CVE-2026-28779
Apache Airflow 3.0.0 – 3.1.8
Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:NSummary
CVE-2026-28779 is a high-severity Exposure of Resource to Wrong Sphere (CWE-668) vulnerability in Apache Airflow. Its CVSS base score is 7.5 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Cloud Instance Metadata API (T1552.005); ranked at the 49th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to AC-3 (Access Enforcement) and AC-4 (Information Flow Enforcement) — see the control section below for these in your framework.
Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary
Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.
CVE-2026-28779 is a vulnerability in Apache Airflow versions 3.1.0 through 3.1.7, where the session token (_token) stored in cookies is incorrectly set to path=/, ignoring the configured [webserver] base_url or [api] base_url settings. This flaw exposes the token to unintended access across the entire domain.
An attacker can exploit this by co-hosting a malicious application under the same domain as the Airflow instance. The malicious app can capture valid Airflow session tokens from HTTP request headers, enabling full session takeover and unauthorized access to the Airflow web interface or API without directly targeting Airflow itself. The vulnerability carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N) and maps to CWE-668 (Exposure of Resource to Wrong Sphere).
Apache Airflow advisories recommend upgrading to version 3.1.8 or later to resolve the issue by properly scoping the cookie path to the configured base_url. Key references include the fixing pull request at https://github.com/apache/airflow/pull/62771, the Apache mailing list announcement at https://lists.apache.org/thread/r4n5znb8mcq14wo9v8ndml36nxlksdqb, and the OSS-Security disclosure at http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/03/17/3.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2026-12558
Vulnerability Data
Apache Airflow versions 3.1.0 through 3.1.7 session token (_token) in cookies is set to path=/ regardless of the configured [webserver] base_url or [api] base_url. This allows any application co-hosted under the same domain to capture valid Airflow session tokens from…
more
HTTP request headers, allowing full session takeover without attacking Airflow itself. Users are recommended to upgrade to Apache Airflow 3.1.8 or later, which resolves this issue.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Control response
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- 8 hardening rules · 7 OS baselines
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Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
Access enforcement directly stops resources from being reachable by actors outside the intended control sphere.
Information flow enforcement structurally prevents unintended cross-sphere data or resource exposure.
Least privilege reduces the set of actors that can reach a resource, limiting wrong-sphere exposure.
Security attributes enable correct sphere assignment and subsequent enforcement decisions.
Boundary protection at interfaces prevents resources from being exposed outside authorized spheres.
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.
Enforcing least-privilege authorizations directly prevents resources from being exposed outside their intended control sphere.
Network segmentation and unauthorized-access protections reduce the chance of resources being reachable by the wrong sphere.
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.
Placing systems of differing trust levels into separate domains prevents resources from being placed in a sphere where they are reachable by unintended actors.
Requiring owners to manage the full asset life cycle and remove assets from the inventory upon secure disposal helps prevent resources from being inadvertently exposed outside their intended security sphere.
Hardening callouts derived
Configuration rules from DISA STIG baselines that bear on weaknesses of the type cited by this CVE. Each rule is shown with the relationship its mapping actually records, against the CWE it was authored against. Derived via CVE→CWE over `controls_xwalks` (authoritative rows only; rows rated `none` are excluded).
Oracle Linux 8 (2 rules)
- V-248827 OL 8 must not have the rsh-server package installed. prevents CWE-668
- V-248823 OL 8 must not have the telnet-server package installed. prevents CWE-668
RHEL 7 (1 rule)
- V-204442 The Red Hat Enterprise Linux operating system must not have the rsh-server package installed. prevents CWE-668
Windows 10 (1 rule)
- V-220967 The Debug programs user right must only be assigned to the Administrators group. prevents CWE-668
Windows 11 (1 rule)
- V-253490 The "Debug programs" user right must only be assigned to the Administrators group. prevents CWE-668
Windows Server 2016 (1 rule)
- V-225079 The Debug programs user right must only be assigned to the Administrators group. prevents CWE-668
Windows Server 2019 (1 rule)
- V-205757 Windows Server 2019 Debug programs: user right must only be assigned to the Administrators group. prevents CWE-668
Windows Server 2022 (1 rule)
- V-254500 Windows Server 2022 debug programs user right must only be assigned to the Administrators group. prevents CWE-668