# CVE-2026-42358: Apache Airflow: Variable masker depth-limit bypass returns cleartext nested secrets

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

A bug in Apache Airflow's Variable response masker caused nested-key redaction (triggered by secret-suffixed key names like `password`, `token`, `secret`, `api_key`) to be bypassed when the JSON value's nesting depth exceeded the shared secrets masker's recursion limit: the masker returned the original nested item before checking the sensitive key name. An authenticated UI/API user with Variable read permission could harvest plaintext secret values stored under sensitive keys nested deep enough to exceed the masker's depth cap. Affects deployments that store sensitive values inside deeply-nested JSON Variables. This is a residual gap in the fix for CVE-2026-32690 (which covered shallower nesting via `max_depth=1`); the depth-limit boundary itself was not raised, so the same key-name bypass pattern reappears beyond the recursion cap. Users who already upgraded for CVE-2026-32690 should additionally upgrade to `apache-airflow` 3.2.2 or later to cover the deep-nesting path.

## 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/65912

## 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; < 3.2.2 (affected, semver). Source: CNA: apache

## Severity and prioritization

- CVSS 3.1: 6.5 (medium); CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N; source: ADP: CISA-ADP

- CISA KEV: No listing in collected sources

- EPSS: 0.34% as of 2026-11-02; percentile 26.91%

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

- Weaknesses: CWE-200

## Exploit evidence

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

## References

- https://github.com/apache/airflow/pull/65912 (CNA: apache; patch)

- https://lists.apache.org/thread/33635mv3zjb75wn5453c5yf9trs8x2om (CNA: apache; vendor-advisory)

## Provenance

- CNA: apache: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-42358; retrieved 2026-11-03; source updated 2026-11-03

- FIRST EPSS: https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-42358; retrieved 2026-11-03; source updated Not reported

Revision: 56dfca2006a0af37ccf1cbdce3154d08da569e4c16f01387f8089e4acf09dacb

Canonical: https://y2.dev/cve/CVE-2026-42358

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