CVE-2025-68675: Apache Airflow Information Disclosure Flaw

CVE-2025-68675 Overview

A high-severity information disclosure vulnerability exists in Apache Airflow that allows proxy credentials embedded in connection configurations to be exposed in log output. The vulnerability affects the proxies and proxy fields within Airflow Connection objects, where proxy URLs containing embedded authentication information are not treated as sensitive by default and therefore are not automatically masked when rendered or printed to logs.

Critical Impact

Proxy credentials embedded in Connection fields can be exposed in plaintext log output, potentially allowing unauthorized access to proxy infrastructure and enabling lateral movement within the network.

Affected Products

• Apache Airflow versions before 3.1.6 (Airflow 3.x branch)
• Apache Airflow versions before 2.11.1 (Airflow 2.x branch)

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-01-16 - CVE-2025-68675 published to NVD
• 2026-02-24 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-68675

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-532: Insertion of Sensitive Information into Log File. The core issue stems from Apache Airflow's handling of Connection objects that contain proxy configuration fields. When administrators configure proxy URLs with embedded authentication credentials (such as http://user:password@proxy.example.com:8080), these credentials are inadvertently written to log files in plaintext.

The vulnerability can be exploited by any user or process with access to Airflow's log output, which may include system logs, application logs, or centralized logging infrastructure. This exposure can lead to credential theft, unauthorized proxy access, and potential lateral movement within the organization's network.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability lies in the insufficient classification of proxy-related fields within Airflow's Connection model. Unlike other sensitive fields such as passwords and API keys, the proxies and proxy fields were not marked as sensitive by default. This oversight meant that standard log masking mechanisms did not apply to these fields, causing embedded credentials to be logged in cleartext when connections were rendered for debugging, auditing, or error handling purposes.

Attack Vector

An attacker with read access to Apache Airflow logs can extract proxy credentials embedded in connection configurations. The attack surface includes access to log files on disk, centralized logging systems (such as Elasticsearch, Splunk, or CloudWatch), log aggregation pipelines, and any monitoring or debugging interfaces that display connection information. Once proxy credentials are obtained, an attacker could authenticate to internal proxy servers, potentially bypassing network security controls or gaining access to protected resources.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-68675

Indicators of Compromise

• Presence of plaintext proxy credentials in Airflow log files matching patterns like http://username:password@proxy-host
• Unexpected access to internal proxy servers from unauthorized sources
• Anomalous authentication attempts against proxy infrastructure using valid credentials
• Evidence of log file access by unauthorized users or processes

Detection Strategies

• Implement log scanning rules to detect proxy URL patterns with embedded credentials (regex pattern: https?://[^:]+:[^@]+@)
• Monitor authentication logs on proxy servers for unusual access patterns or credential usage from unexpected sources
• Deploy SentinelOne Singularity to detect unauthorized log file access and suspicious process behavior
• Audit Airflow Connection configurations for proxy fields containing embedded authentication data

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable enhanced logging and alerting for proxy server authentication events
• Configure real-time alerts for pattern matches indicating credential exposure in log streams
• Monitor file integrity and access patterns for Airflow log directories
• Implement centralized security monitoring with correlation rules for credential exposure events

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-68675

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade Apache Airflow to version 3.1.6 or later for Airflow 3.x deployments
• Upgrade Apache Airflow to version 2.11.1 or later for Airflow 2.x deployments
• Audit existing log files for exposed proxy credentials and rotate any compromised credentials immediately
• Review and update Connection configurations to remove embedded credentials from proxy URLs where possible

Patch Information

Apache has released security patches addressing this vulnerability in Airflow 3.1.6 and 2.11.1. The fix ensures that proxy and proxies fields are treated as sensitive data and are automatically masked in log output. For detailed patch information, see the GitHub Pull Request and the Apache Mailing List Thread.

Workarounds

• Configure proxy authentication using environment variables or separate credential stores instead of embedding credentials in proxy URLs
• Implement log filtering or redaction at the logging infrastructure level to mask sensitive patterns before storage
• Restrict access to Airflow log files using filesystem permissions and role-based access controls
• Use proxy authentication methods that do not require credentials to be passed in the URL (such as certificate-based authentication or IP allowlisting)