CVE-2024-39877
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows authenticated DAG authors in Apache Airflow to craft malicious doc_md parameters that can execute arbitrary code in the scheduler context, bypassing intended security restrictions. It affects Apache Airflow versions 2.4.0 and all versions before 2.9.3. The vulnerability enables privilege escalation from DAG author to scheduler-level code execution.
💻 Affected Systems
- Apache Airflow
📦 What is this software?
Airflow by Apache
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete compromise of the Airflow scheduler, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code with scheduler privileges, potentially leading to data theft, system takeover, or lateral movement within the infrastructure.
Likely Case
Authenticated DAG authors exploiting the vulnerability to gain unauthorized code execution capabilities, potentially manipulating workflows, accessing sensitive data, or disrupting operations.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if proper access controls restrict DAG author privileges and network segmentation isolates the scheduler from critical systems.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires authenticated DAG author access. The vulnerability is in parameter handling that should be sanitized.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 2.9.3 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://lists.apache.org/thread/1xhj9dkp37d6pzn24ll2mf94wbqnb2y1
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Backup your Airflow configuration and DAGs. 2. Upgrade Apache Airflow to version 2.9.3 or later using pip: 'pip install --upgrade apache-airflow==2.9.3'. 3. Restart all Airflow services (scheduler, webserver, workers). 4. Verify the upgrade completed successfully.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict DAG Author Access
allTemporarily limit or audit DAG author privileges to prevent exploitation while planning upgrade.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict access controls to limit who can create or modify DAGs
- Monitor and audit all DAG modifications and scheduler activities for suspicious behavior
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Airflow version: if version is 2.4.0 or any version < 2.9.3, the system is vulnerable.Check Version:
airflow versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify Airflow version is 2.9.3 or later and test that doc_md parameter handling no longer allows code execution.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual scheduler process activity
- Unexpected code execution in scheduler logs
- Suspicious DAG modifications with doc_md parameters
Network Indicators:
- Unusual outbound connections from scheduler process
SIEM Query:
source="airflow" AND ("doc_md" OR "scheduler execution")