CVE-2023-50944: Apache Airflow Bypass Permission Verification To Read Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-vm5m-qmrx-fw8w
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CVSS 6.5
CWE-862
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2023-50944 is a HIGH (CVSS 6.5) bypass permission verification to read vulnerability (CWE-862: Missing Authorization) affecting Apache Airflow libraries in the PyPI ecosystem. The issue involves bypass permission verification to read code of other dags. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.8.1rc1.

CVE-2023-50944 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2023-50944
GHSA Identifier GHSA-vm5m-qmrx-fw8w
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 6.5
CWE Classification CWE-862: Missing Authorization
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: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 Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2023-50944

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: 2.8.1rc1 
pip install apache-airflow>=2.8.1rc1
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-2023-50944, 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 2.8.1rc1), 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-862: Missing Authorization, where the product does not perform an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action. 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

Apache Airflow, versions before 2.8.1, have a vulnerability that allows an authenticated user to access the source code of a DAG to which they don't have access. This vulnerability is considered low since it requires an authenticated user to exploit it. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 2.8.1, which fixes this issue.

CVE-2023-50944 Affected Apache Airflow Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.8.1rc1
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
apache-airflow
pypi/apache-airflow
PyPI
< 2.8.1rc1
2.8.1rc1

References

NVD — CVE-2023-50944 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-50944
Apache Airflow Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/apache/airflow/pull/36257
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/apache/airflow/commit/8d76538d6e105947272b000581c6fabec20146b1
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-2024-14.yaml
lists.apache.org/thread/92krb5mpcq8q... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread/92krb5mpcq8qrw4t4j5oooqw7hgd8q7h
Apache Airflow Security Information SECURITY
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2024/01/24/5

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-50944?
CVE-2023-50944 is a security vulnerability in Apache Airflow involving Bypass permission verification to read code of other dags under CWE-862: Missing Authorization.
Which Apache Airflow versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.8.1rc1 across affected packages: apache-airflow.
What version fixes CVE-2023-50944?
Upgrading to 2.8.1rc1 (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 2.8.1rc1. Upgrade your dependency to 2.8.1rc1 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2023-50944?
CVE-2023-50944 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.5 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2023-50944?
CVE-2023-50944 is classified under CWE-862: Missing Authorization (The product does not perform an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action.).
How can I check PyPI dependencies for CVE-2023-50944?
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-vm5m-qmrx-fw8w",
  "modified" : "2025-02-13T19:33:14Z",
  "published" : "2024-01-24T15:30:30Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2023-50944" ],
  "summary" : "Apache Airflow: Bypass permission verification to read code of other dags",
  "details" : "Apache Airflow, versions before 2.8.1, have a vulnerability that allows an authenticated user to access the source code of a DAG to which they don't have access. This vulnerability is considered low since it requires an authenticated user to exploit it. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 2.8.1, which fixes this issue.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/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:N/SI:N/SA:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "PyPI",
      "name" : "apache-airflow"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.8.1rc1"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-50944"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/apache/airflow/pull/36257"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/apache/airflow/commit/8d76538d6e105947272b000581c6fabec20146b1"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/apache/airflow"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/apache-airflow/PYSEC-2024-14.yaml"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread/92krb5mpcq8qrw4t4j5oooqw7hgd8q7h"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2024/01/24/5"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-862" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2024-01-24T21:01:04Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2024-01-24T13:15:08Z"
  }
}