---
id: "CVE-2020-11978"
kind: "vulnerability"
aliases: ["CVE-2020-11978"]
title: "Apache Airflow: Apache Airflow Command Injection"
severity: "high"
cvss: 8.8
epss: 0.99189
exploited: true
status: "open"
category: "package"
products: [{"name": "Apache Airflow", "fixed": [], "affected": "", "ecosystem": "vendor"}]
ecosystems: ["vendor"]
tags: ["airflow", "exploited", "package", "python", "self-hosted"]
not_affected_if: ["example-dags-disabled"]
published_at: "2020-07-17T00:15:10+00:00"
first_seen_at: "2026-10-23T19:11:53+00:00"
updated_at: "2026-10-23T21:57:35+00:00"
sources: [{"source": "kev", "url": "https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?search_api_fulltext=CVE-2020-11978", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-23T19:11:53+00:00"}, {"source": "epss", "url": "https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2020-11978", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-23T19:13:44+00:00"}, {"source": "nvd", "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-11978", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-23T21:57:35+00:00"}]
---

# Apache Airflow: Apache Airflow Command Injection

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.

_Summary, check and fix written by a model from the sources; labelled as such._

## Affected

- vendor:Apache Airflow affected ? fixed ?

## Fix

Upgrade Apache Airflow to a fixed release per vendor instructions; the exact fixed version is not stated in the sources.
Remove or disable the example DAGs if they are deployed.

## Timeline

- 2026-10-23T19:11:53+00:00 kev https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?search_api_fulltext=CVE-2020-11978
- 2026-10-23T19:13:44+00:00 epss https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2020-11978
- 2026-10-23T21:57:35+00:00 nvd https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-11978

## From the sources

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.

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_Free to read at a human pace. An API with keys and an MCP server are in preparation; early access: hello@infrastack.ai_