AirflowApplication · Apache
CVE-2020-17526
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedIncorrect Session Validation in Apache Airflow Webserver versions prior to 1.10.14 with default config allows a malicious airflow user on site A where they log in normally, to access unauthorized Airflow Webserver on Site B through the session from Site A. This does not affect users who have changed the default value for `[webserver] secret_key` config.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceApache Airflow Webserver versions prior to 1.10.14 have incorrect session validation that allows a malicious user authenticated on one Airflow instance (Site A) to access unauthorized Airflow Webserver instances (Site B) by reusing the session token. This cross-site session hijacking occurs because the default secret_key is identical across installations.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data
AirflowApplication
< 1.10.14CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check Apache Airflow versionRun `airflow version` from the command line, or check the Airflow webserver login page footer which displays the installed version.Affected if The version displayed is prior to 1.10.14 (for example, 1.10.13, 1.10.12, etc.).
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Locate the Airflow configuration fileFind the airflow.cfg file. Common locations include the AIRFLOW_HOME directory, /etc/airflow/, or the root of the Airflow installation directory.Affected if The configuration file cannot be found or accessed for inspection.
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Inspect the secret_key settingOpen the airflow.cfg file and locate the [webserver] section. Look for the `secret_key` parameter and note its value.Affected if The secret_key value is set to the default (commonly 'airflow' or the example key 'airflow_works') or is left empty/unset, indicating the default is in use.
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Verify if secret_key was changed from defaultCompare the secret_key value in the [webserver] section against known default values. A unique, randomly generated value indicates proper configuration.Affected if The secret_key matches the default value or is a predictable/static string rather than a unique random value.
A user is affected if running any Apache Airflow version prior to 1.10.14 AND using the default or unset secret_key in the [webserver] configuration section.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor data1.10.14
Change the default value for the [webserver] secret_key configuration to a unique, randomly generated value in each Airflow deployment, and restart the webserver to apply the change.
Fix this in Airflow
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,984.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-17526 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2020-17526 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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