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CVE-2021-38540
Apache Airflow: Variable Import endpoint missed authentication check
Critical9.8EPSS 80.9%
- Published
- Updated
- Reserved
- Assigned by
- apache
Description
The variable import endpoint was not protected by authentication in Airflow >=2.0.0, <2.1.3. This allowed unauthenticated users to hit that endpoint to add/modify Airflow variables used in DAGs, potentially resulting in a denial of service, information disclosure or remote code execution. This issue affects Apache Airflow >=2.0.0, <2.1.3.
Scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| NVDNVD · Modified | 3.1 | Critical9.8 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
- EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
- 80.9% · top 0.4% of all CVEs (6 Nov 2026)
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The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: Critical 9.8.
Weakness
Affected products
Apache Software Foundation · Apache Airflow
- affected Apache Airflow – < 2.1.3
Affected packages
From reviewed advisories of the GitHub Advisory Database.
- PyPIapache-airflowGHSA-h88f-r7cw-8fv3 (opens in a new tab)
What to do
Workaround: Upgrade to Apache Airflow >=2.1.3
References (2)
- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/rb34c3dd1a815456355217eef34060789f771b6f77c3a3dec77de2064%40%3Cusers.airflow.apache.org%3E (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- [announce] 20210909 CVE-2021-38540: Apache Airflow: Variable Import endpoint missed authentication check (opens in a new tab)mailing-listx_refsource_MLISTx_transferred
Sources
The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.
- CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
- CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
- NVD (opens in a new tab)
- FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
- OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
- GitHub Advisory GHSA-h88f-r7cw-8fv3 (opens in a new tab)
- CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)
Badge for a README or a ticket
[](https://trackcve.app/cve/CVE-2021-38540)Record last updated .