CVE-2026-24098: Apache Airflow Information Disclosure Flaw

CVE-2026-24098 Overview

CVE-2026-24098 is an information disclosure vulnerability in Apache Airflow versions before 3.1.7. This vulnerability allows authenticated UI users with permission to access one or more specific DAGs (Directed Acyclic Graphs) to view import errors generated by other DAGs they did not have permission to access. This represents a breakdown in access control that could expose sensitive configuration details, file paths, credentials, or internal system information embedded in error messages.

Critical Impact

Authenticated users can access import error messages from DAGs outside their authorized scope, potentially exposing sensitive configuration data, internal paths, and system information.

Affected Products

• Apache Airflow versions prior to 3.1.7
• Apache Airflow web UI components with DAG permission controls
• Environments using granular DAG-level access controls

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-02-09 - CVE-2026-24098 published to NVD
• 2026-02-11 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-24098

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability falls under CWE-200 (Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor). The flaw exists in the Apache Airflow web UI's handling of DAG import errors. When DAG files fail to import due to syntax errors, missing dependencies, or configuration issues, Airflow generates error messages that are stored and displayed through the UI.

The core issue is that the access control mechanism for viewing these import errors does not properly enforce the same permissions that govern access to the DAGs themselves. An authenticated user who has been granted access to specific DAGs can view import errors from any DAG in the system, regardless of whether they have permission to access those DAGs.

Import errors in Airflow can contain highly sensitive information including database connection strings, API keys, internal file paths, server names, and details about the underlying infrastructure. By exploiting this vulnerability, an attacker with limited DAG access could harvest this information to expand their knowledge of the target environment or identify additional attack surfaces.

Root Cause

The root cause is insufficient authorization enforcement in the import error display functionality of the Apache Airflow web UI. The application fails to filter import error results based on the authenticated user's DAG-level permissions, allowing visibility into errors from DAGs outside the user's authorized scope. This is a classic broken access control issue where the authorization check is applied at the DAG level but not consistently applied to related error data.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based and requires authenticated access to the Apache Airflow web UI. An attacker would need valid credentials with at least minimal DAG access permissions. Once authenticated, the attacker can navigate to the import errors section of the UI and view error messages from all DAGs in the system, not just those they are authorized to access.

The attack complexity is low as no special conditions or configurations are required beyond the default vulnerable state. The attacker simply uses the standard UI functionality to access the unauthorized information. No user interaction beyond the attacker's own actions is required.

The vulnerability mechanism involves the import error display functionality lacking proper authorization checks. When the UI retrieves import errors, it does not filter results based on the requesting user's DAG permissions. For detailed technical information about the fix, see the GitHub Pull Request for Airflow.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-24098

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual access patterns to the import errors endpoint in Apache Airflow UI access logs
• Users accessing DAG import error information outside their normal workflow
• Multiple requests to import error pages from accounts with limited DAG permissions
• Audit log entries showing access to import errors for DAGs not assigned to the user

Detection Strategies

• Review Apache Airflow access logs for patterns indicating users viewing import errors for unauthorized DAGs
• Implement monitoring on the import error UI endpoints to detect anomalous access frequency
• Configure alerting for accounts accessing import error data that exceeds their normal baseline
• Correlate user DAG permission assignments with import error access patterns in logs

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable verbose access logging for the Apache Airflow web UI if not already configured
• Establish baselines for normal import error page access per user role
• Monitor for reconnaissance-like behavior where users systematically access import error data
• Implement SIEM rules to correlate Airflow access logs with user permission changes

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-24098

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade Apache Airflow to version 3.1.7 or later immediately
• Audit current user permissions and remove unnecessary DAG access
• Review import error content for any sensitive information that may have been exposed
• Implement network segmentation to limit access to the Airflow UI to authorized networks only

Patch Information

Apache has released version 3.1.7 which resolves this vulnerability. The fix implements proper authorization checks for the import error display functionality, ensuring users can only view import errors for DAGs they have explicit permission to access.

For detailed information about the patch, refer to the GitHub Pull Request for Airflow and the Apache Mailing List Thread.

Workarounds

• Restrict access to the Apache Airflow UI to only trusted users until patching is complete
• Implement network-level access controls to limit who can reach the Airflow web interface
• Review and sanitize DAG files to ensure import errors do not contain sensitive information such as credentials or internal paths
• Consider temporarily disabling the import error display feature if your Airflow deployment supports such configuration

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

# Verify installed version
airflow version