CVE-2026-50203
CRITICAL 9.1A path traversal in the SFTP provider (`SFTPHook.retrieve_directory` / `SFTPOperator(operation=get)`) let a malicious or compromised remote SFTP server write files outside the configured local destination directory via crafted directory-entry names. No Airflow account is required — the attack surface is any deployment downloading directories from an untrusted SFTP server. Upgrade `apache-airflow-providers-sftp` to 5.8.1 or later.
ELEVATED IMPACT
Severe if exploited (CVSS 9.1), but no known exploitation and low modeled probability. Patch on a normal cadence.
Exploitation likelihood
0.6%chance of exploitation in 30 days · 46th percentile
○ In CISA KEV
○ Public exploit / PoC
Impact if exploited
9.1CVSS 3.1 · CRITICAL
- ConfidentialityHigh
- IntegrityHigh
- AvailabilityNone
What an attacker needs
- ✓Access: Reachable over the network — no local access needed
- ✓Privileges: No account or privileges required
- ✓User interaction: No user interaction needed
- ✓Complexity: No special conditions — reliably repeatable
✓ lowers the bar for an attacker · ⚠ raises it
Weakness (CWE)
- CWE-22: Path traversal
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N