CVE-2023-39508
Apache Airflow: Airflow "Run task" feature allows execution with unnecessary priviledges
Execution with Unnecessary Privileges, : Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor vulnerability in Apache Software Foundation Apache Airflow.The "Run Task" feature enables authenticated user to bypass some of the restrictions put in place. It allows to execute code in the webserver context as well as allows to bypas limitation of access the user has to certain DAGs. The "Run Task" feature is considered dangerous and it has been removed entirely in Airflow 2.6.0
This issue affects Apache Airflow: before 2.6.0.
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
What each source reports
NVD Score used
8.8
Execution with Unnecessary Privileges, : Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor vulnerability in Apache Software Foundation Apache Airflow.The "Run Task" feature enables authenticated user to bypass some of the restrictions put in place. It allows to execute code in the webserver context as well as allows to bypas limitation of access the user has to certain DAGs. The "Run Task" feature is considered dangerous and it has been removed entirely in Airflow 2.6.0
This issue affects Apache Airflow: before 2.6.0.
- Record
CVE-2023-39508- CVSS 3.1
- 8.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-200, CWE-250
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
CVE List
8.8
Apache Airflow: Airflow "Run task" feature allows execution with unnecessary priviledges
Execution with Unnecessary Privileges, : Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor vulnerability in Apache Software Foundation Apache Airflow.The "Run Task" feature enables authenticated user to bypass some of the restrictions put in place. It allows to execute code in the webserver context as well as allows to bypas limitation of access the user has to certain DAGs. The "Run Task" feature is considered dangerous and it has been removed entirely in Airflow 2.6.0
This issue affects Apache Airflow: before 2.6.0.
- Record
CVE-2023-39508- CVSS 3.1
- 8.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-250, CWE-200
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2023-0014
8.8
Execution with Unnecessary Privileges, : Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor vulnerability in Apache Software Foundation Apache Airflow.The "Run Task" feature enables authenticated user to bypass some of the restrictions put in place. It allows to execute code in the webserver context as well as allows to bypas limitation of access the user has to certain DAGs. The "Run Task" feature is considered dangerous and it has been removed entirely in Airflow 2.6.0
This issue affects Apache Airflow: before 2.6.0.
- Record
EUVD-2023-0014- CVSS 3.1
- 8.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-269x-pg5c-5xgm
8.7
Apache Airflow Execution with Unnecessary Privileges
Execution with Unnecessary Privileges, : Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor vulnerability in Apache Software Foundation Apache Airflow.The "Run Task" feature enables authenticated user to bypass some of the restrictions put in place. It allows to execute code in the webserver context as well as allows to bypas limitation of access the user has to certain DAGs. The "Run Task" feature is considered dangerous and it has been removed entirely in Airflow 2.6.0.
This issue affects Apache Airflow: before 2.6.0.
- Record
GHSA-269x-pg5c-5xgm- CVSS 4.0
- 8.7 High
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - CVSS 3.1
- 8.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-200
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
8.8
Apache Airflow: Airflow "Run task" feature allows execution with unnecessary priviledges
Execution with Unnecessary Privileges, : Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor vulnerability in Apache Software Foundation Apache Airflow.The "Run Task" feature enables authenticated user to bypass some of the restrictions put in place. It allows to execute code in the webserver context as well as allows to bypas limitation of access the user has to certain DAGs. The "Run Task" feature is considered dangerous and it has been removed entirely in Airflow 2.6.0
This issue affects Apache Airflow: before 2.6.0.
- Record
CVE-2023-39508- CVSS 3.1
- 8.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-200, CWE-250
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-269x-pg5c-5xgm
8.7
Apache Airflow Execution with Unnecessary Privileges
Execution with Unnecessary Privileges, : Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor vulnerability in Apache Software Foundation Apache Airflow.The "Run Task" feature enables authenticated user to bypass some of the restrictions put in place. It allows to execute code in the webserver context as well as allows to bypas limitation of access the user has to certain DAGs. The "Run Task" feature is considered dangerous and it has been removed entirely in Airflow 2.6.0.
