https://seclists.org/oss-sec/2026/q3/797: CVE-2026-86792: Apache Airflow Apache Kafka provider: Connection-editor mote code execution on the Scheduler via Kafka connection callback configuration

Q: Which deployments are exposed to scheduler-side code execution?

Deployments using plain Kafka brokers or Amazon MSK are exposed when the Kafka event producer is enabled through either dag_run_events_enabled or task_instance_events_enabled. Both settings are disabled by default, so deployments that have not enabled either event type do not build the affected client in the scheduler process.

Q: What access does an attacker need to exploit this issue?

An attacker needs permission to edit Airflow connections and must be able to place a dotted Python path in the Kafka connection extra configuration. The vulnerable provider resolves that path and supplies the resulting callable to the Kafka client.

Q: Are Google Managed Kafka deployments affected?

No. The Google Managed Kafka code path replaces any user-supplied oauth_cb value, preventing the affected callback configuration from being used.

Q: What is the recommended remediation?

Upgrade apache-airflow-providers-apache-kafka to version 2.0.0 or later. This release adds an allowlist configuration option for connection-string callbacks.

Published Sep 15, 2026

Updated

Affected Software

1 affected component

apache-airflow-providers-apache-kafka<2.0.0

Frequently Asked Questions

Which deployments are exposed to scheduler-side code execution?

Deployments using plain Kafka brokers or Amazon MSK are exposed when the Kafka event producer is enabled through either dag_run_events_enabled or task_instance_events_enabled. Both settings are disabled by default, so deployments that have not enabled either event type do not build the affected client in the scheduler process.

What access does an attacker need to exploit this issue?

An attacker needs permission to edit Airflow connections and must be able to place a dotted Python path in the Kafka connection extra configuration. The vulnerable provider resolves that path and supplies the resulting callable to the Kafka client.

Are Google Managed Kafka deployments affected?

No. The Google Managed Kafka code path replaces any user-supplied oauth_cb value, preventing the affected callback configuration from being used.

What is the recommended remediation?

Upgrade apache-airflow-providers-apache-kafka to version 2.0.0 or later. This release adds an allowlist configuration option for connection-string callbacks.