CVE-2020-17526: Apache airflow Incorrect Session Validation Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-7mx5-x372-xh87
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CVSS 7.7
CWE-269
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2020-17526 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.7) incorrect session validation vulnerability (CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management) affecting Apache airflow libraries in the PyPI ecosystem. The issue involves incorrect session validation in apache airflow. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.10.14.

CVE-2020-17526 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2020-17526
GHSA Identifier GHSA-7mx5-x372-xh87
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.7
CWE Classification CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management
Affected Product Apache airflow
Package Ecosystem PyPI
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 7.7

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:C/C:H/I:N/A:N).

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

How to Fix CVE-2020-17526

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: 1.10.14 
pip install apache-airflow>=1.10.14
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-2020-17526, 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 1.10.14), 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

Incorrect Session Validation in Apache Airflow Webserver versions prior to 1.10.14 with default config allows a malicious airflow user on site A where they log in normally, to access unauthorized Airflow Webserver on Site B through the session from Site A. This does not affect users who have changed the default value for `[webserver] secret_key` config.

CVE-2020-17526 Affected Apache airflow Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
1.10.14
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
apache-airflow
pypi/apache-airflow
PyPI
< 1.10.14
1.10.14

References

NVD — CVE-2020-17526 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-17526
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/apache/airflow/commit/2f3b1c780472afd4c8a93633e6633feb7083792e
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/apache/airflow/commit/6b065840323f9a4fc8e372b458d26e419e4fa99b
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/apache/airflow/commit/97b2735d65e95c4633966667b6db3908540f3937
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/apache/airflow/commit/9e01476a50b9be27c4b1e6c6e24d36f290629195
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/apache/airflow/commit/a8900fa5f2b8963e9f57ba4ae5520a5d339aeaad
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/apache/airflow/commit/dfa7b26ddaca80ee8fd9915ee9f6eac50fac77f6
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/apache/airflow/commit/fe6d00a54f83468e296777d3b83b65a2ae7169ec
GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-7mx5-x372-xh87
Apache airflow Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/apache/airflow
Apache airflow Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/apache-airflow/PYSEC-2020-22.yaml
lists.apache.org/thread.html/r466759... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r466759f377651f0a690475d5a52564d0e786e82c08d5a5730a4f8352@%3Cannounce.apache.org%3E
lists.apache.org/thread.html/rbeeb73... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rbeeb73a6c741f2f9200d83b9c2220610da314810c4e8c9cf881d47ef%40%3Cusers.airflow.apache.org%3E
Apache airflow Security Information SECURITY
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2020/12/21/1

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2020-17526?
CVE-2020-17526 is a security vulnerability in Apache airflow involving Incorrect Session Validation in Apache Airflow under CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management.
Which Apache airflow versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 1.10.14 across affected packages: apache-airflow.
What version fixes CVE-2020-17526?
Upgrading to 1.10.14 (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 1.10.14. Upgrade your dependency to 1.10.14 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2020-17526?
CVE-2020-17526 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.7 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2020-17526?
CVE-2020-17526 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-2020-17526?
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-7mx5-x372-xh87",
  "modified" : "2024-09-11T21:25:17Z",
  "published" : "2021-04-20T16:40:27Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2020-17526" ],
  "summary" : "Incorrect Session Validation in Apache Airflow",
  "details" : "Incorrect Session Validation in Apache Airflow Webserver versions prior to 1.10.14 with default config allows a malicious airflow user on site A where they log in normally, to access unauthorized Airflow Webserver on Site B through the session from Site A. This does not affect users who have changed the default value for `[webserver] secret_key` config.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N"
  }, {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:H/SI:N/SA:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "PyPI",
      "name" : "apache-airflow"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.10.14"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-17526"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/apache/airflow/commit/2f3b1c780472afd4c8a93633e6633feb7083792e"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/apache/airflow/commit/6b065840323f9a4fc8e372b458d26e419e4fa99b"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/apache/airflow/commit/97b2735d65e95c4633966667b6db3908540f3937"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/apache/airflow/commit/9e01476a50b9be27c4b1e6c6e24d36f290629195"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/apache/airflow/commit/a8900fa5f2b8963e9f57ba4ae5520a5d339aeaad"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/apache/airflow/commit/dfa7b26ddaca80ee8fd9915ee9f6eac50fac77f6"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/apache/airflow/commit/fe6d00a54f83468e296777d3b83b65a2ae7169ec"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-7mx5-x372-xh87"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/apache/airflow"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/apache-airflow/PYSEC-2020-22.yaml"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/r466759f377651f0a690475d5a52564d0e786e82c08d5a5730a4f8352@%3Cannounce.apache.org%3E"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rbeeb73a6c741f2f9200d83b9c2220610da314810c4e8c9cf881d47ef%40%3Cusers.airflow.apache.org%3E"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2020/12/21/1"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-269" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2021-04-08T20:26:23Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2020-12-21T17:15:00Z"
  }
}