CVE-2026-59242 (GCVE-0-2026-59242)

Vulnerability from cvelistv5 – Published: 2026-08-12 15:35 – Updated: 2026-11-03 06:58
VLAI
Title
Apache Airflow: Arbitrary airflow.* class instantiation on the API server via the XCom deserialize endpoint
Summary
Apache Airflow's XCom `GET /api/v2/{...}/xcomEntries/{key}?deserialize=true` endpoint passed a string-literal payload through `BaseXCom.deserialize_value` without the `_check_forbidden_xcom_keys` guard, allowing an authenticated API user with XCom write-and-read access to instantiate arbitrary `airflow.*` classes on the API server (CWE-502). An authenticated user who can write an XCom value and then read it back with `deserialize=true` triggers the unsafe instantiation. Users are advised to upgrade to apache-airflow 3.3.1 or later, which rejects reserved XCom serialization keys submitted as JSON string literals.
Severity
5.4 (Medium)
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N
SSVC
Exploitation: none Automatable: no Technical Impact: partial
CISA Coordinator · CISA-ADP (v2.0.3)
Decision recorded 2026-08-12 16:41 UTC
CWE
  • CWE-502 - Deserialization of Untrusted Data
Assigner
apache CNA under the mitre root
CNA scorecard B 76/100 over 1169 records in the last 180 days details
References
Impacted products
Vendor Product Version CPE status
Apache Software Foundation Apache Airflow Affected: 0 , < 3.0.0 (semver)
guessed Create a notification for this product.
Apache Software Foundation Apache Airflow Affected: 3.0.0 , < 3.3.1 (semver)
guessed Create a notification for this product.
Credits
localhost-detect (@localhost-detect) Jarek Potiuk
Show details on NVD website
To clipboard 

