CVE-2020-13927 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

CVE-2020-13927 is a vulnerability in Apache Airflow that affects versions prior to 1.10.11, allowing unauthorized access to the Experimental API without authentication.

Understanding CVE-2020-13927

This CVE highlights a security issue in Apache Airflow's Experimental API default settings, which previously allowed all requests without authentication, posing a risk to users.

What is CVE-2020-13927?

The default setting for Airflow's Experimental API allowed all API requests without authentication, potentially leading to security risks for users who were unaware of this behavior.

The Impact of CVE-2020-13927

This vulnerability could result in unauthorized access to Airflow's Experimental API, potentially exposing sensitive information and leading to information disclosure.

Technical Details of CVE-2020-13927

Apache Airflow versions prior to 1.10.11 are affected by this vulnerability, which has been addressed by changing the default setting to deny all requests by default.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability in Apache Airflow allows unauthorized access to the Experimental API without authentication, potentially leading to information disclosure.

Affected Systems and Versions

Vendor: n/a
Product: Apache Airflow
Versions Affected: Apache Airflow <1.10.11

Exploitation Mechanism

Unauthorized users could exploit this vulnerability by sending API requests without authentication, gaining access to sensitive information.

Mitigation and Prevention

To mitigate the CVE-2020-13927 vulnerability in Apache Airflow, users should take immediate steps and implement long-term security practices.

Immediate Steps to Take

Existing users should update their configuration to default

[api]auth_backend = airflow.api.auth.backend.deny_all

as mentioned in the Updating Guide.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly review and update security configurations.
Implement strong authentication mechanisms.
Monitor API access and restrict permissions.

Patching and Updates

Users are advised to update Apache Airflow to version 1.10.11 or later to address this vulnerability and ensure secure API access.