CVE-2020-11978: Apache Airflow Command Injection

Vulnerability summary

CVE-2020-11978 is a high (CVSS 8.8) OS Command Injection vulnerability in Apache Airflow. It is known to be exploited: CISA lists it, first on 18-01-2022. EPSS estimates a 99.19% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 99.9% of scored vulnerabilities. 4 public exploits are recorded.

Timeline

1. 16-07-2020
   PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
2. 18-01-2022
   Added to CISA KEVApache Airflow Command Injection
3. 18-07-2022
   CISA remediation dueApply updates per vendor instructions.
4. 21-10-2025
   Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.

Description

An issue was found in Apache Airflow versions 1.10.10 and below. A remote code/command injection vulnerability was discovered in one of the example DAGs shipped with Airflow which would allow any authenticated user to run arbitrary commands as the user running airflow worker/scheduler (depending on the executor in use). If you already have examples disabled by setting load_examples=False in the config then you are not vulnerable.

• CWE-78Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')The product constructs all or part of an OS command using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended OS command when it is sent to a downstream component.