{
  "containers": {
    "adp": [
      {
        "metrics": [
          {
            "cvssV3_1": {
              "attackComplexity": "LOW",
              "attackVector": "NETWORK",
              "availabilityImpact": "NONE",
              "baseScore": 5.4,
              "baseSeverity": "MEDIUM",
              "confidentialityImpact": "LOW",
              "integrityImpact": "LOW",
              "privilegesRequired": "LOW",
              "scope": "UNCHANGED",
              "userInteraction": "NONE",
              "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N",
              "version": "3.1"
            }
          },
          {
            "other": {
              "content": {
                "id": "CVE-2026-59242",
                "options": [
                  {
                    "Exploitation": "none"
                  },
                  {
                    "Automatable": "no"
                  },
                  {
                    "Technical Impact": "partial"
                  }
                ],
                "role": "CISA Coordinator",
                "timestamp": "2026-08-12T16:41:51.650384Z",
                "version": "2.0.3"
              },
              "type": "ssvc"
            }
          }
        ],
        "providerMetadata": {
          "dateUpdated": "2026-08-12T16:41:55.648Z",
          "orgId": "134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0",
          "shortName": "CISA-ADP"
        },
        "title": "CISA ADP Vulnrichment"
      },
      {
        "providerMetadata": {
          "dateUpdated": "2026-08-12T17:20:18.016Z",
          "orgId": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108",
          "shortName": "CVE"
        },
        "references": [
          {
            "url": "http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/08/12/6"
          }
        ],
        "title": "CVE Program Container"
      }
    ],
    "cna": {
      "affected": [
        {
          "collectionURL": "https://pypi.python.org",
          "defaultStatus": "unaffected",
          "packageName": "apache-airflow",
          "packageURL": "pkg:pypi/apache-airflow",
          "product": "Apache Airflow",
          "vendor": "Apache Software Foundation",
          "versions": [
            {
              "lessThan": "3.0.0",
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "0",
              "versionType": "semver"
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          "collectionURL": "https://pypi.python.org",
          "defaultStatus": "unaffected",
          "packageName": "apache-airflow-core",
          "packageURL": "pkg:pypi/apache-airflow-core",
          "product": "Apache Airflow",
          "vendor": "Apache Software Foundation",
          "versions": [
            {
              "lessThan": "3.3.1",
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "3.0.0",
              "versionType": "semver"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "credits": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "type": "finder",
          "value": "localhost-detect (@localhost-detect)"
        },
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "type": "remediation developer",
          "value": "Jarek Potiuk"
        }
      ],
      "descriptions": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "supportingMedia": [
            {
              "base64": false,
              "type": "text/html",
              "value": "Apache Airflow\u0026#x27;s XCom `GET /api/v2/{...}/xcomEntries/{key}?deserialize=true` endpoint passed a string-literal payload through `BaseXCom.deserialize_value` without the `_check_forbidden_xcom_keys` guard, allowing an authenticated API user with XCom write-and-read access to instantiate arbitrary `airflow.*` classes on the API server (CWE-502). An authenticated user who can write an XCom value and then read it back with `deserialize=true` triggers the unsafe instantiation. Users are advised to upgrade to apache-airflow 3.3.1 or later, which rejects reserved XCom serialization keys submitted as JSON string literals."
            }
          ],
          "value": "Apache Airflow\u0027s XCom `GET /api/v2/{...}/xcomEntries/{key}?deserialize=true` endpoint passed a string-literal payload through `BaseXCom.deserialize_value` without the `_check_forbidden_xcom_keys` guard, allowing an authenticated API user with XCom write-and-read access to instantiate arbitrary `airflow.*` classes on the API server (CWE-502). An authenticated user who can write an XCom value and then read it back with `deserialize=true` triggers the unsafe instantiation. Users are advised to upgrade to apache-airflow 3.3.1 or later, which rejects reserved XCom serialization keys submitted as JSON string literals."
        }
      ],
      "metrics": [
        {
          "other": {
            "content": {
              "text": "important"
            },
            "type": "Textual description of severity"
          }
        }
      ],
      "problemTypes": [
        {
          "descriptions": [
            {
              "cweId": "CWE-502",
              "description": "CWE-502: Deserialization of Untrusted Data",
              "lang": "en",
              "type": "CWE"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "providerMetadata": {
        "dateUpdated": "2026-11-03T06:58:51.061Z",
        "orgId": "f0158376-9dc2-43b6-827c-5f631a4d8d09",
        "shortName": "apache"
      },
      "references": [
        {
          "tags": [
            "patch"
          ],
          "url": "https://github.com/apache/airflow/pull/69378"
        },
        {
          "tags": [
            "vendor-advisory"
          ],
          "url": "https://lists.apache.org/thread/dm0520yhh4mn7qknyoh45r2w6c5qg2mg"
        }
      ],
      "source": {
        "discovery": "UNKNOWN"
      },
      "title": "Apache Airflow: Arbitrary airflow.* class instantiation on the API server via the XCom deserialize endpoint",
      "x_generator": {
        "engine": "airflow-s/generate_cve_json.py"
      }
    }
  },
  "cveMetadata": {
    "assignerOrgId": "f0158376-9dc2-43b6-827c-5f631a4d8d09",
    "assignerShortName": "apache",
    "cveId": "CVE-2026-59242",
    "datePublished": "2026-08-12T15:35:00.763Z",
    "dateReserved": "2026-07-04T00:17:45.922Z",
    "dateUpdated": "2026-11-03T06:58:51.061Z",
    "state": "PUBLISHED"
  },
  "dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
  "dataVersion": "5.2",
  "vulnerability-lookup:meta": {
    "epss": {
      "cve": "CVE-2026-59242",
      "date": "2026-11-08",
