---
title: "CVE-2026-50203: Apache Airflow SFTP provider: Path traversal in SFTPHook.retrieve_directory"
url: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2026-50203/
description: "CVE-2026-50203 (apache-airflow-providers-sftp (PyPI)): A path traversal in the SFTP provider (SFTPHook.retrievedirectory / SFTPOperator(operation=get)) let…"
type: vulnerability-record
section: "Security Digest"
date_published: 2026-06-17
date_modified: 2026-07-09
publisher: erroneo.us
author: erroneo.us Security Desk
cve: "CVE-2026-50203"
kev: false
cvss: 9.1
epss: 0.00879
license: All rights reserved. Quote with attribution and a link.
---

# CVE-2026-50203: Apache Airflow SFTP provider: Path traversal in SFTPHook.retrieve_directory

**Signal:** Critical and remotely reachable. No known exploitation yet, but it is network-reachable without credentials. (Computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS; not an editorial verdict.)

## Should you act?

- No confirmed exploitation. It is not in CISA’s KEV catalog and CISA’s SSVC assessment records no known exploitation. That can change quickly after a public write-up; re-check if you are affected.
- EPSS 0.9% , percentile 59: FIRST’s model estimates a 0.9% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 59% of all scored CVEs (moderate). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
- Remotely reachable with no login and no user interaction. If the vulnerable service is exposed to the internet, prioritize it.
- Only applies if your dependency tree includes apache-airflow-providers-sftp (PyPI) < 5.8.1, fixed in 5.8.1 . Check your lockfile, including transitive dependencies.

## What it is

A path traversal in the SFTP provider (SFTPHook.retrievedirectory / 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.

## Affected packages

- PyPI `apache-airflow-providers-sftp` < 5.8.1 → fixed: 5.8.1

## Affected products (CVE record)

- Apache Software Foundation Apache Airflow SFTP provider: < 5.8.1

## Severity

- CISA-ADP CVSS 3.1: 9.1 `CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N`
- GitHub CVSS 3.1: 9.1 `CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N`

## Exploitation

- CISA KEV: not listed (no confirmed in-the-wild exploitation known to CISA).
- CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation none , automatable yes , technical impact total .
- FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 0.88% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 59.

## Sources

- [github.com](https://github.com/apache/airflow/pull/67985)
- [lists.apache.org](https://lists.apache.org/thread/7f4b284oh44c1n95oq8mh1qc7y1lr9dx)
- [GitHub Advisory GHSA-qf38-jq28-3ccq](https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-qf38-jq28-3ccq)
- [CVE.org record CVE-2026-50203](https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-50203)
- [NVD entry CVE-2026-50203](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-50203)
- [openwall.com](http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2026/06/16/3)
- [github.com](https://github.com/pypa/advisory-database/tree/main/vulns/apache-airflow-providers-sftp/PYSEC-2026-218.yaml)

---
Source page: https://erroneo.us/security/cve/CVE-2026-50203/ · Security Digest: https://erroneo.us/security/ · More: https://erroneo.us/llms.txt