68968GHSA-j4jc-cq9h-xrhr

Apache Airflow: Authorization bypass in the Backfill API through conflicting interpretations of the backfill id

Priority LOW 33CWE-436Published · Updated

Key facts

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

Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CISA ADP. Fix status from CNA and GitHub.

Summary

Apache Airflow's Backfill API authorized a request against a Dag id supplied by the caller whenever the `backfill_id` path segment failed to parse. The authorization dependency parsed it with `int()` while the route handler parsed it as pydantic's `NonNegativeInt`, which accepts values `int()` rejects (`1.0` coerces to `1`); FastAPI resolves dependencies before endpoint validation, so the two acted on different Dags. An authenticated user holding edit permission on any single Dag could therefore read, pause and cancel backfills belonging to any other Dag, including moving another Dag's queued runs to `failed`. No non-default configuration is required and backfill ids are sequential, so finding a target is trivial. Users are advised to upgrade to apache-airflow 3.3.1 or later, which parses the backfill id with the same type the routes declare.

Why it matters now

Exploitation None reported CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV
EPSS 0.00417 36th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Fixed Apache Airflow (Apache Software Foundation): 3.0.0, 3.3.1apache-airflow (PyPI): 3.3.1

SSVC decision points

CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3

Exploitation
None
Automatable
No
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 3.0.03.0.0Patch availableCNA
ApacheApache Airflow3.0.0 to before 3.3.13.3.1Patch availableCNA
—apache-airflow (PyPI)before 3.3.13.3.1Patch availableGHSA-j4jc-cq9h-xrhr
  • Apache Airflow VendorApache Affected before 3.0.0 Fixed in 3.0.0 Patch available CNA
  • Apache Airflow VendorApache Affected 3.0.0 to before 3.3.1 Fixed in 3.3.1 Patch available CNA
  • apache-airflow (PyPI) Vendor— Affected before 3.3.1 Fixed in 3.3.1 Patch available GHSA-j4jc-cq9h-xrhr

CPE configurations NVD · 1

CPEVersionsRoleVendor
cpe:2.3:a:apache:airflow:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*before 3.3.1VulnerableApache
  • cpe:2.3:a:apache:airflow:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions before 3.3.1 Vulnerable ·Apache

Remediation

  • Fix · CNA Apache Airflow (Apache Software Foundation) Fixed in 3.0.0
  • Fix · CNA Apache Airflow (Apache Software Foundation) Fixed in 3.3.1
  • Fix · GHSA-j4jc-cq9h-xrhr apache-airflow (PyPI) Fixed in 3.3.1 Advisory →

Fixed in the same release

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

  • Release ·

    Apache Airflow 3.3.1

    12 records Highest priority Priority MEDIUM 2 MEDIUM, 10 LOW

    Other records, highest priority first

    • TI-2026-47748 Apache Airflow: DAG-author remote code execution on the Scheduler via a Serde `Callback` deserialization gadgetPriority MEDIUM 41
    • TI-2026-41827 Deserialization of untrusted data in Apache AirflowPriority MEDIUM 41
    • TI-2026-47565 Apache Airflow: DAG-author remote code execution on the Scheduler via awaiting_input next_kwargs deserializationPriority LOW 39
  • Release ·

    Apache Airflow 3.0.0

    8 records Highest priority Priority LOW 8 LOW

    Other records, highest priority first

    • TI-2026-48482 Apache Airflow: Cross-team authorization bypass in the asset materialization and dag-run result endpointsPriority LOW 29
    • TI-2026-48480 Apache Airflow: Bulk Variable and Connection endpoints record secret values in the audit log in cleartextPriority LOW 29
    • TI-2026-48481 Apache Airflow: Values of a list-shaped Variable are not masked in task logs and the Rendered Templates UIPriority LOW 28

Timeline

  1. 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-68968
  2. 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-j4jc-cq9h-xrhr
  3. 2026-10-07 EPSS moved to the below the 50th percentile
  4. 2026-11-03 Fix available: [email protected], [email protected] · CNA

References

  • 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