CVE-2023-51702

Since version 5.2.0, when using deferrable mode with the path of a Kubernetes configuration file for authentication, the Airflow worker serializes this configuration file as a dictionary and sends it to the triggerer by storing it in metadata without any encryption. Additionally, if used with an Airflow version between 2.3.0 and 2.6.0, the configuration dictionary will be logged as plain text in the triggerer service without masking. This allows anyone with access to the metadata or triggerer log to obtain the configuration file and use it to access the Kubernetes cluster.

This behavior was changed in version 7.0.0, which stopped serializing the file contents and started providing the file path instead to read the contents into the trigger. Users are recommended to upgrade to version 7.0.0, which fixes this issue.

CVE-2023-51702 has a CVSS score of 6.5 (Medium). The vector is network-reachable, low 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 (2.6.1, 7.0.0); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

1. What is CVE-2023-51702? CVE-2023-51702 is a medium-severity security vulnerability in apache-airflow (pip), affecting versions >= 2.3.0, < 2.6.1. It is fixed in 2.6.1, 7.0.0.
2. How severe is CVE-2023-51702? CVE-2023-51702 has a CVSS score of 6.5 (Medium). 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.
3. Which packages are affected by CVE-2023-51702?
   • apache-airflow (pip) (versions >= 2.3.0, < 2.6.1)
   • apache-airflow-providers-cncf-kubernetes (pip) (versions >= 5.2.0, < 7.0.0)
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2023-51702? Yes. CVE-2023-51702 is fixed in 2.6.1, 7.0.0. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2023-51702 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2023-51702 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
6. What actually determines whether CVE-2023-51702 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.
7. How do I fix CVE-2023-51702?
   • Upgrade apache-airflow to 2.6.1 or later
   • Upgrade apache-airflow-providers-cncf-kubernetes to 7.0.0 or later