VulnerabilityPublished 21 Sep 2022Updated 27 May 2025

CVE-2022-40604: Apache Airflow · Use of Externally-Controlled Format String

Affects Apache AirflowSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.5 High.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 14:05 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

7.5High

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

EPSS: 2.0% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 81% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

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

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: None
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: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: High: There is total loss of confidentiality, resulting in all resources within the impacted component being divulged to the attacker. Alternatively, access to only some restricted information is obtained, but the disclosed information presents a direct, serious impact.
Integrity: None: There is no loss of integrity within 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 21 Sep 2022
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: 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 26 Oct 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.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, 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

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
PyPIapache-airflow`pkg:pypi/apache-airflow`Other threats	Affected =2.3.0	Fixed in–

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

AI-suggested

To mitigate CVE-2022-40604, European organizations should take the following specific actions beyond generic patching advice: 1) Immediately verify the Apache Airflow version in use and upgrade to a version where this vulnerability is fixed (check Apache's official security advisories for patched versions beyond 2.3.4). 2) Implement strict input validation and sanitization on any user-controllable inputs, especially URL parameters, to prevent malicious format strings from being processed. 3) Employ network-level controls such as Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) to detect and block suspicious requests that may exploit format string vulnerabilities. 4) Conduct thorough code reviews and security testing on custom Airflow plugins or extensions that might interact with URL inputs to ensure they do not introduce similar vulnerabilities. 5) Monitor logs for unusual access patterns or error messages related to format string processing to detect potential exploitation attempts early. 6) Restrict access to Airflow web interfaces and APIs using strong authentication and network segmentation to reduce exposure. 7) Educate development and operations teams about the risks of format string vulnerabilities and secure coding practices to prevent recurrence. 8) If immediate patching is not feasible, consider deploying runtime application self-protection (RASP) solutions that can intercept and block malicious format string usage dynamically.

Description

In Apache Airflow 2.3.0 through 2.3.4, part of a url was unnecessarily formatted, allowing for possible information extraction.

Impact

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2022-40604 can be significant, especially for those relying on Apache Airflow for critical data processing and workflow orchestration. The confidentiality breach could expose sensitive business data, intellectual property, or personal data protected under GDPR, leading to regulatory penalties and reputational damage. Since Apache Airflow is often integrated with various data sources and cloud services, an attacker exploiting this vulnerability could gain insights into internal configurations or credentials, potentially facilitating further attacks or lateral movement within the network. The lack of required authentication and user interaction increases the risk of automated exploitation attempts, which could be conducted remotely from anywhere. Organizations in sectors such as finance, healthcare, telecommunications, and government, which commonly use Apache Airflow for data workflows, are particularly at risk. The exposure of sensitive information could also undermine trust with customers and partners, and in regulated industries, could trigger mandatory breach notifications. Additionally, the vulnerability could be leveraged as a reconnaissance tool by threat actors to map internal environments and identify further attack vectors.

CWE-134Use of Externally-Controlled Format String (opens in a new tab)
Base weaknessLikelihood of exploit: High
The product uses a function that accepts a format string as an argument, but the format string originates from an external source.
Requirements
Choose a language that is not subject to this flaw.
Implementation
Ensure that all format string functions are passed a static string which cannot be controlled by the user, and that the proper number of arguments are always sent to that function as well. If at all possible, use functions that do not support the %n operator in format strings.
Build and Compilation
Run compilers and linkers with high warning levels, since they may detect incorrect usage.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
XML Security (opens in a new tab)
Mass Assignment (opens in a new tab)
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V5.4.2 (opens in a new tab)
V13.3.1 (opens in a new tab)
V5.1.4 (opens in a new tab)
Attack patterns
Format String Injection (opens in a new tab)
String Format Overflow in syslog() (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

Community reviews

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 6 Jul 2025, 02:39 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-134

Technical details

References

Community reviews

Related threats