CVE-2020-11978VulnerabilityPublished 01/18/2022Updated 10/24/2026

CVE-2020-11978: Apache Airflow Command Injection

Affects Apache AirflowSource CISA KEV

Severity

High

No CVSS score published yet

Exploitation: Actively exploited – in CISA KEV since 01/18/2022
KEV deadline: 07/18/2022
EPSS: 99.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 99% of CVEs

What to do

CISA required action

Apply updates per vendor instructions.

nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-11978 (opens in a new tab)

Description

CVE-2020-11978 is a remote command injection vulnerability found in an example DAG shipped with Apache Airflow. This flaw allows an attacker to execute arbitrary commands remotely via the vulnerable DAG. The vulnerability has been exploited in the wild, indicating active threat usage. No specific affected versions or patch information is provided in the available data.

Summary

A remote code/command injection vulnerability (CWE-78) exists in one of the example Directed Acyclic Graphs (DAGs) included with Apache Airflow. This vulnerability allows an attacker to execute arbitrary commands remotely by exploiting the example DAG. The vulnerability has been observed to be exploited in the wild. No explicit affected versions or remediation details are provided in the source data.

Impact

Successful exploitation enables remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands on the affected system, potentially leading to full system compromise or unauthorized control over Airflow environments. The presence of known exploitation in the wild elevates the risk to deployed systems using the vulnerable example DAG.

Mitigation

Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. Users should avoid deploying example DAGs without review and validation. Until official fixes or guidance are available, disabling or removing the vulnerable example DAG is recommended to prevent exploitation.

Weaknesses

CWE-78OS Command Injection (opens in a new tab)

What to do

Description

AnalysisAI-generated, updated 10/24/2026, 09:56:58 UTC

Weaknesses

References

Related threats