CVE-2026-40861
Apache Airflow: Arbitrary File Read via Log Symlink following in FileTaskHandler
A Dag author could either (a) create a symlink under their task's log directory pointing to an arbitrary file readable by the API server process (read-path attack — e.g. /etc/passwd or airflow.cfg) or (b) supply a task_id containing .. sequences accepted by the Task SDK's KEY_REGEX (write-path attack), and in both cases the FileTaskHandler resolves the log path outside the configured base_log_folder, leaking or overwriting arbitrary files. Only affects deployments where the worker log folder is shared with the API server. Users are advised to upgrade to apache-airflow 3.2.2 or later. As a defense-in-depth mitigation, deploy the worker and API server with separate log volumes so that worker-controlled paths cannot reach the API server's filesystem.
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
CVE List Score used
6.5
Apache Airflow: Arbitrary File Read via Log Symlink following in FileTaskHandler
A Dag author could either (a) create a symlink under their task's log directory pointing to an arbitrary file readable by the API server process (read-path attack — e.g. /etc/passwd or airflow.cfg) or (b) supply a task_id containing .. sequences accepted by the Task SDK's KEY_REGEX (write-path attack), and in both cases the FileTaskHandler resolves the log path outside the configured base_log_folder, leaking or overwriting arbitrary files. Only affects deployments where the worker log folder is shared with the API server. Users are advised to upgrade to apache-airflow 3.2.2 or later. As a defense-in-depth mitigation, deploy the worker and API server with separate log volumes so that worker-controlled paths cannot reach the API server's filesystem.
- Record
CVE-2026-40861- 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 - Weakness
- CWE-59
- Updated
- 2026-11-03
EUVDEUVD-2026-33598
6.5
A Dag author could either (a) create a symlink under their task's log directory pointing to an arbitrary file readable by the API server process (read-path attack — e.g. /etc/passwd or airflow.cfg) or (b) supply a task_id containing .. sequences accepted by the Task SDK's KEY_REGEX (write-path attack), and in both cases the FileTaskHandler resolves the log path outside the configured base_log_folder, leaking or overwriting arbitrary files. Only affects deployments where the worker log folder is shared with the API server. Users are advised to upgrade to apache-airflow 3.2.2 or later. As a defense-in-depth mitigation, deploy the worker and API server with separate log volumes so that worker-controlled paths cannot reach the API server's filesystem.
- Record
EUVD-2026-33598- 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
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-89cj-xrpx-j79m
6.5
Apache Airflow has a Link Following issue
A Dag author could either (a) create a symlink under their task's log directory pointing to an arbitrary file readable by the API server process (read-path attack — e.g. /etc/passwd or airflow.cfg) or (b) supply a task_id containing .. sequences accepted by the Task SDK's KEY_REGEX (write-path attack), and in both cases the FileTaskHandler resolves the log path outside the configured base_log_folder, leaking or overwriting arbitrary files. Only affects deployments where the worker log folder is shared with the API server. Users are advised to upgrade to apache-airflow 3.2.2 or later. As a defense-in-depth mitigation, deploy the worker and API server with separate log volumes so that worker-controlled paths cannot reach the API server's filesystem.
- Record
GHSA-89cj-xrpx-j79m- 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 - Weakness
- CWE-59
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
6.5
A Dag author could either (a) create a symlink under their task's log directory pointing to an arbitrary file readable by the API server process (read-path attack — e.g. /etc/passwd or airflow.cfg) or (b) supply a task_id containing .. sequences accepted by the Task SDK's KEY_REGEX (write-path attack), and in both cases the FileTaskHandler resolves the log path outside the configured base_log_folder, leaking or overwriting arbitrary files. Only affects deployments where the worker log folder is shared with the API server. Users are advised to upgrade to apache-airflow 3.2.2 or later. As a defense-in-depth mitigation, deploy the worker and API server with separate log volumes so that worker-controlled paths cannot reach the API server's filesystem.
