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CVE-2020-13927

Authentication bypass in Apache Airflow

9.8 CriticalIn KEVPublic exploitFix available

The previous default setting for Airflow's Experimental API was to allow all API requests without authentication, but this poses security risks to users who miss this fact. From Airflow 1.10.11 the default has been changed to deny all requests by default and is documented at https://airflow.apache.org/docs/1.10.11/security.html#api-authentication. Note this change fixes it for new installs but existing users need to change their config to default [api]auth_backend = airflow.api.auth.backend.deny_all as mentioned in the Updating Guide: https://github.com/apache/airflow/blob/1.10.11/UPDATING.md#experimental-api-will-deny-all-request-by-default

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
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

Exploit likelihood

99.8%Up 98.5 points since Apr 14, 2021
90%50%10%1%

What each source reports

NVD Score used 9.8

The previous default setting for Airflow's Experimental API was to allow all API requests without authentication, but this poses security risks to users who miss this fact. From Airflow 1.10.11 the default has been changed to deny all requests by default and is documented at https://airflow.apache.org/docs/1.10.11/security.html#api-authentication. Note this change fixes it for new installs but existing users need to change their config to default [api]auth_backend = airflow.api.auth.backend.deny_all as mentioned in the Updating Guide: https://github.com/apache/airflow/blob/1.10.11/UPDATING.md#experimental-api-will-deny-all-request-by-default

Record
CVE-2020-13927
CVSS 3.1
9.8 CriticalCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS 2.0
7.5 HighAV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
Weakness
CWE-306, CWE-1188, CWE-1056
Updated
2026-11-02
CVE List 9.8

The previous default setting for Airflow's Experimental API was to allow all API requests without authentication, but this poses security risks to users who miss this fact. From Airflow 1.10.11 the default has been changed to deny all requests by default and is documented at https://airflow.apache.org/docs/1.10.11/security.html#api-authentication. Note this change fixes it for new installs but existing users need to change their config to default [api]auth_backend = airflow.api.auth.backend.deny_all as mentioned in the Updating Guide: https://github.com/apache/airflow/blob/1.10.11/UPDATING.md#experimental-api-will-deny-all-request-by-default

Record
CVE-2020-13927
CVSS 3.1
9.8 CriticalCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Weakness
CWE-306, CWE-1188, CWE-1056
Updated
2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2020-0037 9.8

The previous default setting for Airflow's Experimental API was to allow all API requests without authentication, but this poses security risks to users who miss this fact. From Airflow 1.10.11 the default has been changed to deny all requests by default and is documented at https://airflow.apache.org/docs/1.10.11/security.html#api-authentication. Note this change fixes it for new installs but existing users need to change their config to default [api]auth_backend = airflow.api.auth.backend.deny_all as mentioned in the Updating Guide: https://github.com/apache/airflow/blob/1.10.11/UPDATING.md#experimental-api-will-deny-all-request-by-default

Record
EUVD-2020-0037
CVSS 3.1
9.8 CriticalCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Updated
2026-11-02
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-hhx9-p69v-cx2j 9.3

Authentication bypass in Apache Airflow

The previous default setting for Airflow's Experimental API was to allow all API requests without authentication, but this poses security risks to users who miss this fact. From Airflow 1.10.11 the default has been changed to deny all requests by default and is documented at https://airflow.apache.org/docs/1.10.11/security.html#api-authentication. Note this change fixes it for new installs but existing users need to change their config to default [api]auth_backend = airflow.api.auth.backend.deny_all as mentioned in the Updating Guide: https://github.com/apache/airflow/blob/1.10.11/UPDATING.md#experimental-api-will-deny-all-request-by-default

Record
GHSA-hhx9-p69v-cx2j
CVSS 4.0
9.3 CriticalCVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:A
CVSS 3.1
9.8 CriticalCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:H
Weakness
CWE-287, CWE-306, CWE-1056, CWE-1188
Updated
2026-11-02
CISA KEV No score

Apache Airflow's Experimental API Authentication Bypass

The previous default setting for Airflow's Experimental API was to allow all API requests without authentication.

Record
CVE-2020-13927
Weakness
CWE-1188, CWE-306
Updated
2026-11-02
OSV 9.8

The previous default setting for Airflow's Experimental API was to allow all API requests without authentication, but this poses security risks to users who miss this fact. From Airflow 1.10.11 the default has been changed to deny all requests by default and is documented at https://airflow.apache.org/docs/1.10.11/security.html#api-authentication. Note this change fixes it for new installs but existing users need to change their config to default [api]auth_backend = airflow.api.auth.backend.deny_all as mentioned in the Updating Guide: https://github.com/apache/airflow/blob/1.10.11/UPDATING.md#experimental-api-will-deny-all-request-by-default

Record
CVE-2020-13927
CVSS 3.1
9.8 CriticalCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVGHSA-hhx9-p69v-cx2j 9.3

