CVE-2023-25754: Apache Airflow Privilege Escalation Flaw

CVE-2023-25754 Overview

CVE-2023-25754 is a Privilege Context Switching Error vulnerability in Apache Airflow versions prior to 2.6.0. The flaw is tracked under [CWE-270: Privilege Context Switching Error] and affects how Airflow handles privilege boundaries during operations. An attacker with network access can exploit the issue without authentication or user interaction, resulting in compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Apache Airflow is widely deployed as a workflow orchestration platform across data engineering and machine learning environments, making this issue relevant to enterprises running data pipelines.

Critical Impact
Remote unauthenticated attackers can exploit improper privilege context switching in Apache Airflow versions before 2.6.0 to escalate access and compromise workflow orchestration systems.

Affected Products

Apache Airflow versions before 2.6.0
Deployments using vulnerable Airflow scheduler and worker components
Self-hosted and managed Airflow environments running unpatched releases

Discovery Timeline

2023-05-08 - CVE-2023-25754 published to NVD
2025-02-13 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2023-25754

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is classified as a Privilege Context Switching Error under [CWE-270]. Apache Airflow fails to correctly transition privilege contexts when executing certain operations, allowing an attacker to operate with elevated permissions outside of the intended security boundary. The Apache Software Foundation addressed the issue in Airflow 2.6.0 through the changes tracked in Apache Airflow Pull Request #29506.

Airflow orchestrates tasks across distributed workers and exposes a web UI, REST API, and metadata database. Errors in privilege context switching in such an environment can expose DAG execution, connection secrets, and underlying compute resources to unauthorized actors. The EPSS score for this issue is 0.259%, placing it in the 49th percentile of vulnerabilities by exploitation likelihood.

Root Cause

The root cause lies in how Apache Airflow manages privilege transitions during task and request handling. The application does not consistently drop or switch privileges between operations performed on behalf of different users or system contexts. As a result, code paths that should execute under a constrained context can execute with elevated authority. Public technical details are limited; refer to the Apache Mailing List Discussion and the OpenWall OSS-Security Post for upstream context.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based and requires no privileges or user interaction. An attacker reaches an exposed Airflow instance over the network and triggers the vulnerable code path through normal application interfaces. Successful exploitation grants the attacker the ability to act under a higher-privilege context, which can lead to arbitrary task execution, secret disclosure, or modification of workflow definitions.

No public proof-of-concept is available, and the issue is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. See the security advisory for technical details on the corrective changes.

Detection Methods for CVE-2023-25754

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected DAG runs, task executions, or configuration changes performed by accounts that should not have privileges to trigger them.
Access to Airflow Connections, Variables, or the metadata database from unusual source IPs or service accounts.
New or modified DAG files appearing on scheduler or worker hosts outside of normal deployment workflows.

Detection Strategies

Inventory all Apache Airflow deployments and identify instances running versions prior to 2.6.0.
Audit Airflow web server, scheduler, and worker logs for authentication anomalies and privileged actions performed without a corresponding authorized user session.
Correlate process execution telemetry on Airflow worker hosts with expected DAG task definitions to surface unauthorized command execution.

Monitoring Recommendations

Forward Airflow application logs, audit logs, and host telemetry into a centralized analytics platform for retention and correlation.
Alert on changes to high-value Airflow objects such as Connections, Variables, Roles, and Users.
Monitor outbound network connections from Airflow workers for unexpected destinations that may indicate post-exploitation activity.

How to Mitigate CVE-2023-25754

Immediate Actions Required

Upgrade Apache Airflow to version 2.6.0 or later as the primary remediation.
Restrict network exposure of the Airflow web UI and API to trusted networks and VPNs.
Rotate Airflow Connections, Variables, Fernet keys, and any service account credentials accessible to the deployment if compromise is suspected.
Review user and role assignments in Airflow RBAC and remove unnecessary privileges.

Patch Information

The Apache Software Foundation fixed the vulnerability in Apache Airflow 2.6.0. The corrective changes are tracked in Apache Airflow Pull Request #29506. Operators should plan an upgrade following the project's release notes and test DAG compatibility before deploying to production.

Workarounds

Place Airflow behind an authenticating reverse proxy and enforce network-layer access controls when an immediate upgrade is not feasible.
Disable or restrict access to Airflow components and endpoints that are not required for production workflows.
Enforce least-privilege RBAC roles and audit existing user assignments to limit the blast radius of any privilege context error.

bash

# Upgrade Apache Airflow to a fixed release
pip install --upgrade "apache-airflow>=2.6.0"

# Verify the installed version
airflow version