A vital safety flaw has emerged in Apache Airflow 3.0.3, exposing delicate connection info to customers with solely learn permissions.
The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2025-54831 and categorised as “essential” severity, essentially undermines the platform’s meant safety mannequin for dealing with delicate knowledge inside workflow connections.
Apache Airflow model 3.0 launched important adjustments to how delicate info in connections is managed, implementing a “write-only” mannequin designed to limit entry to delicate connection fields solely to Connection Enhancing Customers.
This safety enhancement was meant to stop unauthorized entry to vital authentication particulars, database credentials, and API keys saved inside Airflow connections.
Nonetheless, the implementation in model 3.0.3 contained a vital flaw that reversed these safety enhancements.
The vulnerability permits customers with normal READ permissions to entry delicate connection info by each the Airflow API and internet person interface.
This publicity happens whatever the AIRFLOW__CORE__HIDE_SENSITIVE_VAR_CONN_FIELDS configuration setting, which is particularly designed to masks delicate connection particulars from unauthorized customers.
The breach successfully renders the safety configuration ineffective, creating a major threat for organizations counting on Airflow’s entry controls.
Apache safety analysts recognized the vulnerability after observing surprising conduct in connection dealing with mechanisms.
The flaw particularly impacts Apache Airflow model 3.0.3, whereas earlier Airflow 2.x variations stay unaffected since they observe completely different connection dealing with protocols the place exposing delicate info to connection editors was the documented conduct.
Connection Entry Management Mechanism
The vulnerability stems from improper implementation of the connection entry management system launched in Airflow 3.0.
When customers with READ permissions question connection particulars by way of the /api/v1/connections/{connection_id} endpoint or entry the connections interface by the net UI, the system incorrectly returns delicate fields together with passwords, tokens, and connection strings that ought to stay hidden.
{
“connection_id”: “postgres_default”,
“conn_type”: “postgres”,
“host”: “localhost”,
“login”: “airflow”,
“password”: “exposed_sensitive_data”,
“schema”: “airflow”,
“port”: 5432
}
Organizations utilizing Apache Airflow 3.0.3 ought to instantly improve to model 3.0.4 or later to deal with this safety vulnerability and restore correct entry controls for delicate connection info.
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