CVE-2026-86083: n8n Expression Sandbox Escape Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-6xcw-7xm6-48c6
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CWE-94
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-86083 is a HIGH expression sandbox escape vulnerability (CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')) affecting n8n libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves expression sandbox escape via shared builtin tampering and code-printer injection leads to code execution. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.123.76, 2.38.2, 2.37.7.

CVE-2026-86083 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-86083
GHSA Identifier GHSA-6xcw-7xm6-48c6
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score N/A
CWE Classification CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')
Affected Product n8n
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

How to Fix CVE-2026-86083

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected n8n dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

n8n fixed: 1.123.76 
npm install n8n@1.123.76
n8n fixed: 2.38.2 
npm install n8n@2.38.2
n8n fixed: 2.37.7 
npm install n8n@2.37.7
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

npm ls n8n

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Node.js application is affected by CVE-2026-86083, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls n8n

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of n8n in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 1.123.76), your application is affected.

Note: The npm ls n8n command inspects dependencies declared in your package.json and lockfile; it does not perform automated runtime dynamic scanning.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection'), where the product constructs all or part of a code segment using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the syntax or behavior of the intended code segment. In n8n, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

## Impact Two stages of expression code generation built source text by calling the global `JSON.stringify` at generation time: the compiler when printing synthetic string literals, and the isolate bridge when interpolating a timezone value into its per-evaluation wrapper. An expression that replaced that global therefore changed the code that was subsequently generated and executed, turning literal data into executable source. The patch renders both code-generation stages through a reference captured at module load, so a later change to global state cannot alter the generated source. This vulnerability only affects instances running the legacy expression engine. The `vm` expression engine, which is the default on the patched releases, is not affected. ## Patches The issue has been fixed in n8n versions 1.123.76, 2.37.7, and 2.38.2. Users should upgrade to one of these versions or later to remediate the vulnerability. ## Workarounds If upgrading is not immediately possible, administrators should consider the following temporary mitigations: - Set the environment variable `N8N_EXPRESSION_ENGINE=vm` to switch to the vm expression engine, which is not affected by this vulnerability. - Restrict n8n instance access to fully trusted users only. - Ensure the n8n process runs under a dedicated low-privilege OS user account to limit the impact of any command execution. These workarounds do not fully remediate the risk and should only be used as short-term mitigation measures.

CVE-2026-86083 Affected n8n Versions

3 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
1.123.762.38.22.37.7
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
n8n
npm/n8n
npm
< 1.123.76
1.123.76
n8n
npm/n8n
npm
≥ 2.38.0
< 2.38.2
2.38.2
n8n
npm/n8n
npm
≥ 2.0.0
< 2.37.7
2.37.7

References

n8n Release RELEASE
https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/releases/tag/n8n@2.37.7
n8n Release RELEASE
https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/releases/tag/n8n@2.38.2
GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/security/advisories/GHSA-6xcw-7xm6-48c6
NVD — CVE-2026-86083 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-86083
n8n Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n
n8n Release RELEASE
https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/releases/tag/n8n@1.123.76

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-86083?
CVE-2026-86083 is a security vulnerability in n8n involving Expression Sandbox Escape via Shared Builtin Tampering and Code-Printer Injection Leads to Code Execution under CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection').
Which n8n versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 1.123.76, 2.38.2, 2.37.7 across affected packages: n8n.
What version fixes CVE-2026-86083?
Upgrading to 1.123.76, 2.38.2, 2.37.7 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is n8n affected?
Yes, n8n is affected in releases prior to 1.123.76, 2.38.2, 2.37.7. Upgrade your dependency to 1.123.76, 2.38.2, 2.37.7 or later.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-86083?
CVE-2026-86083 is classified under CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection') (The product constructs all or part of a code segment using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the syntax or behavior of the intended code segment.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2026-86083?
Run the dependency tree command: 'npm ls n8n'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-6xcw-7xm6-48c6",
  "modified" : "2026-09-10T20:37:22Z",
  "published" : "2026-09-10T20:37:21Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-86083" ],
  "summary" : "n8n: Expression Sandbox Escape via Shared Builtin Tampering and Code-Printer Injection Leads to Code Execution",
  "details" : "## Impact\n\nTwo stages of expression code generation built source text by calling the global `JSON.stringify` at generation time: the compiler when printing synthetic string literals, and the isolate bridge when interpolating a timezone value into its per-evaluation wrapper. An expression that replaced that global therefore changed the code that was subsequently generated and executed, turning literal data into executable source. The patch renders both code-generation stages through a reference captured at module load, so a later change to global state cannot alter the generated source.\n\nThis vulnerability only affects instances running the legacy expression engine. The `vm` expression engine, which is the default on the patched releases, is not affected.\n\n## Patches\n\nThe issue has been fixed in n8n versions 1.123.76, 2.37.7, and 2.38.2. Users should upgrade to one of these versions or later to remediate the vulnerability.\n\n## Workarounds\n\nIf upgrading is not immediately possible, administrators should consider the following temporary mitigations:\n- Set the environment variable `N8N_EXPRESSION_ENGINE=vm` to switch to the vm expression engine, which is not affected by this vulnerability.\n- Restrict n8n instance access to fully trusted users only.\n- Ensure the n8n process runs under a dedicated low-privilege OS user account to limit the impact of any command execution.\n\nThese workarounds do not fully remediate the risk and should only be used as short-term mitigation measures.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "n8n"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.123.76"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "n8n"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
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      }, {
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      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "n8n"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
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        "introduced" : "2.0.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.37.7"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/security/advisories/GHSA-6xcw-7xm6-48c6"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-86083"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/releases/tag/n8n@1.123.76"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/releases/tag/n8n@2.37.7"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/releases/tag/n8n@2.38.2"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-94" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-09-10T20:37:21Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-09-08T22:19:17Z"
  }
}