CVE-2026-22922: Apache Airflow Auth Bypass Vulnerability

CVE-2026-22922 Overview

Apache Airflow versions 3.1.0 through 3.1.6 contain an authorization flaw that allows authenticated users with custom permissions limited to task access to view task logs without having explicit task log access permissions. This broken access control vulnerability (CWE-648) enables unauthorized information disclosure through improper enforcement of permission boundaries.

Critical Impact

Authenticated users can bypass access controls to view sensitive task log data they should not have permission to access, potentially exposing confidential workflow information, credentials, or system details logged during task execution.

Affected Products

• Apache Airflow versions 3.1.0 through 3.1.6
• Systems using custom permission configurations with task-level access restrictions
• Deployments with multi-tenant or role-based access control implementations

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-02-09 - CVE-2026-22922 published to NVD
• 2026-02-11 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-22922

Vulnerability Analysis

This authorization bypass vulnerability exists in Apache Airflow's permission validation logic for task log access. The flaw arises when the system fails to properly validate whether an authenticated user possesses the specific permission required to view task logs, separate from the permission to access tasks themselves.

In Apache Airflow's role-based access control (RBAC) model, task access and task log access are intended to be distinct permissions. This allows administrators to grant users the ability to view and manage tasks without necessarily exposing the potentially sensitive contents of task execution logs. However, the vulnerable versions fail to enforce this separation, allowing users with only task access permissions to retrieve log data through the task log viewing functionality.

The vulnerability is exploitable over the network by any authenticated user who has been granted limited task access permissions. No user interaction is required for exploitation. The impact is limited to confidentiality, as attackers can only read unauthorized data but cannot modify or delete logs.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper enforcement of access control boundaries (CWE-648: Incorrect Use of Privileged APIs) in the task log access functionality. The permission checking mechanism incorrectly treats task access permissions as sufficient for viewing task logs, rather than requiring the dedicated task log access permission. This represents a failure in the granular permission model where the system does not properly distinguish between related but distinct access rights.

Attack Vector

An attacker with an authenticated session and custom permissions limited to task access can exploit this vulnerability by directly accessing the task log viewing endpoints. The attack requires only network access and valid authentication credentials with minimal permissions. The attacker navigates to or programmatically requests the task log endpoint for any task they have basic access to, and the system returns the log contents without validating the specific task log access permission.

The vulnerability can be exploited through the Airflow web interface or via direct API calls to the task log retrieval endpoints. Since the flaw exists in the authorization logic rather than authentication, any properly authenticated user with task-level permissions can trigger the unauthorized data access.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-22922

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual task log access patterns from users with limited custom permissions
• Users accessing task logs for workflows outside their normal operational scope
• Audit log entries showing task log retrievals by accounts configured with task-only permissions
• Increased frequency of task log API endpoint calls from specific user accounts

Detection Strategies

• Review Airflow audit logs for task log access events and correlate with user permission configurations
• Monitor API access patterns to identify users accessing /task-logs/ endpoints who should not have log viewing permissions
• Implement alerting on task log access by users with custom permission profiles lacking explicit log access rights
• Conduct periodic access control audits comparing actual task log access against authorized permissions

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable comprehensive audit logging for all task log access events in Apache Airflow
• Configure security information and event management (SIEM) rules to detect permission boundary violations
• Implement user behavior analytics to identify anomalous task log access patterns
• Regularly review access control configurations to ensure proper separation of task and task log permissions

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-22922

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade Apache Airflow to version 3.1.7 or later immediately
• Audit existing user permissions to identify accounts with task access but without intended task log access
• Review task logs for sensitive information that may have been exposed to unauthorized users
• Consider temporarily restricting task log access to administrative accounts until the patch is applied

Patch Information

Apache has released version 3.1.7 which resolves this authorization bypass vulnerability. The fix properly enforces the separation between task access and task log access permissions. Organizations should upgrade as soon as possible following standard change management procedures.

Patch details are available in the GitHub Pull Request #60412. Additional information can be found in the Apache Mailing List Discussion.

Workarounds

• Temporarily disable custom permission configurations that grant task-only access without log access
• Use network-level access controls to restrict task log endpoint access to trusted IP ranges
• Implement additional authentication layers for task log access until the patch can be applied
• Review and restrict the information logged by tasks to minimize exposure impact

# Verify current Apache Airflow version
airflow version

# Upgrade Apache Airflow to patched version
pip install apache-airflow==3.1.7

# Verify successful upgrade
airflow version