CVE-2026-41016
Apache Airflow Providers SMTP: No certificate validation on SMTP STARTTLS connections in SMTP provider
Description
Apache Airflow's SMTP provider `SmtpHook` called Python's `smtplib.SMTP.starttls()` without an SSL context, so no certificate validation was performed on the TLS upgrade. A man-in-the-middle between the Airflow worker and the SMTP server could present a self-signed certificate, complete the STARTTLS upgrade, and capture the SMTP credentials sent during the subsequent `login()` call. Users are advised to upgrade to the `apache-airflow-providers-smtp` version that contains the fix.
INFO
Published Date :
April 30, 2026, 10:16 a.m.
Last Modified :
May 1, 2026, 5:54 p.m.
Remotely Exploit :
Yes !
Source :
[email protected]
Affected Products
The following products are affected by CVE-2026-41016
vulnerability.
Even if cvefeed.io is aware of the exact versions of the
products
that
are
affected, the information is not represented in the table below.
CVSS Scores
| Score | Version | Severity | Vector | Exploitability Score | Impact Score | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | MEDIUM | 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0 |
Solution
- Upgrade apache-airflow-providers-smtp to the fixed version.
- Ensure SMTP servers use valid certificates.
- Configure SSL context for STARTTLS.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth
information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to
CVE-2026-41016.
| URL | Resource |
|---|---|
| https://github.com/apache/airflow/pull/65346 | Issue Tracking Patch |
| https://lists.apache.org/thread/gb202qy5r31bgdd3d51d7s5o1jh40kc4 | Mailing List Vendor Advisory |
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-41016 is
associated with the following CWEs:
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification
(CAPEC)
stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and
approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-41016
weaknesses.
We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).
Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.
The following list is the news that have been mention
CVE-2026-41016 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2026-41016 vulnerability over time.
Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.
-
Initial Analysis by [email protected]
May. 01, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added CPE Configuration OR *cpe:2.3:a:apache:airflow:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* versions from (including) 2.0.0 up to (excluding) 3.0.0 Added Reference Type Apache Software Foundation: https://github.com/apache/airflow/pull/65346 Types: Issue Tracking, Patch Added Reference Type Apache Software Foundation: https://lists.apache.org/thread/gb202qy5r31bgdd3d51d7s5o1jh40kc4 Types: Mailing List, Vendor Advisory -
CVE Modified by 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0
Apr. 30, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added CVSS V3.1 AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N -
New CVE Received by [email protected]
Apr. 30, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Description Apache Airflow's SMTP provider `SmtpHook` called Python's `smtplib.SMTP.starttls()` without an SSL context, so no certificate validation was performed on the TLS upgrade. A man-in-the-middle between the Airflow worker and the SMTP server could present a self-signed certificate, complete the STARTTLS upgrade, and capture the SMTP credentials sent during the subsequent `login()` call. Users are advised to upgrade to the `apache-airflow-providers-smtp` version that contains the fix. Added CWE CWE-295 Added Reference https://github.com/apache/airflow/pull/65346 Added Reference https://lists.apache.org/thread/gb202qy5r31bgdd3d51d7s5o1jh40kc4