CVE-2020-13927
Apache Airflow's Experimental API Authentication Bypass
- Critical 9.8
- Exploited: added to CISA KEV 18 Jan 2022
Description
The previous default setting for Airflow's Experimental API was to allow all API requests without authentication, but this poses security risks to users who miss this fact. From Airflow 1.10.11 the default has been changed to deny all requests by default and is documented at https://airflow.apache.org/docs/1.10.11/security.html#api-authentication. Note this change fixes it for new installs but existing users need to change their config to default `[api]auth_backend = airflow.api.auth.backend.deny_all` as mentioned in the Updating Guide: https://github.com/apache/airflow/blob/1.10.11/UPDATING.md#experimental-api-will-deny-all-request-by-default
Key facts
- Published
- 10 Nov 2020
- Last changed
- 21 Oct 2025
- Assigned by
- apache
- KEV added
- 18 Jan 2022
- KEV fix due
- 18 Jul 2022
- EPSS
- 99.778% likely to be exploited in the next 30 days, higher than 99.955% of CVEs (scores for 15 Nov 2026)
- SSVC (CISA)
- Exploitation: active; Automatable: yes; Technical impact: total
Severity scores
Each score is shown as its source gave it. They are not averaged or merged.
- 9.8CVSS 3.1, Criticalfrom CISA (ADP container)
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
What to do
- Apply updates per vendor instructions.CISA KEV required action
Historical context and remediation
This reference retains the original CVE publication date. A recent record update does not mean a new attack occurred.
No separately sourced impact summary is available on this page yet. Consult the description, version data and dated exploitation evidence.
Version statuses below come from the CNA. An “unaffected” version is not necessarily a currently supported release or proof of a patch date. EPSS is a dated risk estimate, not a count of historical attacks.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Versions |
|---|---|---|
| n/a | Apache Airflow |
|
Timeline
- 10 Nov 2020 Published
- 18 Jan 2022 CVE-2020-13927 added to CISA KEV
- 18 Jan 2022 Added to the CISA KEV catalogue