CVE-2023-40273: Session fixation in Apache Airflow web interface

Published Aug 23, 2023
·
Updated

The session fixation vulnerability allowed the authenticated user to continue accessing Airflow webserver even after the password of the user has been reset by the admin - up until the expiry of the session of the user. Other than manually cleaning the session database (for database session backend), or changing the securekey and restarting the webserver, there were no mechanisms to force-logout the user (and all other users with that).

With this fix implemented, when using the database session backend, the existing sessions of the user are invalidated when the password of the user is reset. When using the securecookie session backend, the sessions are NOT invalidated and still require changing the secure key and restarting the webserver (and logging out all other users), but the user resetting the password is informed about it with a flash message warning displayed in the UI. Documentation is also updated explaining this behaviour.

Users of Apache Airflow are advised to upgrade to version 2.7.0 or newer to mitigate the risk associated with this vulnerability.

Affected Software

2 affected componentsFixes available
Apache Airflow<=2.7.0
pip/apache-airflow<2.7.0rc2
2.7.0rc2

Event History

Aug 23, 2023
CVE Published
via MITRE·03:37 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·03:37 PM
DescriptionWeakness
Data Sourced
via NVD·04:15 PM
DescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software
Advisory Published
06:30 PM

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is CVE-2023-40273?

CVE-2023-40273 is a session fixation vulnerability in the Apache Airflow web interface.

2

How does CVE-2023-40273 impact Apache Airflow?

CVE-2023-40273 allows an authenticated user to continue accessing the Airflow web server even after their password has been reset, until their session expires.

3

What is the severity of CVE-2023-40273?

CVE-2023-40273 has a severity rating of high (8 out of 10).

4

How can I fix CVE-2023-40273?

To fix CVE-2023-40273, upgrade to Apache Airflow version 2.7.0 or higher.

5

Where can I find more information about CVE-2023-40273?

You can find more information about CVE-2023-40273 in the following references: [link1](https://github.com/apache/airflow/pull/33347), [link2](https://lists.apache.org/thread/9rdmv8ln4y4ncbyrlmjrsj903x4l80nj), [link3](https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2023/08/23/1).

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