CVE-2020-17511
Apache Airflow logs passwords in plaintext
In Airflow versions prior to 1.10.13, when creating a user using airflow CLI, the password gets logged in plain text in the Log table in Airflow Metadatase. Same happened when creating a Connection with a password field.
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
- None
- Availability
- None
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
NVD Score used
In Airflow versions prior to 1.10.13, when creating a user using airflow CLI, the password gets logged in plain text in the Log table in Airflow Metadatase. Same happened when creating a Connection with a password field.
- Record
CVE-2020-17511- CVSS 3.1
- 6.5 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N - CVSS 2.0
- 4.0 Medium
AV:N/AC:L/Au:S/C:P/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-312
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
CVE List No score
In Airflow versions prior to 1.10.13, when creating a user using airflow CLI, the password gets logged in plain text in the Log table in Airflow Metadatase. Same happened when creating a Connection with a password field.
- Record
CVE-2020-17511- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2020-0043
In Airflow versions prior to 1.10.13, when creating a user using airflow CLI, the password gets logged in plain text in the Log table in Airflow Metadatase. Same happened when creating a Connection with a password field.
- Record
EUVD-2020-0043- CVSS
- 0.0 None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-cvcq-gmc3-q6m8
Apache Airflow logs passwords in plaintext
In Airflow versions prior to 1.10.13, when creating a user using airflow CLI, the password gets logged in plain text in the Log table in Airflow Metadatase. The same happenes when creating a Connection with a password field.
- Record
GHSA-cvcq-gmc3-q6m8- CVSS 4.0
- 2.4 Low
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:A/VC:L/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - CVSS 3.1
- 2.8 Low
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-312
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
In Airflow versions prior to 1.10.13, when creating a user using airflow CLI, the password gets logged in plain text in the Log table in Airflow Metadatase. Same happened when creating a Connection with a password field.
- Record
CVE-2020-17511- CVSS 3.1
- 6.5 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-cvcq-gmc3-q6m8
Apache Airflow logs passwords in plaintext
In Airflow versions prior to 1.10.13, when creating a user using airflow CLI, the password gets logged in plain text in the Log table in Airflow Metadatase. The same happenes when creating a Connection with a password field.
- Record
GHSA-cvcq-gmc3-q6m8- CVSS 4.0
- 2.4 Low
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:A/VC:L/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - CVSS 3.1
- 2.8 Low
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-312
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVBIT-airflow-2020-17511 No score
In Airflow versions prior to 1.10.13, when creating a user using airflow CLI, the password gets logged in plain text in the Log table in Airflow Metadatase. Same happened when creating a Connection with a password field.
- Record
BIT-airflow-2020-17511- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVPYSEC-2020-262 No score
In Airflow versions prior to 1.10.13, when creating a user using airflow CLI, the password gets logged in plain text in the Log table in Airflow Metadatase. Same happened when creating a Connection with a password field.
- Record
PYSEC-2020-262- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
apache-airflowPyPI |
before 1.10.13 | 1.10.13 |
airflowBitnami |
before 1.10.13 | 1.10.13 |
apache-airflowPyPI |
before 1.10.13, plus listed versions 1.10.01.10.11.10.101.10.10rc11.10.10rc2 Show 45 moreShow less1.10.10rc31.10.10rc41.10.10rc51.10.111.10.11rc11.10.11rc21.10.121.10.12rc11.10.12rc21.10.12rc31.10.12rc41.10.13rc11.10.1b11.10.1rc21.10.21.10.2b21.10.2rc11.10.2rc21.10.2rc31.10.31.10.3b11.10.3b21.10.3rc11.10.3rc21.10.41.10.4b21.10.4rc11.10.4rc21.10.4rc31.10.4rc41.10.4rc51.10.51.10.5rc11.10.61.10.6rc11.10.6rc21.10.71.10.7rc11.10.7rc21.10.7rc31.10.81.10.8rc11.10.91.10.9rc11.8.1 |
1.10.13 |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| facts | ||
| aliases | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2020-17511 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 6.5) in Apache Airflow, published December 14, 2020. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 2.62%, the 85th percentile. Fixed in apache-airflow 1.10.13.
References
lists.apache.org/thread.html/ree782a29d927b96bf0b39fb92e2f1f09ea3112a985f7a08ce93765ac%40%3Cusers.airflow.apache.org%3E
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-17511
github.com/apache/airflow/commit/4e32546faf227a6497ce8b282fff7450cae6f665
Left out here: 3 versions. The JSON record has them.