{"id":"CVE-2020-11978","kind":"vulnerability","aliases":["CVE-2020-11978"],"related":[],"title":"Apache Airflow: Apache Airflow Command Injection","description":"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.","summary":"Apache Airflow ships an example DAG with a command injection flaw, so a crafted request can make the server run attacker-supplied shell commands. It is on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list and has an EPSS score of 0.992, meaning exploitation is very likely.","severity":"high","cvss":8.8,"epss":0.99189,"exploited":true,"exploited_at":"2022-01-18T00:00:00+00:00","products":[{"name":"Apache Airflow","fixed":[],"affected":"","ecosystem":"vendor"}],"ecosystems":["vendor"],"tags":["airflow","exploited","package","python","self-hosted"],"not_affected_if":["example-dags-disabled"],"how_to_check":null,"fix":"Upgrade Apache Airflow to a fixed release per vendor instructions; the exact fixed version is not stated in the sources.\nRemove or disable the example DAGs if they are deployed.","status":"open","published_at":"2020-07-17T00:15:10+00:00","first_seen_at":"2026-10-23T19:11:53+00:00","triaged_at":"2026-10-23T21:31:36+00:00","updated_at":"2026-10-23T21:57:35+00:00","category":"package","confidence":0.6,"triage":{"at":"2026-10-23T21:31:36Z","model":"claude-haiku-5-5","output":{"fix":"Upgrade Apache Airflow to a fixed release per vendor instructions; the exact fixed version is not stated in the sources.\nRemove or disable the example DAGs if they are deployed.","reach":"network","impact":"high","summary":"Apache Airflow ships an example DAG with a command injection flaw, so a crafted request can make the server run attacker-supplied shell commands. It is on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list and has an EPSS score of 0.992, meaning exploitation is very likely.","category":"package","who_cares":["airflow","self-hosted","python"],"confidence":0.6,"needs_auth":"unknown","worst_case":"Attacker runs arbitrary shell commands on the Airflow host.","analyst_note":"Find the affected and fixed Airflow versions and the example DAG name in the Apache advisory for CVE-2020-11978, and confirm whether the example DAGs are loaded by default.","how_to_check":"unknown","needs_analyst":true,"not_affected_if":["example-dags-disabled"],"user_interaction":"no","needs_special_setup":"yes","severity_if_unknown":"high"},"cost_usd":0.00048,"input_tokens":2801,"output_tokens":399,"severity_before":"unknown"},"analyst_status":"queued","analyst_note":"Find the affected and fixed Airflow versions and the example DAG name in the Apache advisory for CVE-2020-11978, and confirm whether the example DAGs are loaded by default.","search":"'-11978':9A,12A '-2020':8A,11A '0.992':62B '1.10.10':76C 'airflow':2A,4A,14A,15B,23B,74C,94C,109C 'allow':97C 'alreadi':119C 'apach':1A,3A,22B,73C 'apache':13A 'arbitrari':103C 'attack':43B 'attacker-suppli':42B 'authent':99C 'cisa':50B 'code/command':81C 'command':5A,30B,46B,104C 'config':130C 'craft':35B 'cve':7A,10A 'dag':27B,91C 'depend':111C 'disabl':122C 'discov':85C 'epss':59B 'exampl':26B,90C,121C,126C 'executor':114C 'exploit':16B,53B,64B 'fals':127C 'flaw':32B 'found':71C 'host':21B 'inject':6A,31B,82C 'issu':69C 'known':52B 'like':67B 'list':55B 'load':125C 'make':38B 'mean':63B 'one':87C 'packag':17B 'python':18B 'remot':80C 'request':36B 'run':41B,102C,108C 'score':60B 'self':20B 'self-host':19B 'server':40B 'set':124C 'shell':45B 'ship':24B,92C 'suppli':44B 'use':116C 'user':100C,107C 'version':75C 'vulner':54B,83C,135C 'worker/scheduler':110C 'would':96C","nicknames":[],"mitigations":[],"who_affected":null,"tier":null,"verified":{},"analyst_revisit_at":null,"first_public_at":"2020-07-17T00:15:10+00:00","kev":{"dateAdded":"2022-01-18","dueDate":"2022-07-18","requiredAction":"Apply updates per vendor instructions.","knownRansomwareCampaignUse":"Unknown"},"cvss_vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","cvss_by":"nvd@nist.gov","poc_count":0,"sources":[{"source":"kev","external_id":"CVE-2020-11978","url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?search_api_fulltext=CVE-2020-11978","severity":null,"published_at":"2022-01-18T00:00:00+00:00","modified_at":null,"first_seen_at":"2026-10-23T19:11:53+00:00","fetched_at":"2026-10-25T10:39:07+00:00","note":null},{"source":"epss","external_id":"CVE-2020-11978","url":"https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2020-11978","severity":null,"published_at":null,"modified_at":null,"first_seen_at":"2026-10-23T19:13:44+00:00","fetched_at":"2026-10-23T19:13:44+00:00","note":null},{"source":"nvd","external_id":"CVE-2020-11978","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-11978","severity":null,"published_at":"2020-07-17T00:15:10+00:00","modified_at":"2026-06-17T02:51:10+00:00","first_seen_at":"2026-10-23T21:57:35+00:00","fetched_at":"2026-10-23T21:57:35+00:00","note":null}],"documents":[],"notice":"Free to read at a human pace. An API with keys and an MCP server are in preparation; early access: hello@infrastack.ai"}