apache-airflow: Apache Airflow exception-node deserialization permits arbitrary callable execution
What fixes it
- 3.3.1apache-airflow, pipGitHub
- 3.3.1Apache AirflowCVE List
- 3.3.1apache-airflow, PyPIOSV
pip install "apache-airflow>=3.3.1"
A fixed version on one release line is not the upgrade target for every line. Check your exact version and any vendor backports.
Description
Apache Airflow's serialization layer reconstructed exception nodes by calling import_string() on a class name taken from the serialized blob and instantiating it with arguments from the same blob, with no restriction on what could be imported. An operator's executor_config reaches that branch, so a Dag author could place a value there that causes an arbitrary callable to be imported and invoked -- for example subprocess.check_output, or builtins.eval on the builtins-prefixed variant. The code runs in the Scheduler, which reconstructs serialized Dags in its normal loop with no request involved, and in the API server, on any authenticated read of the Dag such as GET /api/v2/dags/{dag_id}/details. Both are components the Airflow security model states must never execute Dag-author code, and both hold the metadata database credentials and the JWT signing secret. No non-default configuration is required. This is a different sink from CVE-2026-33264, which covered only the trigger branch of the same deserializer: deployments that upgraded in response to that advisory are still affected through the exception branch and must upgrade again. Users are advised to upgrade to apache-airflow 3.3.1 or later, which restricts the imported class to a subclass of BaseException.
Text from CVE List
Affected versions 6
- apache-airflow, pip>= 3.3.0, < 3.3.1GitHub
- Apache Airflowaffected: 3.0.0 before 3.3.1CVE List
- apache-airflow, PyPIfrom 3.3.0, fixed in 3.3.1OSV
- apache-airflow, PyPI3.3.0OSV
- apache-airflow, PyPI3.3.1rc1OSV
- apache-airflow, PyPI3.3.1rc2OSV
References 9
- github.com/apache/airflow/pull/68511Fixvia CVE List
- github.com/apache/airflow/commit/3a08a3d7792335ac9456cd44c92d8de3ae0d6ec1Fixvia GitHub
- github.com/apache/airflow/commit/560f117525d201ed64327c4185050705339e07b1Fixvia GitHub
- github.com/apache/airflow/releases/tag/3.3.1Fixvia GitHub
- lists.apache.org/thread/t81p688t15jozxsng8521o60nh2kfsosAdvisoryvia CVE List
- github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/apache-airflow/PYSEC-2026-3991.yamlAdvisoryvia GitHub
- github.com/advisories/GHSA-8prw-8m6x-8w6fAdvisoryvia GitHub
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-58076Referencevia GitHub
- cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-33264Referencevia CVE List