CVE-2026-59242
Apache Airflow: Arbitrary airflow.* class instantiation on the API server via the XCom deserialize endpoint
Apache Airflow's XCom GET /api/v2/{...}/xcomEntries/{key}?deserialize=true endpoint passed a string-literal payload through BaseXCom.deserialize_value without the _check_forbidden_xcom_keys guard, allowing an authenticated API user with XCom write-and-read access to instantiate arbitrary airflow.* classes on the API server (CWE-502). An authenticated user who can write an XCom value and then read it back with deserialize=true triggers the unsafe instantiation. Users are advised to upgrade to apache-airflow 3.3.1 or later, which rejects reserved XCom serialization keys submitted as JSON string literals.
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
- Low
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- None
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
5.4
Apache Airflow: Arbitrary airflow.* class instantiation on the API server via the XCom deserialize endpoint
Apache Airflow's XCom GET /api/v2/{...}/xcomEntries/{key}?deserialize=true endpoint passed a string-literal payload through BaseXCom.deserialize_value without the _check_forbidden_xcom_keys guard, allowing an authenticated API user with XCom write-and-read access to instantiate arbitrary airflow.* classes on the API server (CWE-502). An authenticated user who can write an XCom value and then read it back with deserialize=true triggers the unsafe instantiation. Users are advised to upgrade to apache-airflow 3.3.1 or later, which rejects reserved XCom serialization keys submitted as JSON string literals.
- Record
CVE-2026-59242- CVSS 3.1
- 5.4 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-502
- Updated
- 2026-11-03
EUVDEUVD-2026-57312
5.4
Apache Airflow's XCom GET /api/v2/{...}/xcomEntries/{key}?deserialize=true endpoint passed a string-literal payload through BaseXCom.deserialize_value without the _check_forbidden_xcom_keys guard, allowing an authenticated API user with XCom write-and-read access to instantiate arbitrary airflow.* classes on the API server (CWE-502). An authenticated user who can write an XCom value and then read it back with deserialize=true triggers the unsafe instantiation. Users are advised to upgrade to apache-airflow 3.3.1 or later, which rejects reserved XCom serialization keys submitted as JSON string literals.
- Record
EUVD-2026-57312- CVSS 3.1
- 5.4 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-fcmm-42r9-mmmm
5.4
Apache Airflow XCom API permits unsafe deserialization through JSON string literals
Apache Airflow's XCom GET /api/v2/{...}/xcomEntries/{key}?deserialize=true endpoint passed a string-literal payload through BaseXCom.deserialize_value without the _check_forbidden_xcom_keys guard, allowing an authenticated API user with XCom write-and-read access to instantiate arbitrary airflow.* classes on the API server (CWE-502). An authenticated user who can write an XCom value and then read it back with deserialize=true triggers the unsafe instantiation. Users are advised to upgrade to apache-airflow 3.3.1 or later, which rejects reserved XCom serialization keys submitted as JSON string literals.
- Record
GHSA-fcmm-42r9-mmmm- CVSS 3.1
- 5.4 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-502
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
5.4
Apache Airflow's XCom GET /api/v2/{...}/xcomEntries/{key}?deserialize=true endpoint passed a string-literal payload through BaseXCom.deserialize_value without the _check_forbidden_xcom_keys guard, allowing an authenticated API user with XCom write-and-read access to instantiate arbitrary airflow.* classes on the API server (CWE-502). An authenticated user who can write an XCom value and then read it back with deserialize=true triggers the unsafe instantiation. Users are advised to upgrade to apache-airflow 3.3.1 or later, which rejects reserved XCom serialization keys submitted as JSON string literals.
