Medium severity · published Aug 12, 2026
CVE-2026-59242
Apache Airflow: Arbitrary airflow.* class instantiation on the API server via the XCom deserialize endpoint
5.4
CVSS
0.5%
EPSS
No
On KEV
Description
Apache Airflow's XCom `GET /api/v2/{...}/xcomEntries/{key}?deserialize=true` endpoint passed a string-literal payload through `BaseXCom.deserialize_value` without the `_check_forbidden_xcom_keys` guard, allowing an authenticated API user with XCom write-and-read access to instantiate arbitrary `airflow.*` classes on the API server (CWE-502). An authenticated user who can write an XCom value and then read it back with `deserialize=true` triggers the unsafe instantiation. Users are advised to upgrade to apache-airflow 3.3.1 or later, which rejects reserved XCom serialization keys submitted as JSON string literals.
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
Low
Availability
None
Scope
Unchanged
Exploitation
Is it being used?
Exploit prediction (EPSS)0.5% · higher than 45% of CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo evidence yet
CISA KEVNot listed
Ransomware campaign useNot known
Affected products
Which versions
AA
Apache Airflow · Apache Software Foundation
before 3.3.1 · source: vendor
AI
Airflow · Apache
before 3.3.1 · source: NVD
References
NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-59242
CVE.org
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-59242
Issue Tracking
https://github.com/apache/airflow/pull/69378
Mailing List
https://lists.apache.org/thread/dm0520yhh4mn7qknyoh45r2w6c5qg2mg
Mailing List
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/08/12/6
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