GHSA-6pw3-8h9w-32gc is a high-severity (CVSS 8.8) Code Injection vulnerability in apache-airflow. 2 public exploit references exist, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for apache-airflow — see the affected versions and patch details below.
Apache Airflow vulnerable to OS Command Injection via example DAGs
Exploitation Status
No confirmed exploitation observed yet
- A successful exploit gives an attacker total control of the affected component, not partial access.
- CISA’s own triage has not observed active exploitation or public proof-of-concept code for this CVE as of its last assessment.
Exploitation and automatability from CISA’s SSVC triage for GHSA-6pw3-8h9w-32gc.
EPSS Exploitation Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.
How urgent is this, really
GHSA-6pw3-8h9w-32gc plotted by exploitation likelihood (EPSS) against impact (CVSS). The shaded corner — EPSS 50%+ and CVSS 7.0+ — is where this CVE sits: patch-first territory.
Where this sits among everything scored
Of 377,166 CVEs with a current EPSS score, this one falls in the 50–90% band (highlighted). Real counts from FIRST.org, not a sample — log-scaled since the landscape is heavily right-skewed.
Real-World Exposure
apache-airflowReal-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
A vulnerability in Example Dags of Apache Airflow allows an attacker with UI access who can trigger DAGs, to execute arbitrary commands via manually provided run_id parameter. This issue affects Apache Airflow versions prior to 2.4.0.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🐍PyPI | apache-airflow | all versions | 2.4.0pip install --upgrade 'apache-airflow==2.4.0' |
Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for apache-airflow, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update apache-airflow to 2.4.0 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-6pw3-8h9w-32gc 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 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like GHSA-6pw3-8h9w-32gc can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.
Tailored to GHSA-6pw3-8h9w-32gc. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
How to detect GHSA-6pw3-8h9w-32gc
A community-maintained Nuclei template exists for this CVE. You can scan for it directly:
nuclei -id ghsa-6pw3-8h9w-32gc -u https://target- Template
- AirFlow < 2.4.0 - Remote Code Execution
- Severity
- high
- Impact
- Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code on the affected system.
- Remediation
- Upgrade AirFlow to version 2.4.0 or later to mitigate this vulnerability.
Template by ProjectDiscovery nuclei-templates (DhiyaneshDk, ritikchaddha), MIT licensed. View the full template. Scan only systems you are authorised to test.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-6pw3-8h9w-32gc in your dependencies?
O3 Security finds GHSA-6pw3-8h9w-32gc across PyPI dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.