# CVE-2026-41017: Apache Airflow: JWT cookie missing Secure flag in JWTRefreshMiddleware behind HTTPS-terminating proxy

Status: published. Published: 2026-06-01. Updated: 2026-11-03.

Apache Airflow's `JWTRefreshMiddleware` set the JWT auth cookie without the `Secure` flag, so deployments running the Airflow API server behind an HTTPS-terminating reverse proxy (e.g. nginx / Envoy / a managed load balancer that terminates TLS and forwards plaintext to the API server, the default cloud-native topology) would have the user's session JWT replayed over any cleartext HTTP request to the same host. A network-positioned attacker (Wi-Fi MITM, hostile LAN, captive-portal proxy) could induce a logged-in user's browser to issue an HTTP request to the deployment's hostname and capture the JWT cookie out of that request, then replay it against the authenticated API. Affects deployments where the Airflow API server is reached through a TLS-terminating proxy and the cookie's secure-by-default protection is load-bearing for session integrity. Users are advised to upgrade to `apache-airflow` 3.2.2 or later.

## 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/65348

## Affected products and versions

- Apache Software Foundation / Apache Airflow (apache-airflow-core): ≥ 3.0.0; < 3.2.2 (affected, semver). Source: CNA: apache

## Severity and prioritization

- CVSS 3.1: 5.9 (medium); CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N; source: ADP: CISA-ADP

- CISA KEV: No listing in collected sources

- EPSS: 0.35% as of 2026-11-02; percentile 28.69%

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

- Weaknesses: CWE-614

## Exploit evidence

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

## References

- https://github.com/apache/airflow/pull/65348 (CNA: apache; patch)

- https://lists.apache.org/thread/9jx0sk49c1250zflx0q3clc717qgjdch (CNA: apache; vendor-advisory)

- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/05/31/6 (ADP: CVE)

## Provenance

- CNA: apache: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-41017; retrieved 2026-11-03; source updated 2026-11-03

- FIRST EPSS: https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-41017; retrieved 2026-11-03; source updated Not reported

Revision: 693ad7d292ccc139a56c7c15176e318c6c972e6ef0820f7e856a1e3ea5a59a2b

Canonical: https://y2.dev/cve/CVE-2026-41017

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