# CVE-2025-54550: Apache Airflow: RCE by race condition in example_xcom dag

Status: published. Published: 2026-04-15. Updated: 2026-11-03.

The example example_xcom that was included in airflow documentation implemented unsafe pattern of reading value
from xcom in the way that could be exploited to allow UI user who had access to modify XComs to perform arbitrary
execution of code on the worker. Since the UI users are already highly trusted, this is a Low severity vulnerability.

It does not affect Airflow release - example_dags are not supposed to be enabled in production environment, however
users following the example could replicate the bad pattern. Documentation of Airflow 3.2.0 contains version of
the example with improved resiliance for that case.

Users who followed that pattern are advised to adjust their implementations accordingly.

## Remediation

- fix: The reporting source identifies this reference as a patch. Check the advisory for affected versions and supported release branches. (source: CNA: apache) — https://github.com/apache/airflow/pull/63200

## Affected products and versions

- Apache Software Foundation / Apache Airflow (apache-airflow): ≥ 0; < 3.0.0 (affected, semver). Source: CNA: apache
- Apache Software Foundation / Apache Airflow (apache-airflow-core): ≥ 3.0.0; < 3.2.0 (affected, semver). Source: CNA: apache

## Severity and prioritization

- CVSS 3.1: 8.1 (high); CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N; source: ADP: CISA-ADP

- CISA KEV: No listing in collected sources

- EPSS: 0.58% as of 2026-11-02; percentile 47.64%

- SSVC: exploitation none; automatable no; technical impact total; source ADP: CISA-ADP

- Weaknesses: CWE-94

## Exploit evidence

No exploit evidence in collected sources. This is not proof of no exploitation.

## References

- https://lists.apache.org/thread/3mf4cfx070ofsnf9qy0s2v5gqb5sc2g1 (CNA: apache; vendor-advisory)

- https://github.com/apache/airflow/pull/63200 (CNA: apache; patch)

- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/04/15/1 (ADP: CVE)

## Provenance

- CNA: apache: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-54550; retrieved 2026-11-03; source updated 2026-11-03

- FIRST EPSS: https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2025-54550; retrieved 2026-11-03; source updated Not reported

Revision: 12c6a6b9e13b1d25274285c2750baa739c2abdb09117e3defcf71a96fc1ce9f2

Canonical: https://y2.dev/cve/CVE-2025-54550

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