Apache Airflow has a Deserialization of Untrusted Data vulnerability
A bug in Apache Airflow's XCom PATCH endpoint `PATCH /api/v2/xcomEntries/{key}` allowed an authenticated UI/API user with XCom write permission on a Dag to set XCom entries under reserved key names (e.g. `return_value`) that the matching POST endpoint already validated against `FORBIDDEN_XCOM_KEYS`. The endpoint also accepted serialized payload shapes the triggerer's deserializer treats as code; combined, this allowed RCE on the triggerer when the affected task next deferred. Affects deployments where untrusted users have XCom write permission on Dags that defer to the triggerer. This is a fix-bypass of CVE-2026-33858: PR #64148 added the `FORBIDDEN_XCOM_KEYS` validator only on the POST/set path; the PATCH path was not covered. Users who already upgraded for CVE-2026-33858 should additionally upgrade to `apache-airflow` 3.2.2 or later to cover the PATCH-path bypass.
describes (1)
Related CVEs.
| ID | severity | exploitable | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2026-42359US | — | — | ||
A bug in Apache Airflow's XCom PATCH endpoint `PATCH /api/v2/xcomEntries/{key}` allowed an authenticated UI/API user with XCom write permission on a Dag to set XCom entries under r… | ||||
references
External citations — patches, advisories, analysis.
- https://github.com/apache/airflowPACKAGE
- https://github.com/apache/airflow/pull/65915WEB
- https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/apache-airflow/PYSEC-2026-185.yamlWEB
- https://lists.apache.org/thread/g8dqykpf1p90tysq8tln4qtkqwb1038sWEB
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-42359ADVISORY
- https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-33858WEB
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