CVE-2021-45230: Apache airflow Improper Privilege Management Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-4jh2-3c85-q67h
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CVSS 6.5
CWE-269
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2021-45230 is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.5) improper privilege management vulnerability (CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management) affecting Apache airflow libraries in the PyPI ecosystem. The issue involves improper privilege management in apache-airflow. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.2.0.

CVE-2021-45230 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2021-45230
GHSA Identifier GHSA-4jh2-3c85-q67h
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 6.5
CWE Classification CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management
Affected Product Apache airflow
Package Ecosystem PyPI
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 6.5

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required Low (PR:L)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality None (C:N)
Integrity High (I:H)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2021-45230

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Apache airflow dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

apache-airflow fixed: 2.2.0 
pip install apache-airflow>=2.2.0
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

pip show apache-airflow

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Python environment is affected by CVE-2021-45230, inspect your installed packages using pip:

pip show apache-airflow

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Apache airflow in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2.2.0), your application is affected.

Note: The pip show apache-airflow command checks currently installed packages in your active Python environment.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management, where the product does not properly assign, modify, track, or check privileges for an actor, creating an unintended sphere of control for that actor. In Apache airflow, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

In Apache Airflow prior to 2.2.0. This CVE applies to a specific case where a User who has "can_create" permissions on DAG Runs can create Dag Runs for dags that they don't have "edit" permissions for.

CVE-2021-45230 Affected Apache airflow Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.2.0
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
apache-airflow
pypi/apache-airflow
PyPI
< 2.2.0
2.2.0

References

NVD — CVE-2021-45230 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-45230
Apache airflow Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/apache-airflow/PYSEC-2022-11.yaml
lists.apache.org/thread/m778ojn0k595... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread/m778ojn0k595rwco4ht9wjql89mjoxnl

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-45230?
CVE-2021-45230 is a security vulnerability in Apache airflow involving Improper Privilege Management in apache-airflow under CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management.
Which Apache airflow versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.2.0 across affected packages: apache-airflow.
What version fixes CVE-2021-45230?
Upgrading to 2.2.0 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is apache-airflow affected?
Yes, apache-airflow is affected in releases prior to 2.2.0. Upgrade your dependency to 2.2.0 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-45230?
CVE-2021-45230 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.5 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2021-45230?
CVE-2021-45230 is classified under CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management (The product does not properly assign, modify, track, or check privileges for an actor, creating an unintended sphere of control for that actor.).
How can I check PyPI dependencies for CVE-2021-45230?
Run the dependency tree command: 'pip show apache-airflow'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-4jh2-3c85-q67h",
  "modified" : "2024-09-03T21:38:43Z",
  "published" : "2022-01-28T21:55:34Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2021-45230" ],
  "summary" : "Improper Privilege Management in apache-airflow",
  "details" : "In Apache Airflow prior to 2.2.0. This CVE applies to a specific case where a User who has \"can_create\" permissions on DAG Runs can create Dag Runs for dags that they don't have \"edit\" permissions for.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "PyPI",
      "name" : "apache-airflow"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.2.0"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-45230"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/apache-airflow/PYSEC-2022-11.yaml"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread/m778ojn0k595rwco4ht9wjql89mjoxnl"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-269" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2022-01-27T23:12:43Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2022-01-20T11:15:00Z"
  }
}