CVE-2026-76186 Apache Software Foundation CVE debrief

Who should care

Defenders responsible for Apache Airflow deployments with the Keycloak auth manager, particularly those running Airflow 3.3 or later, should assess exposure and prioritize upgrading to version 0.10.0 or later of apache-airflow-providers-keycloak

Why it matters

Defenders should care about CVE-2026-76186 because it allows unauthorized privilege escalation in Apache Airflow deployments with the Keycloak auth manager. The vulnerability requires verification of session identity binding with Keycloak tokens and upgrading to version 0.10.0 or later of apache-airflow-providers-keycloak. The impact is limited to deployments running Airflow 3.3 or later with the Keycloak auth manager.

• Potential unauthorized privilege escalation
• Session identity binding vulnerability
• Keycloak token management weaknesses

Technical summary

The Apache Airflow Keycloak provider vulnerability allows a user with a valid Airflow login to pair their session with another subject's Keycloak access or refresh token, potentially leading to unauthorized privilege escalation in deployments running Airflow 3.3 or later with the Keycloak auth manager. This occurs because the Keycloak auth manager takes a user's identity from the signed Airflow session token but takes the Keycloak access and refresh tokens used for every authorization decision from separate, unauthenticated cookies, and never checks that the two describe the same subject.

Defensive priority

Defenders should prioritize upgrading to version 0.10.0 or later of apache-airflow-providers-keycloak and verify session identity binding with Keycloak tokens

Recommended defensive actions

• Upgrade to version 0.10.0 or later of apache-airflow-providers-keycloak
• Verify session identity binding with Keycloak tokens
• Review and update Keycloak access and refresh token management
• Confirm whether affected product deployments exist in managed environments and assign an owner for follow-up
• Review compensating controls for exposed systems while remediation is scheduled and verified
• Check relevant monitoring, detection, and logs for exposed assets that need extra review
• Track exceptions, retest remediated assets, and close the item only after evidence is documented

Evidence notes

The CVE record and NVD detail page provide information on the vulnerability, while the Apache Airflow GitHub pull request and mailing list discussions offer additional context on the patch and mitigation

Sources and references

Methodology and review provenance

AI-assisted synthesis based on stored public vulnerability evidence. System validation, approval state, and publication status do not by themselves establish human review of this revision. PatchSiren helps prioritize defensive review and does not prove exposure or remediation on any system.