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CVE-2020-11978

Remote code execution (RCE) in Apache Airflow

8.8 HighIn KEVPublic exploitFix available

An issue was found in Apache Airflow versions 1.10.10 and below. A remote code/command injection vulnerability was discovered in one of the example DAGs shipped with Airflow which would allow any authenticated user to run arbitrary commands as the user running airflow worker/scheduler (depending on the executor in use). If you already have examples disabled by setting load_examples=False in the config then you are not vulnerable.

Attack profile

How easy it is to exploit

Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges needed
Low
User interaction
None

What an attacker can affect

Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

Exploit likelihood

99.2%Up 97.9 points since Apr 14, 2021
90%50%10%1%

What each source reports

NVD Score used 8.8

An issue was found in Apache Airflow versions 1.10.10 and below. A remote code/command injection vulnerability was discovered in one of the example DAGs shipped with Airflow which would allow any authenticated user to run arbitrary commands as the user running airflow worker/scheduler (depending on the executor in use). If you already have examples disabled by setting load_examples=False in the config then you are not vulnerable.

Record
CVE-2020-11978
CVSS 3.1
8.8 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS 2.0
6.5 MediumAV:N/AC:L/Au:S/C:P/I:P/A:P
Weakness
CWE-78
Updated
2026-11-02
CVE List 8.8

An issue was found in Apache Airflow versions 1.10.10 and below. A remote code/command injection vulnerability was discovered in one of the example DAGs shipped with Airflow which would allow any authenticated user to run arbitrary commands as the user running airflow worker/scheduler (depending on the executor in use). If you already have examples disabled by setting load_examples=False in the config then you are not vulnerable.

Record
CVE-2020-11978
CVSS 3.1
8.8 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Weakness
CWE-78
Updated
2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2020-0032 8.8

An issue was found in Apache Airflow versions 1.10.10 and below. A remote code/command injection vulnerability was discovered in one of the example DAGs shipped with Airflow which would allow any authenticated user to run arbitrary commands as the user running airflow worker/scheduler (depending on the executor in use). If you already have examples disabled by setting load_examples=False in the config then you are not vulnerable.

Record
EUVD-2020-0032
CVSS 3.1
8.8 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Updated
2026-11-02
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-rvmq-4x66-q7j3 8.7

Remote code execution (RCE) in Apache Airflow

An issue was found in Apache Airflow versions 1.10.10 and below. A remote code/command injection vulnerability was discovered in one of the example DAGs shipped with Airflow which would allow any authenticated user to run arbitrary commands as the user running airflow worker/scheduler (depending on the executor in use). If you already have examples disabled by setting load_examples=False in the config then you are not vulnerable.

Record
GHSA-rvmq-4x66-q7j3
CVSS 4.0
8.7 HighCVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:A
CVSS 3.1
8.8 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:H
Weakness
CWE-77, CWE-78
Updated
2026-11-02
CISA KEV No score

Apache Airflow Command Injection

A remote code/command injection vulnerability was discovered in one of the example DAGs shipped with Airflow.

Record
CVE-2020-11978
Weakness
CWE-78
Updated
2026-11-02
OSV 8.8

An issue was found in Apache Airflow versions 1.10.10 and below. A remote code/command injection vulnerability was discovered in one of the example DAGs shipped with Airflow which would allow any authenticated user to run arbitrary commands as the user running airflow worker/scheduler (depending on the executor in use). If you already have examples disabled by setting load_examples=False in the config then you are not vulnerable.

Record
CVE-2020-11978
CVSS 3.1
8.8 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-rvmq-4x66-q7j3 8.7

Remote code execution (RCE) in Apache Airflow

An issue was found in Apache Airflow versions 1.10.10 and below. A remote code/command injection vulnerability was discovered in one of the example DAGs shipped with Airflow which would allow any authenticated user to run arbitrary commands as the user running airflow worker/scheduler (depending on the executor in use). If you already have examples disabled by setting load_examples=False in the config then you are not vulnerable.

