CVE-2026-67260 Apache CVE debrief

Who should care

Airflow users and administrators should assess exposure and upgrade to apache-airflow 3.3.1 or later to prevent arbitrary module imports and object instantiation. This requires review of Dag author privileges and restrictions, as well as monitoring scheduler logs for suspicious activity to verify the effectiveness of the upgrade and to detect potential exploitation attempts.

Why it matters

Apache Airflow 3.3.0 vulnerability allows arbitrary module imports and object instantiation. Users should upgrade to 3.3.1 or later to prevent exploitation.

• Arbitrary module imports and object instantiation inside the scheduler process
• Scheduler job termination potential
• Verification of Dag author privileges and restrictions required

Technical summary

Apache Airflow 3.3.0 introduced a new `awaiting_input` task state that deserializes task instance `next_kwargs` without an allow-list. This allows a Dag author to cause an arbitrary module import and object instantiation inside the scheduler process or terminate the scheduler job. The vulnerability is fixed in apache-airflow 3.3.1 or later. The sweep runs unconditionally every 15 seconds, and the default `allowed_deserialization_classes` setting does not cover this code path. Versions before 3.3.0 are not affected, because human-in-the-loop tasks deferred onto the triggerer instead.

Defensive priority

Upgrade to apache-airflow 3.3.1 or later to prevent arbitrary module imports and object instantiation.

Recommended defensive actions

• Upgrade to apache-airflow 3.3.1 or later
• Review and restrict Dag author privileges
• Monitor scheduler logs for suspicious activity
• 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 vulnerability detail provide information on the vulnerability. The issue is fixed in apache-airflow 3.3.1 or later. This vulnerability allows for arbitrary module imports and object instantiation inside the scheduler process or termination of the scheduler job due to the deserialization of task instance `next_kwargs` without an allow-list in the new `awaiting_input` task state introduced in Apache Airflow 3.3.0. The sweep runs unconditionally every 15 seconds, and the default `allowed_deserialization_classes` A

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.