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CVE-2026-67260· NVD / CVE Program· CNA apache

Apache Airflow: DAG-author remote code execution on the Scheduler via awaiting_input next_kwargs deserialization

Apache Airflow 3.3.0 moved human-in-the-loop tasks from the triggerer to a new `awaiting_input` task state swept by the scheduler. That sweep deserializes the task instance's `next_kwargs` without an allow-list, so a Dag author — who controls that value through the task execution API — can cause an arbitrary module import and object instantiation inside the scheduler process, or terminate the scheduler job. No non-default configuration is required: the sweep runs unconditionally every 15 seconds, and the default `allowed_deserialization_classes` setting does not cover this code path. Versions before 3.3.0 are not affected, because human-in-the-loop tasks deferred onto the triggerer instead. This is a different code path from CVE-2026-58076, which covers the same unguarded exception-node deserialization reached elsewhere — deployments that applied that fix must upgrade for this issue as well. Users are advised to upgrade to apache-airflow 3.3.1 or later.

HighCVSS 7.3 · v3.1—No exploit Fix available
Published
Aug 12, 2026
Updated
Sep 16, 2026
EPSS
1.4% · 71th percentile
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Report tools

JSON

Action score

29

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
29 / 40 · 7.3 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
0 / 30 · 1.4%

CISA SSVC decision

Exploitation
none
Automatable
yes
Technical impact
partial

Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.

Noroxi analysis

No Noroxi analysis for this record yet

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Affected systems

VendorProduct
apacheairflow

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • apache airflow3.3.0 and later · before 3.3.1

Versions reported by the vendor

Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (apache). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.

  • Apache Software Foundation Apache Airflow

    • 3.3.0 and later · before 3.3.1affected · semver

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
PyPIapache-airflowfrom 3.3.0 · before 3.3.13.3.1

Same product

apache: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2020-13927The previous default setting for Airflow's Experimental API was to allow all API requests without authentication, but this poses security riKEV
    99Now
  • CVE-2020-11978An issue was found in Apache Airflow versions 1.10.10 and below.KEV
    95Now
  • CVE-2021-38540Apache Airflow: Variable Import endpoint missed authentication check
    63This week
  • CVE-2022-40127Apache Airflow <2.4.0 has an RCE in a bash example
    61This week
  • CVE-2022-24288Apache Airflow: RCE in example DAGs
    58Plan
  • CVE-2020-11981An issue was found in Apache Airflow versions 1.10.10 and below.
    50Plan

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / packageFixed versionSource
Apache Software Foundation Apache Airflow3.3.1Vendor (CNA)
PyPI:apache-airflow3.3.1Package registry (OSV)

Exploit status

No known public exploit

No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

No dated events beyond publication.

EPSS, last 120 days+1% in 7 days

FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).

Patch and commit links

Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.

Credits

All researchers

Finders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.

Variant candidates

Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.

  • CVE-2026-3326436 days apartApache Airflow: DAG author RCE on webserver via unrestricted import_string() in BaseSerialization.deserialize()
    39Monitor
  • CVE-2026-580760 days apartApache Airflow: Unguarded import_string() of airflow_exc_ser / base_exc_ser exception nodes in BaseSerialization.deserialize enables DAG-author RCE on Scheduler
    35Monitor
  • CVE-2026-675870 days apartApache Airflow: DAG-author remote code execution on the Scheduler via a Serde `Callback` deserialization gadget
    35Monitor
  • CVE-2026-4235972 days apartApache Airflow: Authenticated RCE via XCom PATCH endpoint — XComUpdateBody missing FORBIDDEN_XCOM_KEYS validator
    35Monitor
  • CVE-2026-33858121 days apartApache Airflow: Unsafe Deserialization via Legacy Serialization Keys (__type/__var) Bypass in XCom API
    35Monitor
  • CVE-2026-4536072 days apartApache Airflow: Arbitrary import in custom deadline-reference deserialization
    29Monitor

Chain candidates

An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.

—

Bug bounty scope

No known public program.

Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
  • No account or password is required.
  • No user action is required.
  • No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality
low · data can be read
Integrity
low · data or configuration can be modified
Availability
low · the service can be disrupted
Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
Low
Integrity impact
Low
Availability impact
Low

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-502 · Deserialization of Untrusted Data

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L

nvd-secondary

Root cause

Data received over the network is deserialized into the language’s native object format without verifying its source. Code paths inside the object can be triggered during deserialization.

The bug in code

The whole CWE-502 class

A representative example of this vulnerability class. Not the vendor's source code; it shows the faulty pattern and its fix.

Vulnerable

python
payload = sock.recv(65536)job = pickle.loads(payload)

Fixed

python
payload = sock.recv(65536)if not hmac.compare_digest(sign(payload), header_sig):    raise PermissionError("invalid signature")job = JobSchema.validate(json.loads(payload))

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

ATT&CK techniques

—

Change log

  1. Fix✗ → ✓

For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →

References

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records