Record
GHSA-rvmq-4x66-q7j3
CVSS 4.0
8.7 HighCVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:A
CVSS 3.1
8.8 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:H
Weakness
CWE-77, CWE-78
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVBIT-airflow-2020-11978 No score

An issue was found in Apache Airflow versions 1.10.10 and below. A remote code/command injection vulnerability was discovered in one of the example DAGs shipped with Airflow which would allow any authenticated user to run arbitrary commands as the user running airflow worker/scheduler (depending on the executor in use). If you already have examples disabled by setting load_examples=False in the config then you are not vulnerable.

Record
BIT-airflow-2020-11978
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVPYSEC-2020-14 No score

An issue was found in Apache Airflow versions 1.10.10 and below. A remote code/command injection vulnerability was discovered in one of the example DAGs shipped with Airflow which would allow any authenticated user to run arbitrary commands as the user running airflow worker/scheduler (depending on the executor in use). If you already have examples disabled by setting load_examples=False in the config then you are not vulnerable.

Record
PYSEC-2020-14
Updated
2026-11-02

Affected products

Affected packages

Affected packages
PackageAffectedFixed
apache-airflow
PyPI
 before 1.10.11rc1
1.10.11rc1
airflow
Bitnami
 before 1.10.11
1.10.11
apache-airflow
PyPI
 before 1.10.11rc1, plus listed versions
1.10.01.10.11.10.101.10.10rc11.10.10rc2
Show 39 moreShow less
1.10.10rc31.10.10rc41.10.10rc51.10.1b11.10.1rc21.10.21.10.2b21.10.2rc11.10.2rc21.10.2rc31.10.31.10.3b11.10.3b21.10.3rc11.10.3rc21.10.41.10.4b21.10.4rc11.10.4rc21.10.4rc31.10.4rc41.10.4rc51.10.51.10.5rc11.10.61.10.6rc11.10.6rc21.10.71.10.7rc11.10.7rc21.10.7rc31.10.81.10.8rc11.10.91.10.9rc11.8.11.8.21.8.2rc11.9.0
1.10.11rc1
apache-airflow
PyPI
 before 1.10.11rc1, plus listed versions
1.8.11.8.2rc11.8.21.9.01.10.0
Show 39 moreShow less
1.10.1b11.10.1rc21.10.11.10.2b21.10.2rc11.10.2rc21.10.2rc31.10.21.10.3b11.10.3b21.10.3rc11.10.3rc21.10.31.10.4b21.10.4rc11.10.4rc21.10.4rc31.10.4rc41.10.4rc51.10.41.10.5rc11.10.51.10.6rc11.10.6rc21.10.61.10.7rc11.10.7rc21.10.7rc31.10.71.10.8rc11.10.81.10.9rc11.10.91.10.10rc11.10.10rc21.10.10rc31.10.10rc41.10.10rc51.10.10
1.10.11rc1

Public exploits

Links only. Every CVE stores no exploit code.

Public exploits
SourceLinkDate
MetasploitApache Airflow 1.10.10 - Example DAG Remote Code Execution2020-07-14
PoC in GitHubpberba/CVE-2020-119782021-05-22
Exploit-DBApache Airflow 1.10.10 - 'Example Dag' Remote Code Execution2021-06-02
NucleiApache Airflow <=1.10.10 - Remote Code Execution

History

History
RecordedChangedSources
exploitation, exploits
first indexedCVE List, EUVD, Exploit-DB, GitHub Advisories, CISA KEV, Metasploit, Nuclei, NVD, OSV, PoC in GitHub

Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.

In short

CVE-2020-11978 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 8.8) in Apache Airflow, published July 16, 2020. CISA lists it as known to be exploited, since January 18, 2022. EUVD reports exploitation since January 18, 2022. Public exploit code exists. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 99.2%, the 99th percentile. Fixed in apache-airflow 1.10.11rc1.

References

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