- Record
CVE-2026-40861- 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 - Weakness
- CWE-59
- Updated
- 2026-11-03
OSV
6.5
Apache Airflow: Arbitrary File Read via Log Symlink following in FileTaskHandler
A Dag author could either (a) create a symlink under their task's log directory pointing to an arbitrary file readable by the API server process (read-path attack — e.g. /etc/passwd or airflow.cfg) or (b) supply a task_id containing .. sequences accepted by the Task SDK's KEY_REGEX (write-path attack), and in both cases the FileTaskHandler resolves the log path outside the configured base_log_folder, leaking or overwriting arbitrary files. Only affects deployments where the worker log folder is shared with the API server. Users are advised to upgrade to apache-airflow 3.2.2 or later. As a defense-in-depth mitigation, deploy the worker and API server with separate log volumes so that worker-controlled paths cannot reach the API server's filesystem.
- Record
CVE-2026-40861- 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 - Weakness
- CWE-59
- Updated
- 2026-11-04
OSVGHSA-89cj-xrpx-j79m
6.5
Apache Airflow has a Link Following issue
A Dag author could either (a) create a symlink under their task's log directory pointing to an arbitrary file readable by the API server process (read-path attack — e.g. /etc/passwd or airflow.cfg) or (b) supply a task_id containing .. sequences accepted by the Task SDK's KEY_REGEX (write-path attack), and in both cases the FileTaskHandler resolves the log path outside the configured base_log_folder, leaking or overwriting arbitrary files. Only affects deployments where the worker log folder is shared with the API server. Users are advised to upgrade to apache-airflow 3.2.2 or later. As a defense-in-depth mitigation, deploy the worker and API server with separate log volumes so that worker-controlled paths cannot reach the API server's filesystem.
- Record
GHSA-89cj-xrpx-j79m- 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 - Weakness
- CWE-59
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVPYSEC-2026-181
6.5
A Dag author could either (a) create a symlink under their task's log directory pointing to an arbitrary file readable by the API server process (read-path attack — e.g. /etc/passwd or airflow.cfg) or (b) supply a task_id containing .. sequences accepted by the Task SDK's KEY_REGEX (write-path attack), and in both cases the FileTaskHandler resolves the log path outside the configured base_log_folder, leaking or overwriting arbitrary files. Only affects deployments where the worker log folder is shared with the API server. Users are advised to upgrade to apache-airflow 3.2.2 or later. As a defense-in-depth mitigation, deploy the worker and API server with separate log volumes so that worker-controlled paths cannot reach the API server's filesystem.
- Record
PYSEC-2026-181- 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
OSVBIT-airflow-2026-40861 No score
Apache Airflow: Arbitrary File Read via Log Symlink following in FileTaskHandler
A Dag author could either (a) create a symlink under their task's log directory pointing to an arbitrary file readable by the API server process (read-path attack — e.g. /etc/passwd or airflow.cfg) or (b) supply a task_id containing .. sequences accepted by the Task SDK's KEY_REGEX (write-path attack), and in both cases the FileTaskHandler resolves the log path outside the configured base_log_folder, leaking or overwriting arbitrary files. Only affects deployments where the worker log folder is shared with the API server. Users are advised to upgrade to apache-airflow 3.2.2 or later. As a defense-in-depth mitigation, deploy the worker and API server with separate log volumes so that worker-controlled paths cannot reach the API server's filesystem.
- Record
BIT-airflow-2026-40861- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
apache-airflowPyPI |
before 3.2.2 | 3.2.2 |
airflowBitnami |
before 3.2.2 | 3.2.2 |
apache-airflowPyPI |
before 3.2.2, 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 |
3.2.2 |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| facts | CVE List, EUVD, NVD, OSV | |
| first indexed | CVE List, EUVD, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2026-40861 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 6.5) in Apache Airflow, published June 1, 2026. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.69%, the 53rd percentile. Fixed in apache-airflow 3.2.2.
References
github.com/apache/airflow/pull/65325
lists.apache.org/thread/823334db2559xjlwt59gpzjz47thnscl
openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/05/31/1
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-40861
github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/apache-airflow/PYSEC-2026-181.yaml
github.com/advisories/GHSA-89cj-xrpx-j79m
pypi.python.org
github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2026/40xxx/CVE-2026-40861.json
github.com/apache/airflow
Left out here: 239 versions. The JSON record has them.