# CVE-2022-40954: Apache Airflow Spark Provider RCE that bypass restrictions to read arbitrary files


- **Severity:** Medium 5.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 22 Nov 2022
- **Updated:** 29 Apr 2025
- **Also known as:** BIT-airflow-2022-40954, GHSA-45r6-j3cc-6mxx, PYSEC-2026-770

## What is CVE-2022-40954?

CVE-2022-40954 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Apache Airflow, published on 22 Nov 2022. 

### Official description

Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection') vulnerability in Apache Airflow Spark Provider, Apache Airflow allows an attacker to read arbtrary files in the task execution context, without write access to DAG files. This issue affects Spark Provider versions prior to 4.0.0. It also impacts any Apache Airflow versions prior to 2.3.0 in case Spark Provider is installed (Spark Provider 4.0.0 can only be installed for Airflow 2.3.0+). Note that you need to manually install the Spark Provider version 4.0.0 in order to get rid of the vulnerability on top of Airflow 2.3.0+ version that has lower version of the Spark Provider installed).

Weakness: CWE-78 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-40954?

4 open source packages ship an affected version, including apache-airflow and airflow. It affects 2 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `apache-airflow` | PyPI | All versions | 2.3.0 |
| `apache-airflow` | PyPI | All versions | 2.3.0 |
| `apache-airflow` | PyPI | All versions | 2.3.0 |
| `airflow` | Bitnami | All versions | 2.3.0 |

Products: Apache Airflow, Apache Apache-Airflow-Providers-Apache-Spark.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-40954?

Upgrade apache-airflow to 2.3.0 or later.

## Is CVE-2022-40954 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-40954 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Apache Airflow

- [CVE-2020-13927](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-13927/): Apache Airflow's Experimental API Authentication Bypass (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2020-11978](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-11978/): Apache Airflow Command Injection (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-33264](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-33264/): Apache Airflow: DAG author RCE on webserver via unrestricted import_string() in BaseSerialization.deserialize() (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2023-25754](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-25754/): Apache Airflow: Privilege escalation using airflow logs (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2023-22884](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-22884/): Apache Airflow, Apache Airflow MySQL Provider: Arbitrary file read via MySQL provider in Apache Airflow (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2022-40954 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-40954 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Apache Airflow, published on 22 Nov 2022. 
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-40954 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- apache-airflow (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 2.3.0
- apache-airflow (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 2.3.0
- apache-airflow (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 2.3.0
- airflow (Bitnami): affected all versions; fixed in 2.3.0

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-40954/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-40954/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-40954
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-40954
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-40954

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-40954/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.