CVE-2026-42359
Apache Airflow: Authenticated RCE via XCom PATCH endpoint — XComUpdateBody missing FORBIDDEN_XCOM_KEYS validator
A bug in Apache Airflow's XCom PATCH endpoint PATCH /api/v2/xcomEntries/{key} allowed an authenticated UI/API user with XCom write permission on a Dag to set XCom entries under reserved key names (e.g. return_value) that the matching POST endpoint already validated against FORBIDDEN_XCOM_KEYS. The endpoint also accepted serialized payload shapes the triggerer's deserializer treats as code; combined, this allowed RCE on the triggerer when the affected task next deferred. Affects deployments where untrusted users have XCom write permission on Dags that defer to the triggerer. This is a fix-bypass of CVE-2026-33858: PR #64148 added the FORBIDDEN_XCOM_KEYS validator only on the POST/set path; the PATCH path was not covered. Users who already upgraded for CVE-2026-33858 should additionally upgrade to apache-airflow 3.2.2 or later to cover the PATCH-path bypass.
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
CVE List Score used
8.8
Apache Airflow: Authenticated RCE via XCom PATCH endpoint — XComUpdateBody missing FORBIDDEN_XCOM_KEYS validator
A bug in Apache Airflow's XCom PATCH endpoint PATCH /api/v2/xcomEntries/{key} allowed an authenticated UI/API user with XCom write permission on a Dag to set XCom entries under reserved key names (e.g. return_value) that the matching POST endpoint already validated against FORBIDDEN_XCOM_KEYS. The endpoint also accepted serialized payload shapes the triggerer's deserializer treats as code; combined, this allowed RCE on the triggerer when the affected task next deferred. Affects deployments where untrusted users have XCom write permission on Dags that defer to the triggerer. This is a fix-bypass of CVE-2026-33858: PR #64148 added the FORBIDDEN_XCOM_KEYS validator only on the POST/set path; the PATCH path was not covered. Users who already upgraded for CVE-2026-33858 should additionally upgrade to apache-airflow 3.2.2 or later to cover the PATCH-path bypass.
- Record
CVE-2026-42359- 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-502
- Updated
- 2026-11-03
EUVDEUVD-2026-33588
8.8
A bug in Apache Airflow's XCom PATCH endpoint PATCH /api/v2/xcomEntries/{key} allowed an authenticated UI/API user with XCom write permission on a Dag to set XCom entries under reserved key names (e.g. return_value) that the matching POST endpoint already validated against FORBIDDEN_XCOM_KEYS. The endpoint also accepted serialized payload shapes the triggerer's deserializer treats as code; combined, this allowed RCE on the triggerer when the affected task next deferred. Affects deployments where untrusted users have XCom write permission on Dags that defer to the triggerer. This is a fix-bypass of CVE-2026-33858: PR #64148 added the FORBIDDEN_XCOM_KEYS validator only on the POST/set path; the PATCH path was not covered. Users who already upgraded for CVE-2026-33858 should additionally upgrade to apache-airflow 3.2.2 or later to cover the PATCH-path bypass.
- Record
EUVD-2026-33588- 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-wr76-29cr-67w8
8.8
Apache Airflow has a Deserialization of Untrusted Data vulnerability
A bug in Apache Airflow's XCom PATCH endpoint PATCH /api/v2/xcomEntries/{key} allowed an authenticated UI/API user with XCom write permission on a Dag to set XCom entries under reserved key names (e.g. return_value) that the matching POST endpoint already validated against FORBIDDEN_XCOM_KEYS. The endpoint also accepted serialized payload shapes the triggerer's deserializer treats as code; combined, this allowed RCE on the triggerer when the affected task next deferred. Affects deployments where untrusted users have XCom write permission on Dags that defer to the triggerer. This is a fix-bypass of CVE-2026-33858: PR #64148 added the FORBIDDEN_XCOM_KEYS validator only on the POST/set path; the PATCH path was not covered. Users who already upgraded for CVE-2026-33858 should additionally upgrade to apache-airflow 3.2.2 or later to cover the PATCH-path bypass.
- Record
GHSA-wr76-29cr-67w8- 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-502
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
8.8
A bug in Apache Airflow's XCom PATCH endpoint PATCH /api/v2/xcomEntries/{key} allowed an authenticated UI/API user with XCom write permission on a Dag to set XCom entries under reserved key names (e.g. return_value) that the matching POST endpoint already validated against FORBIDDEN_XCOM_KEYS. The endpoint also accepted serialized payload shapes the triggerer's deserializer treats as code; combined, this allowed RCE on the triggerer when the affected task next deferred. Affects deployments where untrusted users have XCom write permission on Dags that defer to the triggerer. This is a fix-bypass of CVE-2026-33858: PR #64148 added the FORBIDDEN_XCOM_KEYS validator only on the POST/set path; the PATCH path was not covered. Users who already upgraded for CVE-2026-33858 should additionally upgrade to apache-airflow 3.2.2 or later to cover the PATCH-path bypass.
