● High · CVSS 8.1

How to Fix CVE-2026-30911: Apache Airflow: Execution API HITL Endpoints Missing Per-Task Authorization

Q: Is CVE-2026-30911 being actively exploited?

Not at the time of writing. It is not listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. That status can change, so monitor the vendor advisory and the KEV catalog if the system is exposed.

Q: How severe is CVE-2026-30911?

CVSS rates it 8.1 (High). Use that score to set your patch priority next to the other items in your queue.

Q: Do I have to take Apache Airflow offline to apply the patch?

It depends on the deployment. High-availability or clustered installs can usually patch one node at a time with no full outage. Standalone installs typically need a short restart. Always follow the vendor's documented upgrade steps.

Q: What if my vulnerability scanner still flags CVE-2026-30911 after I patch?

Re-run the scan after a service restart, then confirm the scanner's plugin set is up to date. Some scanners detect by banner version only and lag the official fix metadata by a release.

Other vulnerabilities in the same area that are worth patching alongside this one:

How to Fix CVE-2026-41284: Denial of Service in Apache Tomcat — Denial of Service in Apache Tomcat
How to Fix CVE-2026-23983: Information exposure in Apache Superset — Information exposure in Apache Superset
How to Fix CVE-2026-31378: Input Validation Flaw in Apache OFBiz , Input Validation Flaw in Apache OFBiz
How to Fix CVE-2026-41635: CWE-502 Deserialization of Untrusted Data in Apache MINA , CWE-502 Deserialization of Untrusted Data in Apache MINA
How to Fix CVE-2026-24735: Critical Vulnerability in Apache Answer , Critical Vulnerability in Apache Answer

*By Sai Kiran Pandrala*

⚡ At a glance


Severity	CVSS 8.1, High
Actively exploited?	No
Affected	Apache Software Foundation Apache Airflow (3.1.0 < 3.1.8)
Fixed in	3.1.8
Type (CWE)	CWE-862: CWE-862 Missing Authorization

What is CVE-2026-30911?

Apache Airflow versions 3.1.0 through 3.1.7 missing authorization vulnerability in the Execution API's Human-in-the-Loop (HITL) endpoints that allows any authenticated task instance to read, approve, or reject HITL workflows belonging to any other task instance. Users are recommended to upgrade to Apache Airflow 3.1.8 or later, which resolves this issue.

In practical terms, a successful attacker gets compromise of the affected component as described in the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed in-the-wild exploitation listed in CISA's KEV catalog at the time of writing, but the CVSS rating still warrants prompt patching.

Am I affected?

You're affected if you run Apache Software Foundation Apache Airflow at any version in the Affected row above. Use these probes to find your installed build:


# Confirm the installed version via your package manager
dpkg -l | grep -i apache   # Debian/Ubuntu
rpm -qa | grep -i apache   # RHEL/CentOS/Rocky

How to fix CVE-2026-30911

The primary fix is to upgrade to the patched build listed in the Fixed in row above (3.1.8). Pick the platform that matches your install and run the commands below.

Linux (Ubuntu / Debian)


sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install --only-upgrade apache-airflow
# Confirm the installed version meets or exceeds 3.1.8
dpkg -s apache-airflow | grep ^Version

Linux (RHEL / CentOS / Rocky)


sudo dnf upgrade --security apache-airflow -y
rpm -q apache-airflow

Windows (PowerShell, admin)


# Try winget first
winget upgrade --id 'Apache Software Foundation.Apache Airflow' --silent --accept-source-agreements --accept-package-agreements
# If winget does not know the product, download the patched installer from the vendor and:
Start-Process -FilePath "$env:TEMP\ApacheAirflow-3.1.8.msi" -ArgumentList '/qn /norestart' -Wait

PowerShell script (Windows) - detect, back up, upgrade, verify, log


# Run as Administrator
$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'
$log = "$env:ProgramData\ApacheAirflow-Patch-CVE-2026-30911.log"
function Write-Log($msg) { "$(Get-Date -Format s)  $msg" | Tee-Object -FilePath $log -Append }

Write-Log "Starting CVE-2026-30911 remediation for Apache Software Foundation Apache Airflow"

# 1. Detect: replace the path/version probe with one valid for your install
$installed = (Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_Product |
    Where-Object { $_.Name -like '*Apache*' } |
    Select-Object -First 1 -ExpandProperty Version)
Write-Log "Detected version: $installed"

if (-not $installed) {
    Write-Log "Product not installed on this host; nothing to do."
    return
}
if ([version]$installed -ge [version]'3.1.8') {
    Write-Log "Already at fixed version $installed; no action needed."
    return
}