Authentication bypass in Apache Airflow

The previous default setting for Airflow's Experimental API was to allow all API requests without authentication, but this poses security risks to users who miss this fact. From Airflow 1.10.11 the default has been changed to deny all requests by default and is documented at https://airflow.apache.org/docs/1.10.11/security.html#api-authentication. Note this change fixes it for new installs but existing users need to change their config to default [api]auth_backend = airflow.api.auth.backend.deny_all as mentioned in the Updating Guide: https://github.com/apache/airflow/blob/1.10.11/UPDATING.md#experimental-api-will-deny-all-request-by-default

Record
GHSA-hhx9-p69v-cx2j
CVSS 4.0
9.3 CriticalCVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:A
CVSS 3.1
9.8 CriticalCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:H
Weakness
CWE-1056, CWE-1188, CWE-287, CWE-306
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVBIT-airflow-2020-13927 No score

The previous default setting for Airflow's Experimental API was to allow all API requests without authentication, but this poses security risks to users who miss this fact. From Airflow 1.10.11 the default has been changed to deny all requests by default and is documented at https://airflow.apache.org/docs/1.10.11/security.html#api-authentication. Note this change fixes it for new installs but existing users need to change their config to default [api]auth_backend = airflow.api.auth.backend.deny_all as mentioned in the Updating Guide: https://github.com/apache/airflow/blob/1.10.11/UPDATING.md#experimental-api-will-deny-all-request-by-default

Record
BIT-airflow-2020-13927
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVPYSEC-2020-18 No score

The previous default setting for Airflow's Experimental API was to allow all API requests without authentication, but this poses security risks to users who miss this fact. From Airflow 1.10.11 the default has been changed to deny all requests by default and is documented at https://airflow.apache.org/docs/1.10.11/security.html#api-authentication. Note this change fixes it for new installs but existing users need to change their config to default [api]auth_backend = airflow.api.auth.backend.deny_all as mentioned in the Updating Guide: https://github.com/apache/airflow/blob/1.10.11/UPDATING.md#experimental-api-will-deny-all-request-by-default

Record
PYSEC-2020-18
Updated
2026-11-02

Affected products

Affected packages

Affected packages
PackageAffectedFixed
apache-airflow
PyPI
 before 1.10.11
1.10.11
airflow
Bitnami
 before 1.10.11
1.10.11
apache-airflow
PyPI
 before 1.10.11, plus listed versions
1.10.01.10.11.10.101.10.10rc11.10.10rc2
Show 41 moreShow less
1.10.10rc31.10.10rc41.10.10rc51.10.11rc11.10.11rc21.10.1b11.10.1rc21.10.21.10.2b21.10.2rc11.10.2rc21.10.2rc31.10.31.10.3b11.10.3b21.10.3rc11.10.3rc21.10.41.10.4b21.10.4rc11.10.4rc21.10.4rc31.10.4rc41.10.4rc51.10.51.10.5rc11.10.61.10.6rc11.10.6rc21.10.71.10.7rc11.10.7rc21.10.7rc31.10.81.10.8rc11.10.91.10.9rc11.8.11.8.21.8.2rc11.9.0
1.10.11
apache-airflow
PyPI
 before 1.10.11, plus listed versions
1.8.11.8.2rc11.8.21.9.01.10.0
Show 41 moreShow less
1.10.1b11.10.1rc21.10.11.10.2b21.10.2rc11.10.2rc21.10.2rc31.10.21.10.3b11.10.3b21.10.3rc11.10.3rc21.10.31.10.4b21.10.4rc11.10.4rc21.10.4rc31.10.4rc41.10.4rc51.10.41.10.5rc11.10.51.10.6rc11.10.6rc21.10.61.10.7rc11.10.7rc21.10.7rc31.10.71.10.8rc11.10.81.10.9rc11.10.91.10.10rc11.10.10rc21.10.10rc31.10.10rc41.10.10rc51.10.101.10.11rc11.10.11rc2
1.10.11

Public exploits

Links only. Every CVE stores no exploit code.

Public exploits
SourceLinkDate
MetasploitApache Airflow 1.10.10 - Example DAG Remote Code Execution2020-07-14
Exploit-DBApache Airflow 1.10.10 - 'Example Dag' Remote Code Execution2021-06-02
PoC in GitHubferralon-demo/airflow-experimental-api-rce2026-07-07
NucleiAirflow Experimental <1.10.11 - REST API Auth Bypass

History

History
RecordedChangedSources
exploitation, exploits
first indexedCVE List, EUVD, Exploit-DB, GitHub Advisories, CISA KEV, Metasploit, Nuclei, NVD, OSV, PoC in GitHub

Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.

In short

CVE-2020-13927 is a critical vulnerability (CVSS 9.8) in Apache Airflow, published November 10, 2020. CISA lists it as known to be exploited, since January 18, 2022. EUVD reports exploitation since January 18, 2022. Public exploit code exists. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 99.8%, the 99th percentile. Fixed in apache-airflow 1.10.11.

References

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