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CVE-2020-13927

Apache Airflow's Experimental API Authentication Bypass

9.8 CRITICALActively exploited (CISA KEV)Public exploitEPSS 99.8%
  1. Published10 Nov 2020
  2. Added to CISA KEV18 Jan 2022
  3. Remediation due18 Jul 2022
Actively exploited (CISA KEV)

The previous default setting for Airflow's Experimental API was to allow all API requests without authentication.

Added to KEV: 18 Jan 2022Federal remediation due: 18 Jul 2022

Description

The previous default setting for Airflow's Experimental API was to allow all API requests without authentication, but this poses security risks to users who miss this fact. From Airflow 1.10.11 the default has been changed to deny all requests by default and is documented at https://airflow.apache.org/docs/1.10.11/security.html#api-authentication. Note this change fixes it for new installs but existing users need to change their config to default `[api]auth_backend = airflow.api.auth.backend.deny_all` as mentioned in the Updating Guide: https://github.com/apache/airflow/blob/1.10.11/UPDATING.md#experimental-api-will-deny-all-request-by-default

CVSS 3.1 breakdown

Attack vectorNetwork
Attack complexityLow
Privileges requiredNone
User interactionNone
ScopeUnchanged
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected products

Apache Airflow< 1.10.11

Remediation

Fixed in
Apache Airflow≥ 1.10.11

References

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Frequently asked

Is CVE-2020-13927 being actively exploited?

Yes. CVE-2020-13927 is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added 18 Jan 2022.

How severe is CVE-2020-13927?

CVE-2020-13927 has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8, rated critical. EPSS estimates a 99.8% probability of exploitation.

Which products are affected by CVE-2020-13927?

Affected products include Apache Airflow.

How do I fix CVE-2020-13927?

Upgrade affected software to a fixed version, for example Apache Airflow 1.10.11 or later, then confirm no affected versions remain in your inventory.

How Secuno handles this

Secuno correlates vulnerabilities like CVE-2020-13927 against the real software inventory on every managed device, every day. Rather than a static severity, each match is scored in context: exploit availability, EPSS, the asset's exposure, and business criticality decide where it lands in the queue. Because it is on the CISA KEV list, Secuno flags any affected asset as top-priority automatically. If an affected version is present anywhere across your portfolio, it surfaces automatically with a prioritised remediation path.

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Data from the NVD, CISA KEV catalog and FIRST EPSS. CVSS 3.1 base score shown where available.