Apache Airflow: Cross-team authorization bypass in the asset materialization and dag-run result endpoints
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Security bypass
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · None · None
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CISA ADP. Fix status from CNA and GitHub. Impact type from CWE-862.
Summary
Apache Airflow's asset materialization endpoint (`POST /api/v2/assets/{asset_id}/materialize`) and the XCom result check on `wait_dag_run_until_finished` authorized the target Dag without its team, unlike every other authorization site. A team-aware auth manager distinguishes a team-scoped Dag from a global one by that field -- the Keycloak auth manager, for example, checks the `DAG` resource instead of `DAG:<team>` -- so the team-scoped permission that should gate the request was never consulted. In a deployment running multi-team mode with a team-aware auth manager, an authenticated user in one team could trigger Dag runs belonging to another team, supplying their own `dag_run_id` and `conf`, and could read another team's XCom values. Deployments using the FAB auth manager are unaffected, as it has no multi-team support. Users are advised to upgrade to apache-airflow 3.3.1 or later, which resolves the Dag's team at both sites.
Why it matters now
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
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-5247-m8w9-2v4m 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-2026-48479 Apache Airflow: Authorization bypass in the Backfill API through conflicting interpretations of the backfill idPriority LOW 33
- 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
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-68971
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-5247-m8w9-2v4m
- 2026-11-03 Fix available: [email protected], [email protected] · CNA
References
Advisory 2
Other 6
- https://github.com/apache/airflow/commit/0940c4b66c270d929e9f59914c65e15bd4734680
- https://github.com/apache/airflow/commit/f81459835adb111e57b2a87f586d856395660f8a
- https://github.com/apache/airflow
- https://github.com/apache/airflow/releases/tag/3.3.1
- https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/apache-airflow/PYSEC-2026-3994.yaml
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/08/12/15
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-2026-68971 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-68971 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-5247-m8w9-2v4m · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
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