Vulnerability Description
Apache Airflow's scheduler-side deadline-reference decoder (`SerializedCustomReference.deserialize_reference`) imported and dispatched arbitrary class paths drawn from DAG-author-controlled serialized state without an allowlist or plugin-registry gate. A DAG author whose code reaches the scheduler — the default on single-host deployments where the DAG bundle is importable from the scheduler process — could embed a custom `DeadlineReference` whose serialized form named an attacker-controlled module path, causing the scheduler to `import_string(...)` and instantiate that class with a live SQLAlchemy session attached. Affects deployments where DAG-author code is less trusted than the scheduler process. Users are advised to upgrade to `apache-airflow` 3.2.2 or later.
CVSS Score
HIGH
Affected Products
| Vendor | Product | Versions |
|---|---|---|
| Apache | Airflow | < 3.2.2 |
Related Weaknesses (CWE)
References
- https://github.com/apache/airflow/pull/66737Issue TrackingPatch
- https://lists.apache.org/thread/q227dghjwgfz8xsxrf2pwpz4wk43zm83Mailing ListVendor Advisory
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/05/31/12Mailing ListThird Party Advisory
FAQ
What is CVE-2026-45360?
CVE-2026-45360 is a vulnerability with a CVSS score of 7.3 (HIGH). Apache Airflow's scheduler-side deadline-reference decoder (`SerializedCustomReference.deserialize_reference`) imported and dispatched arbitrary class paths drawn from DAG-author-controlled serialized...
How severe is CVE-2026-45360?
CVE-2026-45360 has been rated HIGH with a CVSS base score of 7.3/10. Review the CVSS metrics above for detailed severity breakdown.
Is there a patch for CVE-2026-45360?
Check the references section above for vendor advisories and patch information. Affected products include: Apache Airflow.