# 2. Backup configuration to a timestamped folder
$backup = "$env:ProgramData\ApacheAirflow-Backup-$(Get-Date -Format yyyyMMdd-HHmm)"
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $backup -Force | Out-Null
# Adjust the source path to match your install
$src = "$env:ProgramFiles\Apache Software Foundation\Apache Airflow"
if (Test-Path $src) { Copy-Item -Path $src -Destination $backup -Recurse -Force }
Write-Log "Backed up config to $backup"

# 3. Apply the patched installer (place the verified file on a share or staging path)
$installer = "$env:TEMP\ApacheAirflow-3.1.8.msi"
if (-not (Test-Path $installer)) {
    throw "Patched installer not found at $installer. Stage it from your software repo first."
}
Start-Process msiexec.exe -ArgumentList "/i `"$installer`" /qn /norestart" -Wait
Write-Log "Installer finished"

# 4. Verify
$verify = (Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_Product |
    Where-Object { $_.Name -like '*Apache*' } |
    Select-Object -First 1 -ExpandProperty Version)
if ([version]$verify -ge [version]'3.1.8') {
    Write-Log "SUCCESS: now at $verify (>= 3.1.8)"
} else {
    Write-Log "FAILURE: still at $verify after install"
    exit 1
}

Bash script (Linux) - detect, back up, upgrade, verify, log


#!/usr/bin/env bash
set -euo pipefail
LOG=/var/log/apache-airflow-patch-cve-2026-30911.log
log()  { echo "$(date -Iseconds)  $*" | tee -a "$LOG"; }

log "Starting CVE-2026-30911 remediation for Apache Software Foundation Apache Airflow"

# 1. Detect installed version (works for deb and rpm packages)
if command -v dpkg >/dev/null && dpkg -s apache-airflow >/dev/null 2>&1; then
    CURRENT=$(dpkg-query -W -f='${Version}' apache-airflow)
    PKG_MGR=apt
elif command -v rpm >/dev/null && rpm -q apache-airflow >/dev/null 2>&1; then
    CURRENT=$(rpm -q --queryformat '%{VERSION}' apache-airflow)
    PKG_MGR=dnf
else
    log "apache-airflow not installed via apt or rpm; check your package manager or vendor instructions."
    exit 0
fi
log "Detected: apache-airflow=$CURRENT (manager=$PKG_MGR)"

# 2. Backup config
BACKUP=/var/backups/apache-airflow-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M)
mkdir -p "$BACKUP"
for d in /etc/apache-airflow /etc/${pkg%%-*} ; do
    [ -d "$d" ] && cp -a "$d" "$BACKUP/" && log "Backed up $d to $BACKUP"
done

# 3. Upgrade
if [ "$PKG_MGR" = apt ]; then
    sudo apt-get update -y
    sudo apt-get install --only-upgrade -y apache-airflow
else
    sudo dnf upgrade --security -y apache-airflow
fi

# 4. Verify
if [ "$PKG_MGR" = apt ]; then
    NEW=$(dpkg-query -W -f='${Version}' apache-airflow)
else
    NEW=$(rpm -q --queryformat '%{VERSION}' apache-airflow)
fi
log "After upgrade: $NEW"

# Optionally compare against 3.1.8 with dpkg --compare-versions or sort -V
log "Done. Restart the affected service if the package install did not."

If you can't patch immediately

These are runnable hardening commands. They reduce blast radius but they're not a replacement for the vendor patch.

No official vendor workaround is published for this CVE; patching is the only documented fix. The runnable hardening below is generic defense in depth, not a substitute for the patch.

Restrict the affected service to trusted networks (Linux):


# Vendor advisory: https://github.com/apache/airflow/pull/62886
# Replace <port> with the affected service port and 10.0.0.0/24 with your admin subnet
sudo iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport <port> -s 10.0.0.0/24 -j ACCEPT
sudo iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport <port> -j DROP

Windows Firewall equivalent:


# Vendor advisory: https://github.com/apache/airflow/pull/62886
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName 'Allow affected service from admin subnet' \
    -Direction Inbound -Action Allow -Protocol TCP -LocalPort <port> -RemoteAddress 10.0.0.0/24
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName 'Block affected service from everywhere else' \
    -Direction Inbound -Action Block -Protocol TCP -LocalPort <port>

How to verify the fix worked

Run the version probe again and confirm the running build matches the Fixed in row above.


apache2 -v   # Debian/Ubuntu
httpd -v     # RHEL/CentOS

Expected output: the Server version line should show the patched build.

Then re-run any vulnerability scanner you used previously and confirm the finding for CVE-2026-30911 has cleared. Sweep your logs for the indicators of compromise listed in the vendor or CISA advisory, especially if the system was internet-reachable during the disclosure window.

Frequently asked questions

Is CVE-2026-30911 being actively exploited?