Cyber Resilience

CVE-2022-40127

RCE in Apache Airflow ≤ 2.4.0

High EPSSRCE
Published
14 November 2022
Modified
30 April 2025
Patch / advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 8.8
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.86 99.7th percentile
Risk Priority 90 floored blend · peak EPSS

CVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.

Summary

CVE-2022-40127 is a high-severity Code Injection (CWE-94) vulnerability in Apache Airflow. Its CVSS base score is 8.8 (High).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Command and Scripting Interpreter (T1059); ranked in the top 0.3% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary

Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.

A vulnerability in the Example Dags component of Apache Airflow permits command injection through the manually supplied run_id parameter when DAGs are triggered. The flaw, tracked as CWE-94, affects all versions prior to 2.4.0 and carries a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.8.

An authenticated user who already possesses UI access and the ability to trigger DAGs can supply a crafted run_id value to execute arbitrary commands on the underlying system, achieving full confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact within the Airflow deployment.

Advisories and the associated pull request 25960 indicate that the issue is resolved by upgrading to Apache Airflow 2.4.0 or later.

The EPSS score has remained consistently high, reaching a peak of 0.9385 with a current value of 0.9331.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

A vulnerability in Example Dags of Apache Airflow allows an attacker with UI access who can trigger DAGs, to execute arbitrary commands via manually provided run_id parameter. This issue affects Apache Airflow Apache Airflow versions prior to 2.4.0.

CWE(s)

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter Execution
Adversaries may abuse command and script interpreters to execute commands, scripts, or binaries.
T1059.001 PowerShell Execution
Adversaries may abuse PowerShell commands and scripts for execution.
T1059.002 AppleScript Execution
Adversaries may abuse AppleScript for execution.
T1059.004 Unix Shell Execution
Adversaries may abuse Unix shell commands and scripts for execution.
T1059.005 Visual Basic Execution
Adversaries may abuse Visual Basic (VB) for execution.
T1059.006 Python Execution
Adversaries may abuse Python commands and scripts for execution.
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2025-54550Same product: Apache Airflow
CVE-2024-56373Same product: Apache Airflow
CVE-2024-39877Same product: Apache Airflow
CVE-2020-11978Same product: Apache Airflow
CVE-2022-24288Same product: Apache Airflow
CVE-2021-38540Same product: Apache Airflow
CVE-2020-13927Same product: Apache Airflow
CVE-2024-38346Same vendor: Apache
CVE-2026-25077Same vendor: Apache
CVE-2023-28706Same vendor: Apache

Affected Assets

apache
airflow
≤ 2.4.0

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

—

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

—

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)

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Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)
  • V1.3.1

Likely Mitigating Controls AI

Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.

addresses: CWE-94

Makes persistent code injection into loaded programs impossible when the executable image itself resides on hardware-protected read-only media.

addresses: CWE-94

Dynamically generated code can be produced and executed inside the isolated chamber, preventing host compromise from code-injection payloads.

addresses: CWE-94

Validates inputs used in dynamic code generation to block injected directives.

addresses: CWE-94

Directly prevents execution of attacker-supplied code written into data memory regions.

Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

PR.PS-06 mostly match
prevents

PR.PS-06's SDLC practices directly target injection flaws via secure coding and testing (mostly), yet as a single broad outcome it leaves many code-generation specifics unaddressed (partial).

PR.DS-10 none match
prevents

PR.DS-10 protects runtime data confidentiality/integrity but has no bearing on neutralizing externally influenced input during code generation, so neither direction shows any preventive effect.

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

prevents

Banning unapproved code samples and unauthenticated web services, combined with secure-coding standards and SAST, prevents the dynamic generation or inclusion of attacker-supplied code.

References