      "epss": "0.00529",
      "percentile": "0.45011"
    },
    "nvd": {
      "cve": {
        "affected": [
          {
            "affectedData": [
              {
                "collectionURL": "https://pypi.python.org",
                "defaultStatus": "unaffected",
                "packageName": "apache-airflow",
                "packageURL": "pkg:pypi/apache-airflow",
                "product": "Apache Airflow",
                "vendor": "Apache Software Foundation",
                "versions": [
                  {
                    "lessThan": "3.0.0",
                    "status": "affected",
                    "version": "0",
                    "versionType": "semver"
                  }
                ]
              },
              {
                "collectionURL": "https://pypi.python.org",
                "defaultStatus": "unaffected",
                "packageName": "apache-airflow-core",
                "packageURL": "pkg:pypi/apache-airflow-core",
                "product": "Apache Airflow",
                "vendor": "Apache Software Foundation",
                "versions": [
                  {
                    "lessThan": "3.3.1",
                    "status": "affected",
                    "version": "3.0.0",
                    "versionType": "semver"
                  }
                ]
              }
            ],
            "source": "security@apache.org"
          }
        ],
        "configurations": [
          {
            "nodes": [
              {
                "cpeMatch": [
                  {
                    "criteria": "cpe:2.3:a:apache:airflow:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                    "matchCriteriaId": "FDF5E090-3549-452E-BB3A-741DCE15078E",
                    "versionEndExcluding": "3.3.1",
                    "vulnerable": true
                  }
                ],
                "negate": false,
                "operator": "OR"
              }
            ]
          }
        ],
        "cveTags": [],
        "descriptions": [
          {
            "lang": "en",
            "value": "Apache Airflow\u0027s XCom `GET /api/v2/{...}/xcomEntries/{key}?deserialize=true` endpoint passed a string-literal payload through `BaseXCom.deserialize_value` without the `_check_forbidden_xcom_keys` guard, allowing an authenticated API user with XCom write-and-read access to instantiate arbitrary `airflow.*` classes on the API server (CWE-502). An authenticated user who can write an XCom value and then read it back with `deserialize=true` triggers the unsafe instantiation. Users are advised to upgrade to apache-airflow 3.3.1 or later, which rejects reserved XCom serialization keys submitted as JSON string literals."
          },
          {
            "lang": "es",
            "value": "El endpoint XCom de Apache Airflow \u201c\u2019GET /api/v2/{...}/xcomEntries/{key}?deserialize=true\u2019\u201d pas\u00f3 una carga \u00fatil de cadena literal a trav\u00e9s de \u201c\u2019BaseXCom.deserialize_value\u2019\u201d sin la protecci\u00f3n \u201c\u2019_check_forbidden_xcom_keys\u2019\u201d, permitiendo a un usuario autenticado de la API con acceso de escritura y lectura de XCom instanciar clases \u201c\u2019airflow.*\u2019\u201d arbitrarias en el servidor de la API (CWE-502). Un usuario autenticado que puede escribir un valor XCom y luego leerlo de nuevo con \u201c\u2019deserialize=true\u2019\u201d desencadena la instanciaci\u00f3n insegura. Se aconseja a los usuarios actualizar a apache-airflow 3.3.1 o posterior, que rechaza las claves de serializaci\u00f3n XCom reservadas enviadas como cadenas literales JSON."
          }
        ],
        "id": "CVE-2026-59242",
        "lastModified": "2026-11-03T07:20:55.940",
        "metrics": {
          "cvssMetricV31": [
            {
              "cvssData": {
                "attackComplexity": "LOW",
                "attackVector": "NETWORK",
                "availabilityImpact": "NONE",
                "baseScore": 5.4,
                "baseSeverity": "MEDIUM",
                "confidentialityImpact": "LOW",
                "integrityImpact": "LOW",
                "privilegesRequired": "LOW",
                "scope": "UNCHANGED",
                "userInteraction": "NONE",
                "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N",
                "version": "3.1"
              },
              "exploitabilityScore": 2.8,
              "impactScore": 2.5,
              "source": "134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0",
              "type": "Secondary"
            }
          ],
          "ssvcV203": [
            {
              "source": "134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0",
              "ssvcData": {
                "id": "CVE-2026-59242",
                "options": [
                  {
                    "exploitation": "none"
                  },
                  {
                    "automatable": "no"
                  },
                  {
                    "technicalImpact": "partial"
                  }
                ],
                "role": "CISA Coordinator",
                "timestamp": "2026-08-12T16:41:51.650384Z",
                "version": "2.0.3"
              }
            }
          ]
        },
        "published": "2026-08-12T16:17:09.067",
        "references": [
          {
            "source": "security@apache.org",
            "tags": [
              "Issue Tracking",
              "Patch"
            ],
            "url": "https://github.com/apache/airflow/pull/69378"
          },
          {
            "source": "security@apache.org",
            "tags": [
              "Mailing List",
              "Vendor Advisory"
            ],
            "url": "https://lists.apache.org/thread/dm0520yhh4mn7qknyoh45r2w6c5qg2mg"
          },
          {
            "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108",
            "tags": [
              "Mailing List",
              "Third Party Advisory"
            ],
            "url": "http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/08/12/6"
          }
        ],
        "sourceIdentifier": "security@apache.org",
        "vulnStatus": "Analyzed",
        "weaknesses": [
          {
            "description": [
              {
                "lang": "en",
                "value": "CWE-502"
              }
            ],
            "source": "security@apache.org",
            "type": "Secondary"
          }
        ]
      }
    },
    "vulnrichment": {
      "containers": {
        "adp": [
