CVE-2023-40195 is a high-severity (CVSS 8.8) Deserialization of Untrusted Data vulnerability in apache-airflow-providers-apache-spark. O3 Security confirms whether CVE-2023-40195 is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
Apache Airflow Spark Provider Deserialization Vulnerability RCE
Real-World Exposure
apache-airflow-providers-apache-sparkReal-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects PyPI packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.
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 Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐍PyPI | apache-airflow-providers-apache-spark | all versions | 4.1.3 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for apache-airflow-providers-apache-spark. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update apache-airflow-providers-apache-spark to 4.1.3 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2023-40195 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 pinpoints whether CVE-2023-40195 is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.
Tailored to CVE-2023-40195. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2023-40195 in your dependencies?
O3 detects CVE-2023-40195 across PyPI dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.