# CVE-2026-96285: Apache Airflow: Scheduler: next_kwargs deserialized before the dict check, so resume data still invokes constructors

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

Apache Airflow 3.3.1 shipped a fix for CVE-2026-67260 that checks the scheduler's decoded `next_kwargs` value is a dictionary, but performs that check only after deserializing the whole stored payload. Deserialization reconstructs nested objects of classes permitted by the deserialization allow-list — which by default includes Airflow's own classes — and runs their constructors inside the scheduler process before the check can reject the value. A Dag author, who controls a task's `next_kwargs` through the task execution API, can therefore still trigger constructor execution in the scheduler when the `awaiting_input` timeout sweep processes the task, and in the API server when the task instance is served to a worker using an older Execution API version; no non-default configuration is required. Versions before 3.3.0 are not affected. This is an incomplete fix for CVE-2026-67260: deployments that upgraded to 3.3.1 for that issue must also upgrade to apache-airflow 3.4.0 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/73576
- 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/73577

## Affected products and versions

- Apache Software Foundation / Apache Airflow (apache-airflow-core): ≥ 3.3.0; < 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-502

## Exploit evidence

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

## References

- https://github.com/apache/airflow/pull/73576 (CNA: apache; patch)

- https://github.com/apache/airflow/pull/73577 (CNA: apache; patch)

- https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-67260 (CNA: apache; related)

- https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/5grvgsjw0c47q0pko8vnfy35drj4jyck (CNA: apache; vendor-advisory)

## Provenance

- CNA: apache: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-96285; retrieved 2026-11-09; source updated 2026-11-09

Revision: 692ecb9b2a161b455f348061af56a960200493720ec109bfe33dc09457645b57

Canonical: https://y2.dev/cve/CVE-2026-96285

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