          {
            "providerMetadata": {
              "dateUpdated": "2026-08-12T17:20:18.016Z",
              "orgId": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108",
              "shortName": "CVE"
            },
            "references": [
              {
                "url": "http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/08/12/6"
              }
            ],
            "title": "CVE Program Container"
          },
          {
            "metrics": [
              {
                "cvssV3_1": {
                  "attackComplexity": "LOW",
                  "attackVector": "NETWORK",
                  "availabilityImpact": "NONE",
                  "baseScore": 5.4,
                  "baseSeverity": "MEDIUM",
                  "confidentialityImpact": "LOW",
                  "integrityImpact": "LOW",
                  "privilegesRequired": "LOW",
                  "scope": "UNCHANGED",
                  "userInteraction": "NONE",
                  "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N",
                  "version": "3.1"
                }
              },
              {
                "other": {
                  "content": {
                    "id": "CVE-2026-59242",
                    "options": [
                      {
                        "Exploitation": "none"
                      },
                      {
                        "Automatable": "no"
                      },
                      {
                        "Technical Impact": "partial"
                      }
                    ],
                    "role": "CISA Coordinator",
                    "timestamp": "2026-08-12T16:41:51.650384Z",
                    "version": "2.0.3"
                  },
                  "type": "ssvc"
                }
              }
            ],
            "providerMetadata": {
              "dateUpdated": "2026-08-12T16:41:47.823Z",
              "orgId": "134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0",
              "shortName": "CISA-ADP"
            },
            "title": "CISA ADP Vulnrichment"
          }
        ],
        "cna": {
          "affected": [
            {
              "collectionURL": "https://pypi.python.org",
              "defaultStatus": "unaffected",
              "packageName": "apache-airflow",
              "packageURL": "pkg:pypi/apache-airflow",
              "product": "Apache Airflow",
              "vendor": "Apache Software Foundation",
              "versions": [
                {
                  "lessThan": "3.3.1",
                  "status": "affected",
                  "version": "0",
                  "versionType": "semver"
                }
              ]
            }
          ],
          "credits": [
            {
              "lang": "en",
              "type": "finder",
              "value": "localhost-detect (@localhost-detect)"
            },
            {
              "lang": "en",
              "type": "remediation developer",
              "value": "Jarek Potiuk"
            }
          ],
          "descriptions": [
            {
              "lang": "en",
              "supportingMedia": [
                {
                  "base64": false,
                  "type": "text/html",
                  "value": "Apache Airflow\u0026#x27;s XCom `GET /api/v2/{...}/xcomEntries/{key}?deserialize=true` endpoint passed a string-literal payload through `BaseXCom.deserialize_value` without the `_check_forbidden_xcom_keys` guard, allowing an authenticated API user with XCom write-and-read access to instantiate arbitrary `airflow.*` classes on the API server (CWE-502). An authenticated user who can write an XCom value and then read it back with `deserialize=true` triggers the unsafe instantiation. Users are advised to upgrade to apache-airflow 3.3.1 or later, which rejects reserved XCom serialization keys submitted as JSON string literals."
                }
              ],
              "value": "Apache Airflow\u0027s XCom `GET /api/v2/{...}/xcomEntries/{key}?deserialize=true` endpoint passed a string-literal payload through `BaseXCom.deserialize_value` without the `_check_forbidden_xcom_keys` guard, allowing an authenticated API user with XCom write-and-read access to instantiate arbitrary `airflow.*` classes on the API server (CWE-502). An authenticated user who can write an XCom value and then read it back with `deserialize=true` triggers the unsafe instantiation. Users are advised to upgrade to apache-airflow 3.3.1 or later, which rejects reserved XCom serialization keys submitted as JSON string literals."
            }
          ],
          "metrics": [
            {
              "other": {
                "content": {
                  "text": "important"
                },
                "type": "Textual description of severity"
              }
            }
          ],
          "problemTypes": [
            {
              "descriptions": [
                {
                  "cweId": "CWE-502",
                  "description": "CWE-502: Deserialization of Untrusted Data",
                  "lang": "en",
                  "type": "CWE"
                }
              ]
            }
          ],
          "providerMetadata": {
            "dateUpdated": "2026-09-16T14:55:43.129Z",
            "orgId": "f0158376-9dc2-43b6-827c-5f631a4d8d09",
            "shortName": "apache"
          },
          "references": [
            {
              "tags": [
                "patch"
              ],
              "url": "https://github.com/apache/airflow/pull/69378"
            },
            {
              "tags": [
                "vendor-advisory"
              ],
              "url": "https://lists.apache.org/thread/dm0520yhh4mn7qknyoh45r2w6c5qg2mg"
            }
          ],
          "source": {
            "discovery": "UNKNOWN"
          },
          "title": "Apache Airflow: Arbitrary airflow.* class instantiation on the API server via the XCom deserialize endpoint",
          "x_generator": {
            "engine": "airflow-s/generate_cve_json.py"
          }
        }
      },
      "cveMetadata": {
        "assignerOrgId": "f0158376-9dc2-43b6-827c-5f631a4d8d09",
        "assignerShortName": "apache",
        "cveId": "CVE-2026-59242",
        "datePublished": "2026-08-12T15:35:00.763Z",
        "dateReserved": "2026-07-04T00:17:45.922Z",
        "dateUpdated": "2026-09-16T14:55:43.129Z",
        "state": "PUBLISHED"
      },
      "dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
      "dataVersion": "5.2"
    }
  }
}



