CVE-2026-65599: n8n Google Service Account Private Key Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-9r8p-h6cc-6qhm
CWE-312
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-65599 is a MODERATE google service account private key vulnerability (CWE-312: Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information) affecting n8n libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves google service account private key exposed in jwt header. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 1.123.64, 2.30.1, 2.29.8.

CVE-2026-65599 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-65599
GHSA Identifier GHSA-9r8p-h6cc-6qhm
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score N/A
CWE Classification CWE-312: Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information
Affected Product n8n
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

How to Fix CVE-2026-65599

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: 1.123.64
npm install n8n@1.123.64
n8n fixed: 2.30.1
npm install n8n@2.30.1
n8n fixed: 2.29.8
npm install n8n@2.29.8
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-2026-65599, 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 1.123.64), 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-312: Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information, where the product stores sensitive information in cleartext within a resource that might be accessible to another control sphere. 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 When n8n was configured with a Google Service Account key, the full PEM private key was mistakenly placed in the JWT header's `kid` field (which should only have held a key identifier). Since JWT headers were Base64-encoded rather than encrypted, the key could be recovered by anything that logged or inspected the JWT. An attacker who obtained the key could impersonate the service account and access or modify any Google Cloud resource it was authorized to use. Only instances using Google Service Account credentials are affected. ## Patches The issue has been fixed in n8n versions 1.123.64, 2.29.8, and 2.30.1. 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: - Avoid using Google Service Account credentials until the instance is patched. - Rotate any Google Service Account keys that may have been used with an affected n8n version. - Review proxy, load balancer, and application logs for JWT headers that may contain exposed key material and treat any such keys as compromised. These workarounds do not fully remediate the risk and should only be used as short-term mitigation measures.

CVE-2026-65599 Affected n8n Versions

3 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
1.123.642.30.12.29.8
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
n8n
npm
< 1.123.64
1.123.64
n8n
npm
≥ 2.30.0
< 2.30.1
2.30.1
n8n
npm
≥ 2.0.0-rc.0
< 2.29.8
2.29.8

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-65599?
CVE-2026-65599 is a security vulnerability in n8n involving Google Service Account Private Key Exposed in JWT Header under CWE-312: Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information.
Which n8n versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 1.123.64, 2.30.1, 2.29.8 across affected packages: n8n.
What version fixes CVE-2026-65599?
Upgrading to 1.123.64, 2.30.1, 2.29.8 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is n8n affected?
Yes, n8n is affected in releases prior to 1.123.64, 2.30.1, 2.29.8. Upgrade your dependency to 1.123.64, 2.30.1, 2.29.8 or later.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-65599?
CVE-2026-65599 is classified under CWE-312: Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information (The product stores sensitive information in cleartext within a resource that might be accessible to another control sphere.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2026-65599?
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
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-9r8p-h6cc-6qhm",
  "modified" : "2026-07-22T18:00:09Z",
  "published" : "2026-07-22T18:00:09Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-65599" ],
  "summary" : "n8n: Google Service Account Private Key Exposed in JWT Header",
  "details" : "## Impact\nWhen n8n was configured with a Google Service Account key, the full PEM private key was mistakenly placed in the JWT header's `kid` field (which should only have held a key identifier). Since JWT headers were Base64-encoded rather than encrypted, the key could be recovered by anything that logged or inspected the JWT.\n\nAn attacker who obtained the key could impersonate the service account and access or modify any Google Cloud resource it was authorized to use.\n\nOnly instances using Google Service Account credentials are affected.\n\n## Patches\nThe issue has been fixed in n8n versions 1.123.64, 2.29.8, and 2.30.1. Users should upgrade to one of these versions or later to remediate the vulnerability.\n\n## Workarounds\nIf upgrading is not immediately possible, administrators should consider the following temporary mitigations:\n- Avoid using Google Service Account credentials until the instance is patched.\n- Rotate any Google Service Account keys that may have been used with an affected n8n version.\n- Review proxy, load balancer, and application logs for JWT headers that may contain exposed key material and treat any such keys as compromised.\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:H/UI:N/VC:L/VI:N/VA:N/SC:H/SI:L/SA:L"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "n8n"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.123.64"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "n8n"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "2.30.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.30.1"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "n8n"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "2.0.0-rc.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.29.8"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/security/advisories/GHSA-9r8p-h6cc-6qhm"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-65599"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/releases/tag/n8n@1.123.64"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/releases/tag/n8n@2.29.8"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/releases/tag/n8n@2.30.1"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/n8n-before-credential-exposure-via-jwt-header"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-312" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-07-22T18:00:09Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : null
  }
}