CVE-2023-50783 in Airflow
Summary
by MITRE • 12/21/2023
Apache Airflow, versions before 2.8.0, is affected by a vulnerability that allows an authenticated user without the variable edit permission, to update a variable. This flaw compromises the integrity of variable management, potentially leading to unauthorized data modification. Users are recommended to upgrade to 2.8.0, which fixes this issue
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/14/2024
Apache Airflow version 2.8.0 and earlier contains a critical access control vulnerability that allows authenticated users to manipulate workflow variables without proper authorization. This vulnerability stems from insufficient permission checks within the variable management system, creating a path for privilege escalation attacks. The flaw specifically affects users who lack explicit edit permissions for variables but can still modify them through alternative pathways within the application's interface. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-284 Access Control, which addresses improper access control mechanisms that allow unauthorized users to access or modify resources. This weakness directly violates the principle of least privilege and can be exploited by malicious actors who have gained initial access to the system through other means.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability lies in the variable update endpoint where the application fails to properly validate user permissions before executing modification operations. When an authenticated user attempts to update a variable, the system should verify that the user possesses the required edit privileges for that specific variable. However, due to flawed authorization logic, the application accepts modification requests regardless of the user's permission level, allowing unauthorized changes to critical workflow parameters. This issue particularly impacts the integrity of Airflow's configuration management, as variables often contain sensitive information such as database credentials, API keys, and other operational parameters that control workflow execution. The vulnerability enables attackers to modify these variables in ways that could disrupt workflows, redirect data processing, or create backdoors within the orchestration system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data modification, as it represents a significant threat to workflow integrity and system security. Attackers could exploit this weakness to alter critical configuration values, potentially causing workflows to execute against incorrect data sources, redirect processing to malicious endpoints, or disable security controls within the orchestration environment. This vulnerability is particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where Airflow manages critical business processes and automated workflows that depend on accurate variable values. The potential for cascading failures increases when variables control database connections, external API integrations, or other critical system components. From an attack perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 Valid Accounts, as it allows attackers with basic authentication access to escalate their privileges and modify system configurations without requiring additional authentication mechanisms.
Organizations utilizing affected Apache Airflow versions should prioritize immediate remediation through the upgrade to version 2.8.0 or later, which implements proper authorization checks for variable modifications. Security teams should conduct comprehensive audits of variable usage patterns and review existing user permissions to identify potential exploitation paths. Additional mitigations include implementing network segmentation to limit access to Airflow interfaces, enabling multi-factor authentication for administrative accounts, and establishing monitoring for unauthorized variable modifications. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date security practices and highlights the need for robust permission validation mechanisms in workflow orchestration platforms. Organizations should also consider implementing automated security scanning tools that can detect similar authorization flaws in other components of their infrastructure, as this vulnerability type represents a common pattern in web application security that can affect numerous systems beyond Apache Airflow.