CVE-2022-27949 is a high-severity vulnerability in Apache Airflow, an open-source platform widely used for orchestrating complex workflows and data pipelines. The vulnerability arises from the Airflow UI rendering unmasked secrets in template values for tasks that were not executed, such as those dependent on previous failed task instances. This exposure allows an unauthorized attacker to view sensitive information, including secrets that should remain confidential, directly through the Airflow web interface. The flaw affects versions of Apache Airflow prior to 2.3.1. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-200 (Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor). The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.5, indicating a high severity, with an attack vector of network (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), no user interaction (UI:N), unchanged scope (S:U), and high impact on confidentiality (C:H) but no impact on integrity or availability (I:N/A:N). This means an attacker can remotely exploit the vulnerability without authentication or user interaction, gaining unauthorized access to sensitive data. No known exploits in the wild have been reported to date, and no official patch links were provided in the source, but upgrading to Apache Airflow 2.3.1 or later is recommended to remediate the issue. The vulnerability specifically targets the UI component's handling of task templates and secret masking, which is critical for maintaining confidentiality in environments where Airflow manages sensitive credentials or tokens for data processing tasks.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2022-27949 can be significant, especially for those relying on Apache Airflow to manage data workflows involving sensitive information such as personal data, financial records, or proprietary business intelligence. Exposure of secrets could lead to unauthorized access to databases, cloud services, or other integrated systems, potentially resulting in data breaches and compliance violations under regulations like GDPR. The vulnerability's ease of exploitation without authentication increases the risk of external attackers gaining access to sensitive credentials. This can undermine trust in data integrity and confidentiality, disrupt business operations, and lead to financial and reputational damage. Organizations in sectors such as finance, healthcare, telecommunications, and critical infrastructure, which often use Airflow for automated data orchestration, are particularly at risk. Moreover, the exposure of secrets could facilitate further lateral movement or privilege escalation within the affected environment.

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should promptly upgrade Apache Airflow to version 2.3.1 or later, where the issue has been addressed. Until upgrading is possible, restrict access to the Airflow UI to trusted networks and authenticated users only, implementing network segmentation and firewall rules to limit exposure. Employ strong authentication and authorization controls on the Airflow webserver to prevent unauthorized access. Review and audit all stored secrets and credentials managed by Airflow, rotating any that may have been exposed. Additionally, implement secret management best practices by integrating Airflow with dedicated secret management tools (e.g., HashiCorp Vault, AWS Secrets Manager) that provide robust access controls and auditing. Monitor Airflow logs and network traffic for unusual access patterns or attempts to exploit the UI. Finally, conduct regular security assessments and penetration testing focused on workflow orchestration platforms to detect similar issues proactively.