# CVE-2026-45360: Apache Airflow: Arbitrary import in custom deadline-reference deserialization

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

Apache Airflow's scheduler-side deadline-reference decoder (`SerializedCustomReference.deserialize_reference`) imported and dispatched arbitrary class paths drawn from DAG-author-controlled serialized state without an allowlist or plugin-registry gate. A DAG author whose code reaches the scheduler — the default on single-host deployments where the DAG bundle is importable from the scheduler process — could embed a custom `DeadlineReference` whose serialized form named an attacker-controlled module path, causing the scheduler to `import_string(...)` and instantiate that class with a live SQLAlchemy session attached. Affects deployments where DAG-author code is less trusted than the scheduler process. 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/66737

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

- CISA KEV: No listing in collected sources

- EPSS: 0.68% as of 2026-11-02; percentile 52.23%

- SSVC: exploitation none; automatable yes; technical impact partial; source ADP: CISA-ADP

- Weaknesses: CWE-502

## Exploit evidence

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

## References

- https://github.com/apache/airflow/pull/66737 (CNA: apache; patch)

- https://lists.apache.org/thread/q227dghjwgfz8xsxrf2pwpz4wk43zm83 (CNA: apache; vendor-advisory)

- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/05/31/12 (ADP: CVE)

## Provenance

- CNA: apache: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-45360; retrieved 2026-11-03; source updated 2026-11-03

- FIRST EPSS: https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-45360; retrieved 2026-11-03; source updated Not reported

Revision: 830dcbc28d23b3b2403f7ed04e6cf599eb53b6caffc634664dbb83ffc7349d38

Canonical: https://y2.dev/cve/CVE-2026-45360

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