Apache Airflow maintainers have disclosed a severe safety concern, tracked as CVE-2025-54831, that permits customers holding solely learn permissions to view delicate connection particulars by way of each the Airflow API and internet interface.
The vulnerability, current in Airflow model 3.0.3, undermines the platform’s meant “write-only” remedy of secrets and techniques in Connections and will result in unauthorized publicity of credentials and different secret configuration information.
Apache Airflow is an open-source workflow orchestration platform extensively adopted for scheduling and monitoring information pipelines.
With the discharge of Airflow 3.0.0, the mission launched a tighter safety mannequin for delicate info in Connection objects.
Below this mannequin, fields akin to passwords, tokens, and personal keys had been meant to be masked by default and solely revealed to customers who maintain express Connection edit (write) permissions. Learn-only customers had been restricted to viewing non-sensitive metadata.
Nonetheless, an implementation oversight in Airflow 3.0.3 inadvertently permitted read-only customers to retrieve full delicate values.
The difficulty was reported publicly on the developer mailing checklist by group member Kaxil Naik on September 25, 2025, and subsequently assigned CVE-2025-54831 with an “Vital” severity score.
Apache Airflow Vulnerability
In Airflow 3.0.3, each the API endpoint for retrieving Connection particulars and the corresponding UI view bypass the AIRFLOW__CORE__HIDE_SENSITIVE_VAR_CONN_FIELDS configuration.
This flag, when enabled, is meant to cover fields akin to password, host, port, and customized extras within the JSON response and UI show.
As an alternative, read-only customers can conduct HTTP GET requests in opposition to /api/v1/connections/{connection_id} or navigate to the Connection particulars web page within the internet interface to view these fields in plaintext.
Affected components embody, however usually are not restricted to:
- Database credentials (username, password).
- Cloud supplier entry keys and secrets and techniques.
- SSH non-public keys.
- Additional JSON subject information containing API tokens or different secrets and techniques.
As a result of Airflow Connections are regularly used to retailer high-privilege service credentials, unauthorized learn entry poses a major danger.
An attacker or insider with a read-only position may exfiltrate service account keys, cloud credentials, or encryption keys, doubtlessly compromising downstream workloads, information shops, or total cloud environments.
Though the vulnerability doesn’t permit write-level modifications or distant code execution, the publicity of credentials can facilitate lateral motion, privilege escalation, and information exfiltration inside a compromised setting.
Attackers can leverage uncovered keys to infiltrate manufacturing databases, cloud companies, and secret shops with out triggering commonplace audit trails for credential misuse.
Organizations that implement strict role-based entry management (RBAC) in Airflow, granting learn permissions to a large person base, are notably in danger.
Groups utilizing shared or self-hosted Airflow deployments in multi-tenant setups ought to view this vulnerabilityas a essential lapse within the confidentiality ensures of the platform.
- Apache Airflow (apache-airflow) 3.0.3
Airflow 2.x releases stay unaffected, as these variations didn’t implement the brand new write-only masking mannequin and have lengthy allowed connection secrets and techniques to be seen to editors by design.
Mitigations
The Apache Airflow mission has addressed the problem in model 3.0.4, re-enforcing the write-only masking conduct and restoring respect for the AIRFLOW__CORE__HIDE_SENSITIVE_VAR_CONN_FIELDS configuration. All customers of Airflow 3.0.3 are strongly suggested to improve instantly:
bashpip set up --upgrade apache-airflow>=3.0.4
Operators who can’t apply the improve instantly can implement a brief workaround by deploying a proxy or API gateway in entrance of the Airflow webserver.
The proxy ought to filter out or masks delicate JSON fields on /api/v1/connections/* endpoints. Moreover, make sure that the next setting variable is about in your Airflow configuration:
textual contentAIRFLOW__CORE__HIDE_SENSITIVE_VAR_CONN_FIELDS=True
Even with the flag set, nevertheless, upgrading to three.0.4 stays the one assured repair.
CVE-2025-54831 underscores the complexity of securing secrets and techniques inside workflow orchestration platforms.
As Airflow adoption grows throughout information groups, sustaining the confidentiality of service credentials turns into paramount.
Directors ought to promptly improve to Airflow 3.0.4, audit their RBAC insurance policies, and overview any downstream techniques accessed by way of uncovered connections to mitigate potential compromise. Vigilance and well timed patch administration stay the perfect protection in opposition to such delicate information exposures.
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