CVE-2023-49920
About
Apache Airflow, version 2.7.0 through 2.7.3, has a vulnerability that allows an attacker to trigger a DAG in a GET request without CSRF validation. As a result, it was possible for a malicious website opened in the same browser - by the user who also had Airflow UI opened - to trigger the execution of DAGs without the user's consent.
Users are advised to upgrade to version 2.8.0 or later which is not affected
Rainforest analyst review
Apache Airflow 2.7.0 through 2.7.3 lets an attacker trigger a DAG through a GET request with no CSRF validation. The practical consequence: a malicious website, opened in the same browser by a user who also has the Airflow UI logged in, can silently fire off DAG executions without consent. DAGs run real workflows against real systems, so an unconsented trigger isn't cosmetic — it can kick off data movement or jobs the user never intended.
The gating condition is the cross-site request pattern: it needs a logged-in Airflow user to visit a hostile page while their session is live, which is why the impact lands on integrity via forced execution rather than as a direct server compromise. It doesn't leak data or crash the service — it makes the platform do work on an attacker's cue — and the CSRF-over-GET design makes the forgery trivially embeddable in an image tag or link.
Because exploitation runs through an authenticated user's browser, our leverage is at that boundary: keep Airflow UI sessions off general-purpose browsing, watch for DAG-trigger requests arriving with foreign or missing referrers, and get instances onto 2.8.0 or later where the flaw is fixed. We weight instances whose UI is broadly reachable, since a wider logged-in audience is what makes this forgery practical.
References
Related CVEs
Frequently asked questions
What is CVE-2023-49920?
Apache Airflow, version 2.7.0 through 2.7.3, has a vulnerability that allows an attacker to trigger a DAG in a GET request without CSRF validation. As a result, it was possible for a malicious website opened in the same browser - by the user who also had Airflow UI opened - to trigger the execution of DAGs without the user's consent. Users are advised to upgrade to version 2.8.0 or later which is not affected
How severe is CVE-2023-49920?
CVE-2023-49920 carries a CVSS 3.1 base score of 6.5, rated medium. On the Rainforest Risk Index — which weighs the severity alongside how easy the flaw is to reach and how broad its impact is — it scores 64 out of 100, in the elevated band.
How is CVE-2023-49920 exploited?
According to the CVSS vector (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N): attack vector Network, attack complexity Low, privileges required None, user interaction Required. Impact on confidentiality None, integrity High and availability None.
Which products are affected by CVE-2023-49920?
Public advisories list the following as affected: airflow. Check the references on this page for the exact versions each vendor confirms.
How do I fix CVE-2023-49920?
Apply the fix the vendor published — the references on this page link to the primary advisories and patches. When patching can't happen right away, reduce the exposure of the affected component and watch it for exploitation attempts. Rainforest customers see this vulnerability correlated to their own assets and prioritized by real exposure, not by score alone.
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