- Record
CVE-2026-42359- 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-502
- Updated
- 2026-11-03
OSV
8.8
Apache Airflow: Authenticated RCE via XCom PATCH endpoint — XComUpdateBody missing FORBIDDEN_XCOM_KEYS validator
A bug in Apache Airflow's XCom PATCH endpoint PATCH /api/v2/xcomEntries/{key} allowed an authenticated UI/API user with XCom write permission on a Dag to set XCom entries under reserved key names (e.g. return_value) that the matching POST endpoint already validated against FORBIDDEN_XCOM_KEYS. The endpoint also accepted serialized payload shapes the triggerer's deserializer treats as code; combined, this allowed RCE on the triggerer when the affected task next deferred. Affects deployments where untrusted users have XCom write permission on Dags that defer to the triggerer. This is a fix-bypass of CVE-2026-33858: PR #64148 added the FORBIDDEN_XCOM_KEYS validator only on the POST/set path; the PATCH path was not covered. Users who already upgraded for CVE-2026-33858 should additionally upgrade to apache-airflow 3.2.2 or later to cover the PATCH-path bypass.
- Record
CVE-2026-42359- 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-502
- Updated
- 2026-11-04
OSVGHSA-wr76-29cr-67w8
8.8
Apache Airflow has a Deserialization of Untrusted Data vulnerability
A bug in Apache Airflow's XCom PATCH endpoint PATCH /api/v2/xcomEntries/{key} allowed an authenticated UI/API user with XCom write permission on a Dag to set XCom entries under reserved key names (e.g. return_value) that the matching POST endpoint already validated against FORBIDDEN_XCOM_KEYS. The endpoint also accepted serialized payload shapes the triggerer's deserializer treats as code; combined, this allowed RCE on the triggerer when the affected task next deferred. Affects deployments where untrusted users have XCom write permission on Dags that defer to the triggerer. This is a fix-bypass of CVE-2026-33858: PR #64148 added the FORBIDDEN_XCOM_KEYS validator only on the POST/set path; the PATCH path was not covered. Users who already upgraded for CVE-2026-33858 should additionally upgrade to apache-airflow 3.2.2 or later to cover the PATCH-path bypass.
- Record
GHSA-wr76-29cr-67w8- 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-502
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVPYSEC-2026-185
8.8
A bug in Apache Airflow's XCom PATCH endpoint PATCH /api/v2/xcomEntries/{key} allowed an authenticated UI/API user with XCom write permission on a Dag to set XCom entries under reserved key names (e.g. return_value) that the matching POST endpoint already validated against FORBIDDEN_XCOM_KEYS. The endpoint also accepted serialized payload shapes the triggerer's deserializer treats as code; combined, this allowed RCE on the triggerer when the affected task next deferred. Affects deployments where untrusted users have XCom write permission on Dags that defer to the triggerer. This is a fix-bypass of CVE-2026-33858: PR #64148 added the FORBIDDEN_XCOM_KEYS validator only on the POST/set path; the PATCH path was not covered. Users who already upgraded for CVE-2026-33858 should additionally upgrade to apache-airflow 3.2.2 or later to cover the PATCH-path bypass.
- Record
PYSEC-2026-185- 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
- 2026-11-02
OSVBIT-airflow-2026-42359 No score
Apache Airflow: Authenticated RCE via XCom PATCH endpoint — XComUpdateBody missing FORBIDDEN_XCOM_KEYS validator
A bug in Apache Airflow's XCom PATCH endpoint PATCH /api/v2/xcomEntries/{key} allowed an authenticated UI/API user with XCom write permission on a Dag to set XCom entries under reserved key names (e.g. return_value) that the matching POST endpoint already validated against FORBIDDEN_XCOM_KEYS. The endpoint also accepted serialized payload shapes the triggerer's deserializer treats as code; combined, this allowed RCE on the triggerer when the affected task next deferred. Affects deployments where untrusted users have XCom write permission on Dags that defer to the triggerer. This is a fix-bypass of CVE-2026-33858: PR #64148 added the FORBIDDEN_XCOM_KEYS validator only on the POST/set path; the PATCH path was not covered. Users who already upgraded for CVE-2026-33858 should additionally upgrade to apache-airflow 3.2.2 or later to cover the PATCH-path bypass.
- Record
BIT-airflow-2026-42359- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
apache-airflowPyPI |
3.2.0 up to 3.2.2 | 3.2.2 |
airflowBitnami |
3.2.0 up to 3.2.2 | 3.2.2 |
apache-airflowPyPI |
3.2.0 up to 3.2.2, plus listed versions 3.2.13.2.1rc13.2.1rc23.2.1rc33.2.2rc13.2.2rc23.2.2rc3 |
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-2026-42359 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 8.8) 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 0.57%, the 47th percentile. Fixed in apache-airflow 3.2.2.
References
github.com/apache/airflow/pull/65915
lists.apache.org/thread/g8dqykpf1p90tysq8tln4qtkqwb1038s
cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-33858
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-42359
github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/apache-airflow/PYSEC-2026-185.yaml
github.com/advisories/GHSA-wr76-29cr-67w8
pypi.python.org
github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2026/42xxx/CVE-2026-42359.json
github.com/apache/airflow