CVE-2026-96285: Apache Airflow: Scheduler: next_kwargs deserialized before the dict check, so resume data still invokes constructors
Noroxi assessment
Priority: Monitor (action score 0/100)
- The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
- Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.21% (FIRST EPSS).
- Fixed version: Apache Software Foundation Apache Airflow 3.4.0.
Low priority for now. Upgrade to Apache Software Foundation Apache Airflow 3.4.0 or later.
Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it
Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS
Apache Airflow 3.3.1 shipped a fix for CVE-2026-67260 that checks the scheduler's decoded `next_kwargs` value is a dictionary, but performs that check only after deserializing the whole stored payload. Deserialization reconstructs nested objects of classes permitted by the deserialization allow-list — which by default includes Airflow's own classes — and runs their constructors inside the scheduler process before the check can reject the value. A Dag author, who controls a task's `next_kwargs` through the task execution API, can therefore still trigger constructor execution in the scheduler when the `awaiting_input` timeout sweep processes the task, and in the API server when the task instance is served to a worker using an older Execution API version; no non-default configuration is required. Versions before 3.3.0 are not affected. This is an incomplete fix for CVE-2026-67260: deployments that upgraded to 3.3.1 for that issue must also upgrade to apache-airflow 3.4.0 or later.
- Published
- Nov 9, 2026
- Updated
- Nov 10, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.2% · 11th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-502
Report tools
Action score
0
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 0 / 40 · —
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.2%
Get told when this record changes
- Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
- No public exploit code on record
- A fix has been released
If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.
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What does it mean in your environment?
The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.
We use this product, ask for helpAffected systems
Is your version affected?
Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.
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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 3.4.0affected · semver
Same product
apache software foundation: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2026-111421Apache Airflow: Execution API: set_xcom skips the reserved-key check, so task-written XComs instantiate airflow.* classes on the API server35Monitor
- CVE-2026-75157Apache Airflow: Asset queued-events DELETE endpoints gated on Dag READ instead of Dag EDIT (asset-triggered scheduling suppression)30Monitor
- CVE-2026-111453Apache Airflow: API: asset queuedEvents DELETE checks Dag edit on a ?dag_id query value but deletes rows for every readable Dag17Monitor
Published before and after this one in the same product
- ← EarlierCVE-2026-82337Nov 9, 2026 · Apache Airflow: DeadlineAlert fields bypass plugin-registration gate for scheduler-side deserialization0Monitor
- ← EarlierCVE-2026-86468Nov 9, 2026 · Apache Airflow: CLI argv masking misses Variable values and --conn-extra, persisting secrets in audit logs0Monitor
- ← EarlierCVE-2026-86829Nov 9, 2026 · Apache Airflow: Deserialization of task-controlled XCom values in the Scheduler during dependency evaluation0Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Apache Software Foundation Apache Airflow | 3.4.0 | Vendor (CNA) |
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.
- Published
- Fix recordedsame day
- TodayNov 12, 2026+3 d
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 researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
- Andrew Rukin (Arenadata)finder
- Jarek Potiukremediation developer
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
- CVE-2026-1114210 days apartApache Airflow: Execution API: set_xcom skips the reserved-key check, so task-written XComs instantiate airflow.* classes on the API server35Monitor
- CVE-2026-1113950 days apartApache Airflow: Reserved serialization keys in Dag run conf crash the scheduler or are rebuilt as objects in the Triggerer via deadline callbacks0Monitor
- CVE-2026-823370 days apartApache Airflow: DeadlineAlert fields bypass plugin-registration gate for scheduler-side deserialization0Monitor
- CVE-2026-868290 days apartApache Airflow: Deserialization of task-controlled XCom values in the Scheduler during dependency evaluation0Monitor
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
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Bug bounty scope
No known public program.
Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).
Technical details
No CVSS vector for this record, so attack conditions can't be derived.
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-502 · Deserialization of Untrusted DataRoot 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 classA representative example of this vulnerability class. Not the vendor's source code; it shows the faulty pattern and its fix.
Vulnerable
payload = sock.recv(65536)
job = pickle.loads(payload)Fixed
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.
Attack patterns (CAPEC)
ATT&CK techniques
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Change log
- Exploit maturity— → none
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
Show all references (3 more)Show less
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.