This issue affects Apache Airflow: before 2.6.0.
- Record
GHSA-269x-pg5c-5xgm- CVSS 4.0
- 8.7 High
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - CVSS 3.1
- 8.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-200
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVBIT-airflow-2023-39508 No score
Apache Airflow: Airflow "Run task" feature allows execution with unnecessary priviledges
Execution with Unnecessary Privileges, : Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor vulnerability in Apache Software Foundation Apache Airflow.The "Run Task" feature enables authenticated user to bypass some of the restrictions put in place. It allows to execute code in the webserver context as well as allows to bypas limitation of access the user has to certain DAGs. The "Run Task" feature is considered dangerous and it has been removed entirely in Airflow 2.6.0
This issue affects Apache Airflow: before 2.6.0.
- Record
BIT-airflow-2023-39508- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVPYSEC-2023-134 No score
Execution with Unnecessary Privileges, : Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor vulnerability in Apache Software Foundation Apache Airflow.The "Run Task" feature enables authenticated user to bypass some of the restrictions put in place. It allows to execute code in the webserver context as well as allows to bypas limitation of access the user has to certain DAGs. The "Run Task" feature is considered dangerous and it has been removed entirely in Airflow 2.6.0
This issue affects Apache Airflow: before 2.6.0.
- Record
PYSEC-2023-134- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
apache-airflowPyPI |
before 2.6.0b1 | 2.6.0b1 |
airflowBitnami |
before 2.6.0 | 2.6.0 |
apache-airflowPyPI |
before 2.6.0b1, plus listed versions 1.10.01.10.11.10.101.10.10rc11.10.10rc2 Show 45 moreShow less1.10.10rc31.10.10rc41.10.10rc51.10.111.10.11rc11.10.11rc21.10.121.10.12rc11.10.12rc21.10.12rc31.10.12rc41.10.131.10.13rc11.10.141.10.14rc11.10.14rc21.10.14rc31.10.14rc41.10.151.10.15rc11.10.1b11.10.1rc21.10.21.10.2b21.10.2rc11.10.2rc21.10.2rc31.10.31.10.3b11.10.3b21.10.3rc11.10.3rc21.10.41.10.4b21.10.4rc11.10.4rc21.10.4rc31.10.4rc41.10.4rc51.10.51.10.5rc11.10.61.10.6rc11.10.6rc21.10.7 |
2.6.0b1 |
apache-airflowPyPI |
before 2.6.0, plus listed versions 1.10.01.10.11.10.101.10.10rc11.10.10rc2 Show 45 moreShow less1.10.10rc31.10.10rc41.10.10rc51.10.111.10.11rc11.10.11rc21.10.121.10.12rc11.10.12rc21.10.12rc31.10.12rc41.10.131.10.13rc11.10.141.10.14rc11.10.14rc21.10.14rc31.10.14rc41.10.151.10.15rc11.10.1b11.10.1rc21.10.21.10.2b21.10.2rc11.10.2rc21.10.2rc31.10.31.10.3b11.10.3b21.10.3rc11.10.3rc21.10.41.10.4b21.10.4rc11.10.4rc21.10.4rc31.10.4rc41.10.4rc51.10.51.10.5rc11.10.61.10.6rc11.10.6rc21.10.7 |
2.6.0 |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| aliases, facts | ||
| affected | ||
| aliases, published | EUVD | |
| first indexed | CVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2023-39508 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 8.8) in Apache Airflow, published August 5, 2023. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 2.63%, the 85th percentile. Fixed in apache-airflow 2.6.0b1.
References
github.com/apache/airflow/pull/29706
lists.apache.org/thread/j2nkjd0zqvtqk85s6ywpx3c35pvzyx15
seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2023/Jul/43
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-39508
github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/apache-airflow/PYSEC-2023-134.yaml
github.com/apache/airflow/commit/101d59c4b88ab979d305b8d96f612c27c8a44aa8
github.com/advisories/GHSA-269x-pg5c-5xgm
github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2023/39xxx/CVE-2023-39508.json
github.com/apache/airflow
Left out here: 188 versions. The JSON record has them.