Apache Airflow 3.0.3 introduced a security vulnerability (CVE-2025-54831) related to the exposure of sensitive connection information due to incompatible policy enforcement. The intended security model in Airflow 3 was to restrict sensitive connection fields to users with Connection Editing permissions, effectively making these fields 'write-only' to prevent unauthorized viewing. However, in version 3.0.3, this model was broken, allowing users with only READ permissions to view sensitive connection details through both the Airflow API and UI interfaces. This exposure bypasses the AIRFLOW__CORE__HIDE_SENSITIVE_VAR_CONN_FIELDS configuration, which was designed to hide sensitive fields from unauthorized users. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-213 (Exposure of Sensitive Information Through Incompatible Policies) and affects only Airflow 3.0.3; earlier versions like Airflow 2.x do not have this issue as their design allowed connection editors to view sensitive data. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 6.5, reflecting a medium severity with a high confidentiality impact, low attack complexity, and requiring low privileges (authenticated read access). There is no known exploitation in the wild as of the publication date. The flaw could lead to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive credentials or tokens stored in Airflow connections, potentially enabling further attacks or data breaches. The recommended remediation is to upgrade to Airflow 3.0.4 or later, where the issue is fixed. Organizations should also audit user roles and permissions to ensure minimal exposure and monitor access logs for suspicious read activity on connection objects.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk of unauthorized disclosure of sensitive credentials and connection information used in automated workflows and data pipelines managed by Apache Airflow. Such exposure could lead to lateral movement within networks, unauthorized access to databases, cloud services, or other integrated systems, and potential data breaches. Organizations in sectors with strict data protection regulations, such as finance, healthcare, and critical infrastructure, could face compliance violations under GDPR if sensitive data is leaked. The impact is heightened in multi-tenant or collaborative environments where users with read-only access are more numerous and may not be fully trusted. While the vulnerability does not affect system integrity or availability directly, the confidentiality breach could enable attackers to escalate privileges or exfiltrate data. The medium severity score reflects the balance between the ease of exploitation by authenticated users and the potentially serious consequences of sensitive data exposure. Prompt patching and access control reviews are critical to mitigate risks.

1. Upgrade Apache Airflow installations from version 3.0.3 to 3.0.4 or later immediately to apply the official fix. 2. Review and tighten user role assignments, ensuring that only trusted users have read access to connection objects containing sensitive information. 3. Implement strict access control policies and segregate duties to minimize the number of users with read permissions on sensitive connections. 4. Enable and monitor audit logging for access to connection data to detect any unauthorized or unusual read activity. 5. Use environment-level encryption and secrets management solutions external to Airflow where possible to reduce sensitive data exposure within Airflow itself. 6. Regularly review Airflow configuration settings, especially AIRFLOW__CORE__HIDE_SENSITIVE_VAR_CONN_FIELDS, to ensure they are correctly applied and effective. 7. Educate administrators and users about the sensitivity of connection information and the importance of least privilege principles. 8. Consider network segmentation and additional authentication controls (e.g., MFA) for Airflow UI and API access to reduce risk of compromised credentials being misused.