Log in or create an account to share your comment.




Tags
Taxonomy of the tags.




Drag nodes to arrange them. Double-click a related vulnerability to open it, or a source to visit its link. The Physics button on the left tunes the layout and the simulation; the legend at the bottom left hides or shows nodes by kind and by sighting type.

Forecast uses a logistic model when the trend is rising, or an exponential decay model when the trend is falling. Fitted via linearized least squares.

Sightings

Author Source Type Date Other

Nomenclature

  • Seen: The vulnerability was mentioned, discussed, or observed by the user.
  • Confirmed: The vulnerability has been validated from an analyst's perspective.
  • Published Proof of Concept: A public proof of concept is available for this vulnerability.
  • Exploited: The vulnerability was observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
  • Patched: The vulnerability was observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.
  • Not exploited: The vulnerability was not observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
  • Not confirmed: The user expressed doubt about the validity of the vulnerability.
  • Not patched: The vulnerability was not observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.
Vulnerability timeline

Sightings and recorded dates, grouped by day · UTC

JSON
How durations are calculated

Following the VTEM framework (Black Hat USA 2015), time to patch starts when the vendor or a coordinator was informed, total time to patch at discovery, and disclosure to patch at public disclosure; vendor response time runs from the report to its acknowledgement. Time to exploit and time unpatched start at the earliest discovery or report, falling back to public disclosure. Unpatched time ends at the first recorded patch, or the calculation time when no patch is recorded. Exploitation to patch shows the interval between those two events; a published proof of concept is a public exploit, not exploitation.

Each result shows its source dates. A negative interval means the end event came first; when date-only inputs leave the order open, the result says so. Date-only inputs are approximate. The earliest evidence wins: KEV report dates and sightings are labelled as such. Records describing another vulnerability are listed but never calculated from, and a PoC alone does not establish exploitation. Missing patch evidence does not prove that no patch exists. Filters below change the event list only.

Loading timeline…




    Related by attack behaviour

    Vulnerabilities whose description is nearest to this one in the vector space of the CIRCL/vulnerability-attack-technique-biencoder model. This is a similarity search over the bi-encoder space (plain cosine), not a classification, and it has no measured accuracy.