CVE-2021-38540 — Apache Airflow: Variable Import endpoint missed authentication check

Description

The variable import endpoint was not protected by authentication in Airflow >=2.0.0, <2.1.3. This allowed unauthenticated users to hit that endpoint to add/modify Airflow variables used in DAGs, potentially resulting in a denial of service, information disclosure or remote code execution. This issue affects Apache Airflow >=2.0.0, <2.1.3.

Affected products

Vendor	Product	Affected	Fixed
Apache Software Foundation	Apache Airflow	Apache Airflow – < 2.1.3	2.1.3

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.

GitHub 1 repository

Captain-v-hook/PoC-for-CVE-2021-38540- ★ 4 · Jun 13, 2022

Missing Authentication on Critical component CVE-2021-38540

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.

Apache Airflow - Unauthenticated Variable Import http/cves/2021/CVE-2021-38540.yaml

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

Affected packages

Ecosystem	Package	Affected	Fixed	Record
PyPI	apache-airflow	>= 2.0.0, < 2.1.3	2.1.3	GHSA-h88f-r7cw-8fv3

Apache Airflow: Variable Import endpoint missed authentication check