CVE-2024-28746 in Airflow
Summary
by MITRE • 03/14/2024
Apache Airflow, versions 2.8.0 through 2.8.2, has a vulnerability that allows an authenticated user with limited permissions to access resources such as variables, connections, etc from the UI which they do not have permission to access. Users of Apache Airflow are recommended to upgrade to version 2.8.3 or newer to mitigate the risk associated with this vulnerability
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/11/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-28746 represents a critical access control flaw within Apache Airflow, a widely-used open-source workflow management platform that orchestrates complex data pipelines and automation processes. This security weakness affects versions 2.8.0 through 2.8.2, creating a significant risk for organizations that rely on Airflow for their data processing operations. The flaw manifests as an insufficient authorization check that allows authenticated users with minimal privileges to bypass intended access restrictions and retrieve sensitive information from the system's user interface. This vulnerability directly impacts the principle of least privilege that is fundamental to secure system design, potentially enabling unauthorized data exposure and privilege escalation scenarios.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate validation mechanisms within the Airflow web application's permission system. When authenticated users interact with the UI components responsible for managing variables, connections, and other sensitive configuration elements, the system fails to properly verify whether the requesting user possesses sufficient authorization levels to access the requested resources. This flaw operates at the application layer and specifically affects the web interface components that handle resource retrieval requests, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited through standard user authentication flows without requiring additional attack vectors. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization issues, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.1.001 for valid accounts and T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as it can lead to comprehensive system compromise when combined with other attack vectors. An attacker with limited user permissions could potentially access sensitive connection details, database credentials, API keys, and other variables that contain confidential information required for system operations. This unauthorized access could enable further exploitation, including lateral movement within the organization's infrastructure, data exfiltration, or the ability to manipulate workflows to execute malicious code. The risk is particularly severe for organizations that store production credentials or sensitive data within Airflow's variable management system, as the vulnerability could expose these resources to unauthorized users who should not have access to such information.
Organizations utilizing affected Apache Airflow versions should immediately implement the recommended mitigation strategy of upgrading to version 2.8.3 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the authorization bypass vulnerability. Additionally, system administrators should conduct comprehensive audits of existing user permissions and access controls to identify any potential exploitation that may have already occurred. Security teams should monitor for unusual access patterns in the Airflow logs and consider implementing additional network-level controls or firewalls to limit access to the Airflow web interface. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of regular security updates and proper access control implementation in workflow orchestration platforms that handle sensitive data processing tasks. Organizations should also review their overall security posture and consider implementing principle-based access controls, regular permission reviews, and enhanced logging capabilities to detect and prevent similar authorization bypass scenarios in other components of their infrastructure.