- Record
CVE-2026-59242- CVSS 3.1
- 5.4 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-502
- Updated
- 2026-11-03
OSV
5.4
Apache Airflow: Arbitrary airflow.* class instantiation on the API server via the XCom deserialize endpoint
Apache Airflow's XCom GET /api/v2/{...}/xcomEntries/{key}?deserialize=true endpoint passed a string-literal payload through BaseXCom.deserialize_value without the _check_forbidden_xcom_keys guard, allowing an authenticated API user with XCom write-and-read access to instantiate arbitrary airflow.* classes on the API server (CWE-502). An authenticated user who can write an XCom value and then read it back with deserialize=true triggers the unsafe instantiation. Users are advised to upgrade to apache-airflow 3.3.1 or later, which rejects reserved XCom serialization keys submitted as JSON string literals.
- Record
CVE-2026-59242- CVSS 3.1
- 5.4 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-502
- Updated
- 2026-11-04
OSVGHSA-fcmm-42r9-mmmm
5.4
Apache Airflow XCom API permits unsafe deserialization through JSON string literals
Apache Airflow's XCom GET /api/v2/{...}/xcomEntries/{key}?deserialize=true endpoint passed a string-literal payload through BaseXCom.deserialize_value without the _check_forbidden_xcom_keys guard, allowing an authenticated API user with XCom write-and-read access to instantiate arbitrary airflow.* classes on the API server (CWE-502). An authenticated user who can write an XCom value and then read it back with deserialize=true triggers the unsafe instantiation. Users are advised to upgrade to apache-airflow 3.3.1 or later, which rejects reserved XCom serialization keys submitted as JSON string literals.
- Record
GHSA-fcmm-42r9-mmmm- CVSS 3.1
- 5.4 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N - Weakness
- CWE-502
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVPYSEC-2026-3992
5.4
Apache Airflow's XCom GET /api/v2/{...}/xcomEntries/{key}?deserialize=true endpoint passed a string-literal payload through BaseXCom.deserialize_value without the _check_forbidden_xcom_keys guard, allowing an authenticated API user with XCom write-and-read access to instantiate arbitrary airflow.* classes on the API server (CWE-502). An authenticated user who can write an XCom value and then read it back with deserialize=true triggers the unsafe instantiation. Users are advised to upgrade to apache-airflow 3.3.1 or later, which rejects reserved XCom serialization keys submitted as JSON string literals.
- Record
PYSEC-2026-3992- CVSS 3.1
- 5.4 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N - Updated
- 2026-11-02
OSVBIT-airflow-2026-59242 No score
Apache Airflow: Arbitrary airflow.* class instantiation on the API server via the XCom deserialize endpoint
Apache Airflow's XCom GET /api/v2/{...}/xcomEntries/{key}?deserialize=true endpoint passed a string-literal payload through BaseXCom.deserialize_value without the _check_forbidden_xcom_keys guard, allowing an authenticated API user with XCom write-and-read access to instantiate arbitrary airflow.* classes on the API server (CWE-502). An authenticated user who can write an XCom value and then read it back with deserialize=true triggers the unsafe instantiation. Users are advised to upgrade to apache-airflow 3.3.1 or later, which rejects reserved XCom serialization keys submitted as JSON string literals.
- Record
BIT-airflow-2026-59242- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
Affected packages
| Package | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
apache-airflowPyPI |
before 3.3.1 | 3.3.1 |
airflowBitnami |
before 3.3.1 | 3.3.1 |
apache-airflowPyPI |
before 3.3.1, 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 |
3.3.1 |
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-2026-59242 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 5.4) in Apache Airflow, published August 12, 2026. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.53%, the 44th percentile. Fixed in apache-airflow 3.3.1.
References
github.com/apache/airflow/pull/69378
lists.apache.org/thread/dm0520yhh4mn7qknyoh45r2w6c5qg2mg
openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/08/12/6
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-59242
github.com/apache/airflow/commit/78abd3044654d44d711eb61e475029fd1b1ccc23
github.com/apache/airflow/commit/d08ddc0127d5be7f9b31c1f935bc4d25a897a848
Show 6 moreShow less
Left out here: 247 versions. The JSON record has them.