CVE-2023-50943
Apache Airflow: Potential pickle deserialization vulnerability in XComs
Apache Airflow, versions before 2.8.1, have a vulnerability that allows a potential attacker to poison the XCom data by bypassing the protection of "enable_xcom_pickling=False" configuration setting resulting in poisoned data after XCom deserialization. This vulnerability is considered low since it requires a DAG author to exploit it. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 2.8.1 or later, which fixes this issue.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- None
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- None
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
NVD Score used
Apache Airflow, versions before 2.8.1, have a vulnerability that allows a potential attacker to poison the XCom data by bypassing the protection of "enable_xcom_pickling=False" configuration setting resulting in poisoned data after XCom deserialization. This vulnerability is considered low since it requires a DAG author to exploit it. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 2.8.1 or later, which fixes this issue.
- Record
CVE-2023-50943- CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-502
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
CVE List
Apache Airflow: Potential pickle deserialization vulnerability in XComs
Apache Airflow, versions before 2.8.1, have a vulnerability that allows a potential attacker to poison the XCom data by bypassing the protection of "enable_xcom_pickling=False" configuration setting resulting in poisoned data after XCom deserialization. This vulnerability is considered low since it requires a DAG author to exploit it. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 2.8.1 or later, which fixes this issue.
- Record
CVE-2023-50943- CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-502
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2024-0004
Apache Airflow, versions before 2.8.1, have a vulnerability that allows a potential attacker to poison the XCom data by bypassing the protection of "enable_xcom_pickling=False" configuration setting resulting in poisoned data after XCom deserialization. This vulnerability is considered low since it requires a DAG author to exploit it. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 2.8.1 or later, which fixes this issue.
- Record
EUVD-2024-0004- CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-c3c6-f2ww-xfr2
Apache Airflow: pickle deserialization vulnerability in XComs
Apache Airflow, versions before 2.8.1, have a vulnerability that allows a potential attacker to poison the XCom data by bypassing the protection of "enable_xcom_pickling=False" configuration setting resulting in poisoned data after XCom deserialization. This vulnerability is considered low since it requires a DAG author to exploit it. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 2.8.1 or later, which fixes this issue.
- Record
GHSA-c3c6-f2ww-xfr2- CVSS 4.0
- 8.7 High
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-502
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSV
Apache Airflow: Potential pickle deserialization vulnerability in XComs
Apache Airflow, versions before 2.8.1, have a vulnerability that allows a potential attacker to poison the XCom data by bypassing the protection of "enable_xcom_pickling=False" configuration setting resulting in poisoned data after XCom deserialization. This vulnerability is considered low since it requires a DAG author to exploit it. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 2.8.1 or later, which fixes this issue.
- Record
CVE-2023-50943- CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-502
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-c3c6-f2ww-xfr2
Apache Airflow: pickle deserialization vulnerability in XComs
Apache Airflow, versions before 2.8.1, have a vulnerability that allows a potential attacker to poison the XCom data by bypassing the protection of "enable_xcom_pickling=False" configuration setting resulting in poisoned data after XCom deserialization. This vulnerability is considered low since it requires a DAG author to exploit it. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 2.8.1 or later, which fixes this issue.
- Record
GHSA-c3c6-f2ww-xfr2- CVSS 4.0
- 8.7 High
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-502
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVBIT-airflow-2023-50943 No score
Apache Airflow: Potential pickle deserialization vulnerability in XComs
Apache Airflow, versions before 2.8.1, have a vulnerability that allows a potential attacker to poison the XCom data by bypassing the protection of "enable_xcom_pickling=False" configuration setting resulting in poisoned data after XCom deserialization. This vulnerability is considered low since it requires a DAG author to exploit it. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 2.8.1 or later, which fixes this issue.
- Record
BIT-airflow-2023-50943- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVPYSEC-2024-13 No score
Apache Airflow, versions before 2.8.1, have a vulnerability that allows a potential attacker to poison the XCom data by bypassing the protection of "enable_xcom_pickling=False" configuration setting resulting in poisoned data after XCom deserialization. This vulnerability is considered low since it requires a DAG author to exploit it. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 2.8.1 or later, which fixes this issue.
- Record
PYSEC-2024-13- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
apache-airflowPyPI |
before 2.8.1rc1 | 2.8.1rc1 |
airflowBitnami |
before 2.8.1 | 2.8.1 |
apache-airflowPyPI |
before 2.8.1rc1, 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 |
2.8.1rc1 |
apache-airflowPyPI |
before 2.8.1, 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 |
2.8.1 |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| aliases, facts | ||
| affected | ||
| first indexed | CVE List, EUVD, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2023-50943 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 7.5) in Apache Airflow, published January 24, 2024. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 1.22%, the 68th percentile. Fixed in apache-airflow 2.8.1rc1.
References
github.com/apache/airflow/pull/36255
lists.apache.org/thread/fx278v0twqzxkcts70tc04cp3f8p56pn
openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2024/01/24/4
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-50943
Left out here: 249 versions. The JSON record has them.