CVE-2026-48892: Apache airflow Apache Airflow Exposes Secrets Backend Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-9933-5rrp-mfwx
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CVSS 6.5
CWE-200
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-48892 is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.5) apache airflow exposes secrets backend vulnerability (CWE-200: Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor) affecting Apache airflow libraries in the PyPI ecosystem. The issue involves apache airflow exposes secrets backend credentials through the config api. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 3.3.0.

CVE-2026-48892 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-48892
GHSA Identifier GHSA-9933-5rrp-mfwx
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 6.5
CWE Classification CWE-200: Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor
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-2026-48892

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: 3.3.0 
pip install apache-airflow>=3.3.0
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-2026-48892, 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 3.3.0), 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-200: Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor, where the product exposes sensitive information to an actor that is not explicitly authorized to have access to that information. 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

The Config API in Apache Airflow surfaced per-key secrets-backend overrides (environment variables like `AIRFLOW__SECRETS__BACKEND_KWARG__SECRET_ID` and `AIRFLOW__WORKERS__SECRETS_BACKEND_KWARG__SECRET_ID`) as synthetic config options whose option names were not in `sensitive_config_values`, so the masker did not redact them. An authenticated UI/API user with Config read permission could retrieve plaintext secrets-backend credentials (Vault `role_id` / `secret_id`, etc.) from the Config API output. Affects deployments that configure secrets backends via per-key environment overrides. Users are advised to upgrade to `apache-airflow` 3.3.0 or later.

CVE-2026-48892 Affected Apache airflow Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
3.3.0
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
apache-airflow
pypi/apache-airflow
PyPI
< 3.3.0
3.3.0

References

NVD — CVE-2026-48892 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-48892
Apache airflow Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/apache/airflow/pull/67622
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/apache/airflow/commit/f0f978d2736891a2f9e9d2954e87fc358e1ef4e3
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-2026-2087.yaml
lists.apache.org/thread/pq5yy40079h6... WEB
https://lists.apache.org/thread/pq5yy40079h6tzh3fxvw28dd8dbk72hk
Apache airflow Security Information SECURITY
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/07/07/4

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-48892?
CVE-2026-48892 is a security vulnerability in Apache airflow involving Apache Airflow exposes secrets backend credentials through the Config API under CWE-200: Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor.
Which Apache airflow versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 3.3.0 across affected packages: apache-airflow.
What version fixes CVE-2026-48892?
Upgrading to 3.3.0 (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 3.3.0. Upgrade your dependency to 3.3.0 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-48892?
CVE-2026-48892 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:H/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-48892?
CVE-2026-48892 is classified under CWE-200: Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor (The product exposes sensitive information to an actor that is not explicitly authorized to have access to that information.).
How can I check PyPI dependencies for CVE-2026-48892?
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-9933-5rrp-mfwx",
  "modified" : "2026-09-04T19:24:54Z",
  "published" : "2026-07-07T12:31:35Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-48892" ],
  "summary" : "Apache Airflow exposes secrets backend credentials through the Config API",
  "details" : "The Config API in Apache Airflow surfaced per-key secrets-backend overrides (environment variables like `AIRFLOW__SECRETS__BACKEND_KWARG__SECRET_ID` and `AIRFLOW__WORKERS__SECRETS_BACKEND_KWARG__SECRET_ID`) as synthetic config options whose option names were not in `sensitive_config_values`, so the masker did not redact them. An authenticated UI/API user with Config read permission could retrieve plaintext secrets-backend credentials (Vault `role_id` / `secret_id`, etc.) from the Config API output. Affects deployments that configure secrets backends via per-key environment overrides. Users are advised to upgrade to `apache-airflow` 3.3.0 or later.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "PyPI",
      "name" : "apache-airflow"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "3.3.0"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-48892"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/apache/airflow/pull/67622"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/apache/airflow/commit/f0f978d2736891a2f9e9d2954e87fc358e1ef4e3"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/apache/airflow"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/apache-airflow/PYSEC-2026-2087.yaml"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://lists.apache.org/thread/pq5yy40079h6tzh3fxvw28dd8dbk72hk"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/07/07/4"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-200" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-09-04T19:24:54Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-07-07T10:16:41Z"
  }
}