Summary
Apache Airflow, versions before 2.8.1, have a vulnerability that allows a potential attacker to poison the XCom data by bypassing the protection of "enable_xcom_pickling=False" configuration setting resulting in poisoned data after XCom deserialization. This vulnerability is considered low since it requires a DAG author to exploit it. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 2.8.1 or later, which fixes this issue.
Impact
Untrusted serialized data is processed by a deserializer that can instantiate arbitrary objects or execute code as a side effect. Typical impact: arbitrary code execution or logic abuse.
CVE-2023-50943 has a CVSS score of 7.5 (High). The vector is network-reachable, no privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (2.8.1rc1); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
Remediation advice
Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2023-50943? CVE-2023-50943 is a high-severity insecure deserialization vulnerability in apache-airflow (pip), affecting versions >= 0, < 2.8.1rc1. It is fixed in 2.8.1rc1. Untrusted serialized data is processed by a deserializer that can instantiate arbitrary objects or execute code as a side effect.
- How severe is CVE-2023-50943? CVE-2023-50943 has a CVSS score of 7.5 (High). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Which versions of apache-airflow are affected by CVE-2023-50943? apache-airflow (pip) versions >= 0, < 2.8.1rc1 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2023-50943? Yes. CVE-2023-50943 is fixed in 2.8.1rc1. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2023-50943 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2023-50943 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2023-50943 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix CVE-2023-50943? Upgrade
apache-airflowto 2.8.1rc1 or later.