CVE-2020-13927
Apache Airflow's Experimental API Authentication Bypass
Does this matter?
Known to be exploited in the wild (CISA KEV, CISA remediation deadline 18 July 2022). Treat as an emergency change: patch or isolate now, then hunt for prior compromise.
Description
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
- CVSS 3.1
- 9.8 CRITICALCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- EPSS
- 99.78% probability · 100th percentile
- Public exploits
- 1 in Exploit-DB · first 2 June 2021
- CISA KEV
- Listed 18 January 2022 · due 18 July 2022
- Weakness
- CWE-306, CWE-1188, CWE-1056
- Affected
- apache/airflow
- Source
- security@apache.org
EPSS 99.8% since 30 October 2026; no change recorded yet. The dashed line is the ten per cent mark our analysts treat as “patch before the next change window”. Points are recorded when the score first appears and whenever it moves by a percentage point or more.
CISA notes
Apply updates per vendor instructions. https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-13927
Public exploits (1)
Entries in Exploit-DB that cite this CVE. Links go to the Exploit-DB page and to the file in the public repository; nothing is hosted here. A verified tick means the Exploit-DB team confirmed the exploit works against the stated version.
References
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/162908/Apache-Airflow-1.10.10-Remote-Code-Execution.htmlExploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/174764/Apache-Airflow-1.10.10-Remote-Code-Execution.htmlExploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r23a81b247aa346ff193670be565b2b8ea4b17ddbc7a35fc099c1aadd%40%3Cdev.airflow.apache.org%3EMailing List, Vendor Advisory
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/162908/Apache-Airflow-1.10.10-Remote-Code-Execution.htmlExploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/174764/Apache-Airflow-1.10.10-Remote-Code-Execution.htmlExploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r23a81b247aa346ff193670be565b2b8ea4b17ddbc7a35fc099c1aadd%40%3Cdev.airflow.apache.org%3EMailing List, Vendor Advisory
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2020-13927Third Party Advisory, US Government Resource
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA, exploits from Exploit-DB. Refreshed daily. Download this record as JSON.