CVE-2025-30473: Apache Airflow Common SQL Provider SQLi

CVE-2025-30473 Overview

CVE-2025-30473 is a SQL Injection vulnerability affecting Apache Airflow Common SQL Provider. When using the partition clause in SQLTableCheckOperator as a parameter (which was a recommended pattern), authenticated UI users could inject arbitrary SQL commands when triggering DAGs that expose the partition_clause to the user. This vulnerability allows DAG triggering users to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary SQL commands that they would not normally have permission to run.

Critical Impact

Authenticated users can inject arbitrary SQL commands through the partition clause parameter, leading to privilege escalation and unauthorized database access.

Affected Products

• Apache Airflow Common SQL Provider versions before 1.24.1

Discovery Timeline

• April 7, 2025 - CVE-2025-30473 published to NVD
• April 11, 2025 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-30473

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability stems from improper neutralization of special elements used in SQL commands (CWE-89). The SQLTableCheckOperator component in Apache Airflow Common SQL Provider accepts a partition_clause parameter that was intended to allow users to specify partition filters for database table checks. However, when this parameter is exposed to UI users during DAG triggering, the input is not properly sanitized before being incorporated into SQL queries.

An authenticated user with DAG triggering permissions can craft malicious input containing SQL syntax that will be executed by the database with elevated privileges. This creates a significant privilege escalation vector, as users can execute database operations beyond their intended access level.

Root Cause

The root cause is insufficient input validation and sanitization of the partition_clause parameter in the SQLTableCheckOperator. The parameter value is concatenated directly into SQL queries without proper escaping or parameterization, allowing attackers to break out of the intended query structure and inject arbitrary SQL commands.

Attack Vector

The attack requires network access and low-privilege authentication to the Apache Airflow UI. An attacker with valid credentials who has permission to trigger DAGs can exploit this vulnerability by:

1. Identifying a DAG that uses SQLTableCheckOperator with an exposed partition_clause parameter
2. Triggering the DAG through the web UI
3. Providing a malicious payload in the partition clause field that contains SQL injection syntax
4. The injected SQL commands execute with the database connection's privileges

The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it allows users to bypass normal authorization controls and execute database commands they would not otherwise have access to perform.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-30473

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual SQL query patterns in database logs associated with Airflow connections
• DAG trigger events containing suspicious characters or SQL keywords in partition parameters
• Unexpected database operations or data modifications coinciding with DAG executions
• Authentication logs showing repeated DAG triggers from the same user with varying partition parameters

Detection Strategies

• Monitor Airflow audit logs for DAG triggers with unusual or excessively long partition clause values
• Implement database query logging and alert on queries containing multiple statements or unexpected DDL/DML operations
• Deploy Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect SQL injection patterns in Airflow UI requests
• Review database access logs for operations that don't match expected DAG behavior

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable verbose logging for the Common SQL Provider to capture query parameters
• Set up alerting for failed SQL syntax errors that may indicate injection attempts
• Monitor for privilege escalation attempts in database audit logs
• Correlate Airflow task execution logs with database activity to identify anomalies

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-30473

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade Apache Airflow Common SQL Provider to version 1.24.1 or later immediately
• Audit existing DAGs that use SQLTableCheckOperator with exposed partition_clause parameters
• Review database logs for signs of past exploitation
• Temporarily restrict DAG triggering permissions to trusted users until patching is complete

Patch Information

Apache has released version 1.24.1 of the Apache Airflow Common SQL Provider which fixes this vulnerability. The fix is available in the GitHub Pull Request #48098. Additional details are available in the Apache Mailing List Thread.

To upgrade, run the following command:

pip install apache-airflow-providers-common-sql>=1.24.1

Workarounds

• Remove user-facing exposure of the partition_clause parameter in DAG configurations
• Implement input validation at the DAG level to restrict allowed characters in partition clauses
• Use database roles with minimal required privileges for Airflow connections
• Consider implementing a proxy layer that validates and sanitizes SQL parameters before execution

# Configuration example
# Upgrade the Common SQL Provider package
pip install --upgrade apache-airflow-providers-common-sql>=1.24.1

# Verify the installed version
pip show apache-airflow-providers-common-sql | grep Version

# Restart Airflow services after upgrade
airflow webserver --daemon
airflow scheduler --daemon