CVE-2023-40195: Apache Airflow Spark Provider Deserialization Vulnerability RCE

Severity: high (CVSS 8.8 v3.1)
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 1.9% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
Public exploit or detection template: none known
Published: 2023-08-28 · updated 2026-06-17
Weakness: CWE-502

Description

Deserialization of Untrusted Data, Inclusion of Functionality from Untrusted Control Sphere vulnerability in Apache Software Foundation Apache Airflow Spark Provider. When the Apache Spark provider is installed on an Airflow deployment, an Airflow user that is authorized to configure Spark hooks can effectively run arbitrary code on the Airflow node by pointing it at a malicious Spark server. Prior to version 4.1.3, this was not called out in the documentation explicitly, so it is possible that administrators provided authorizations to configure Spark hooks without taking this into account. We recommend administrators to review their configurations to make sure the authorization to configure Spark hooks is only provided to fully trusted users. To view the warning in the docs please visit https://airflow.apache.org/docs/apache-airflow-providers-apache-spark/4.1.3/connections/spark.html

Affected products

Apache Airflow Spark Provider: before 4.1.3 — fixed in 4.1.3

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: Apache Airflow Spark Provider 4.1.3. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

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