# CVE-2026-86468: Apache Airflow: CLI argv masking misses Variable values and --conn-extra, persisting secrets in audit logs

Status: published. Published: 2026-11-09. Updated: 2026-11-09.

Apache Airflow's CLI records its arguments in the audit log but masks secrets by argument position, so some supported command shapes leave secrets in cleartext, for example a trailing `--description` on Variable commands, `--conn-extra`, and the inline `--password` of `airflow keycloak-auth-manager` commands. A user who can read audit events but is denied Variable and Connection access can retrieve those values through the event-log API.

Users of apache-airflow are recommended to upgrade to 3.4.0 or later. Audit-log entries written before the upgrade keep the cleartext values: purge the affected entries and rotate the secrets they contain.

## 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/72650

## Affected products and versions

- Apache Software Foundation / Apache Airflow (apache-airflow-core): ≥ 0; < 3.4.0 (affected, semver). Source: CNA: apache

## Severity and prioritization

- CISA KEV: No listing in collected sources

- EPSS: Not available

- SSVC: Not available

- Weaknesses: CWE-532

## Exploit evidence

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

## References

- https://github.com/apache/airflow/pull/72650 (CNA: apache; patch)

- https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-50204 (CNA: apache; related)

- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/yl4dlhvstlnc1qogcw3n4bx216cjsmoo (CNA: apache; vendor-advisory)

## Provenance

- CNA: apache: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-86468; retrieved 2026-11-09; source updated 2026-11-09

Revision: d942f1fc7cf177b3027804564781ff50827e6cc280b62cf3efebb17a547fbf25

Canonical: https://y2.dev/cve/CVE-2026-86468

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