VulnerabilityPublished 1 Jun 2026Updated 2 Nov 2026

CVE-2026-40961: Apache Airflow · Authenticated users can bypass the `is_safe_url` check

Affects apache-airflowSource GCVE Database

Compare

Authoritative record:CVE-2026-40961· High 7.2

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.2 High : upgrade to 3.2.2 soon.

Data as of 3 Nov 2026, 00:29 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

7.2High

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

Patch: Available – fixed in 3.2.2

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Scope: Changed
Confidentiality: Low
Integrity: Low
Availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed 'remotely exploitable' and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: None: The attacker is unauthorized prior to attack, and therefore does not require any access to settings or files to carry out an attack.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.
Scope: Changed: An exploited vulnerability can affect resources beyond the security scope managed by the security authority of the vulnerable component. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are different and managed by different security authorities.
Confidentiality: Low: There is some loss of confidentiality. Access to some restricted information is obtained, but the attacker does not have control over what information is obtained, or the amount or kind of loss is limited. The information disclosure does not cause a direct, serious loss to the impacted component.
Integrity: Low: Modification of data is possible, but the attacker does not have control over the consequence of a modification, or the amount of modification is limited. The data modification does not have a direct, serious impact on the impacted component.
Availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 1 Jun 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponized: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 2 Nov 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponized: A Metasploit exploit module or Exploit-DB entry exists (Metasploit scanner modules do not count), or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Upgrade apache-airflow to 3.2.2.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
PyPIapache-airflow	Affected >=3.0.0b3 <3.2.2	Fixed in 3.2.2

Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.

AI-suggested

Upgrade Apache Airflow to version 3.2.2 or later, where this vulnerability is fixed. As a defense-in-depth measure, deploy Airflow behind a reverse proxy configured to strip off-domain `next=` query parameters before they reach the login endpoint. No other specific mitigations are indicated by the vendor advisory.

Description

Apache Airflow versions from 3.0.0b3 up to but not including 3.2.2 contain a vulnerability in the login redirect route that allows authenticated users to bypass the `is_safe_url` check. This flaw enables redirection from a trusted Airflow domain to an attacker-controlled origin. The issue is fixed in version 3.2.2. Operators are advised to upgrade to 3.2.2 or later. As an additional mitigation, deploying Airflow behind a reverse proxy that removes off-domain `next=` query parameters before they reach the login endpoint can reduce risk.

Impact

The vulnerability allows authenticated users to bypass URL safety checks and redirect users from the trusted Airflow domain to attacker-controlled domains. This could lead to phishing attacks or other malicious redirections, impacting confidentiality and integrity of user sessions or data. There is no reported impact on availability. The attack requires authentication but no additional privileges or user interaction.

Summary

A vulnerability identified as CVE-2026-40961 affects Apache Airflow's login redirect route, where authenticated users can craft URLs that bypass the `is_safe_url` validation. This bypass allows redirection from the trusted Airflow domain to an attacker-controlled origin, potentially facilitating phishing or other redirect-based attacks. The vulnerability affects Apache Airflow versions >=3.0.0b3 and <3.2.2 and is addressed in version 3.2.2. The CVSS v3.1 score is 7.2 (high severity), reflecting network attack vector, low attack complexity, no privileges required, no user interaction, with impact on confidentiality and integrity but no impact on availability. No known exploits in the wild have been reported. A patch is available and should be applied. Additional defense-in-depth can be implemented by filtering redirect parameters at the proxy level.

CWE-601URL Redirection to Untrusted Site (Open Redirect) (opens in a new tab)
Base weaknessLikelihood of exploit: LowOWASP Top 10 A01:2025: Broken Access Control (opens in a new tab)
The web application accepts a user-controlled input that specifies a link to an external site, and uses that link in a redirect.
Implementation · Input Validation
Assume all input is malicious. Use an "accept known good" input validation strategy, i.e., use a list of acceptable inputs that strictly conform to specifications. Reject any input that does not strictly conform to specifications, or transform it into something that does.
Architecture and Design
Use an intermediate disclaimer page that provides the user with a clear warning that they are leaving the current site. Implement a long timeout before the redirect occurs, or force the user to click on the link. Be careful to avoid XSS problems (CWE-79) when generating the disclaimer page.
Architecture and Design · Enforcement by Conversion
When the set of acceptable objects, such as filenames or URLs, is limited or known, create a mapping from a set of fixed input values (such as numeric IDs) to the actual filenames or URLs, and reject all other inputs.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
Mass Assignment (opens in a new tab)
Authorization (opens in a new tab)
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V5.1.5 (opens in a new tab)
Attack patterns
Cross-Site Flashing (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

Community reviews

Loading reviews…

Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 3 Nov 2026, 00:29 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-601

Technical details

References

Community reviews

Related threats