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Critical · 9.8 Known exploited Scanner template Public exploit CVE-2020-13927 BIT-airflow-2020-13927EUVD-2020-0037GHSA-hhx9-p69v-cx2jPYSEC-2020-18

Authentication bypass in Apache Airflow

Published Nov 10, 2020 · Updated Oct 21, 2025 · Assigned by apache

Package: apache-airflow Ecosystem: PyPI

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

Affected products

VendorProductAffectedFixed
— Apache Airflow Apache Airflow <1.10.11 —

Public exploits

Exploit or proof-of-concept code for this vulnerability is publicly available, which lowers the bar for attackers. Treat it as a reason to patch sooner.

Third-party code, not reviewed by us. Public PoCs are sometimes fake or contain malware. Read the code first and run it only in an isolated lab, against systems you are authorised to test.

Metasploit 1 module

Exploit-DB 1

GitHub 1 repository

  • ferralon-demo/airflow-experimental-api-rce ★ 0 · Jul 7, 2026

    Security case-study: reachability analysis PoE → fix → PoNE on Apache Airflow experimental-API unauthenticated access (CVE-2020-13927), real code reconstructed at historical commits. Demo only, not f…

Sources: PoC-in-GitHub, Metasploit Framework, Exploit-DB — updated daily. Only links are listed; no exploit code is hosted here.

Automated scanner template

A ready-made Nuclei template detects this vulnerability automatically. Vulnerabilities with public scanner templates are typically probed across the internet soon after the template appears — exposed systems should be patched first.

Source: projectdiscovery/nuclei-templates (MIT) — updated daily. Only links are listed.

Affected packages

EcosystemPackageAffectedFixedRecord
PyPI apache-airflow < 1.10.11 1.10.11 GHSA-hhx9-p69v-cx2j

Advisories 1

References