CVE-2026-42359

HIGHCVSS 8.8/10EPSS 0.55%

Last modified

CVE-2026-42359 is a high-severity vulnerability rated 8.8/10 on the CVSS scale. A bug in Apache Airflow's XCom PATCH endpoint `PATCH /api/v2/xcomEntries/{key}` allowed an authenticated UI/API user with XCom write permission on a Dag to set XCom entries under reserved key names (e.g. `return_value`) that the matching POST endpoint already validated against `FORBIDDEN_XCOM_KEYS`. EPSS estimates a 0.55% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

A bug in Apache Airflow's XCom PATCH endpoint `PATCH /api/v2/xcomEntries/{key}` allowed an authenticated UI/API user with XCom write permission on a Dag to set XCom entries under reserved key names (e.g. `return_value`) that the matching POST endpoint already validated against `FORBIDDEN_XCOM_KEYS`. The endpoint also accepted serialized payload shapes the triggerer's deserializer treats as code; combined, this allowed RCE on the triggerer when the affected task next deferred. Affects deployments where untrusted users have XCom write permission on Dags that defer to the triggerer. This is a fix-bypass of CVE-2026-33858: PR #64148 added the `FORBIDDEN_XCOM_KEYS` validator only on the POST/set path; the PATCH path was not covered. Users who already upgraded for CVE-2026-33858 should additionally upgrade to `apache-airflow` 3.2.2 or later to cover the PATCH-path bypass.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1
8.8/10

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

EPSS Probability
0.55%

41.8th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

Affected Software

VendorProductVersions
ApacheAirflow>= 3.2.0, < 3.2.2

References

Timeline

Published
Last Modified
Status
Analyzed

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-42359?
A bug in Apache Airflow's XCom PATCH endpoint `PATCH /api/v2/xcomEntries/{key}` allowed an authenticated UI/API user with XCom write permission on a Dag to set XCom entries under reserved key names (e.g. `return_value`) that the matching POST endpoint already validated against `FORBIDDEN_XCOM_KEYS`. The endpoint also accepted serialized payload shapes the triggerer's deserializer treats as code; combined, this allowed RCE on the triggerer when the affected task next deferred. Affects deployments where untrusted users have XCom write permission on Dags that defer to the triggerer. This is a fix-bypass of CVE-2026-33858: PR #64148 added the `FORBIDDEN_XCOM_KEYS` validator only on the POST/set path; the PATCH path was not covered. Users who already upgraded for CVE-2026-33858 should additionally upgrade to `apache-airflow` 3.2.2 or later to cover the PATCH-path bypass.
How severe is CVE-2026-42359?
CVE-2026-42359 has a CVSS score of 8.8/10 (HIGH severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.55% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How do I fix CVE-2026-42359?
Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2026-42359?

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Source: NVD / NIST