CVE-2020-11978
KEVApache Airflow Command Injection
Description
A remote code/command injection vulnerability was discovered in one of the example DAGs shipped with Airflow.
An issue was found in Apache Airflow versions 1.10.10 and below. A remote code/command injection vulnerability was discovered in one of the example DAGs shipped with Airflow which would allow any authenticated user to run arbitrary commands as the user running airflow worker/scheduler (depending on the executor in use). If you already have examples disabled by setting load_examples=False in the config then you are not vulnerable.
CVSS 3.1 vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HPublishedJul 17, 2020
Last modifiedJun 17, 2026
Added to KEVJan 18, 2022
Remediation dueJul 18, 2022
References
- packetstormsecurity.com/files/162908/Apache-Airflow-1.10.10-Remote-Code-Execution.htmlExploitThird Party Advisory
- packetstormsecurity.com/files/174764/Apache-Airflow-1.10.10-Remote-Code-Execution.htmlExploitThird Party Advisory
- lists.apache.org/thread.html/r7255cf0be3566f23a768e2a04b40fb09e52fcd1872695428ba9afe91%40%3Cusers.airflow.apache.org%3EMailing ListVendor Advisory
- cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2020-11978Third Party AdvisoryUS Government Resource
0 recent articles mention this CVE
84
Risk assessment · Critical
Actively exploited. Patch immediately.
- Exploitation
- Confirmed in the wild (CISA KEV)
- Federal remediation deadline
- Overdue by 1562 days
- CVSS
- 8.8 HIGH
- EPSS (30-day exploit probability)
- 99.2% · top 1% of all CVEs
- Weakness
- CWE-78
- Attack vector
- Network, remotely reachable
Recommended actions
- 1.Apply updates per vendor instructions.
- 2.Treat as emergency change: patch or isolate internet-facing instances first.
- 3.Review exposure: confirm which instances are reachable from the internet and restrict access until patched.
- 4.Hunt for compromise: review logs for the disclosure window, not just from the patch date.
Assessment is derived automatically from the live signals above; verify against your own asset inventory.