GHSA-q6mx-qvhp-fqmg: Duplicate Advisory External Secrets Permission Bypass Vulnerability

MODERATE
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CVSS 6.5
CWE-639
Published
Advisory Summary

GHSA-q6mx-qvhp-fqmg is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.5) external secrets permission bypass vulnerability (CWE-639: Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key) affecting Duplicate Advisory libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves external secrets permission bypass via expression parser mismatch. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

GHSA-q6mx-qvhp-fqmg at a Glance

CVE Identifier N/A
GHSA Identifier GHSA-q6mx-qvhp-fqmg
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 6.5
CWE Classification CWE-639: Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key
Affected Product Duplicate Advisory
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 6.5

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required Low (PR:L)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix GHSA-q6mx-qvhp-fqmg

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Duplicate Advisory 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: Latest secure release 
npm install n8n@Latest secure release
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 GHSA-q6mx-qvhp-fqmg, inspect your project dependencies using npm:

npm ls n8n

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Duplicate Advisory in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than the patched release), 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-639: Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key, where the system's authorization functionality does not prevent one user from gaining access to another user's data or record by modifying the key value identifying the data. In Duplicate Advisory, 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

## Duplicate Advisory This advisory has been withdrawn because it is a duplicate of GHSA-jp7m-xcgx-57qm. This link is maintained to preserve external references. ## Original Description n8n before versions 1.123.61, 2.27.4, and 2.28.1 contains a permission bypass vulnerability in external secrets handling caused by a mismatch between the static validation check and the runtime expression engine. An authenticated user with credential create or update permissions but without the externalSecret:list scope can embed external secret references into credentials in forms the static validation does not detect; these references resolve at workflow execution time, exposing secret values the user is not authorized to access. This issue only affects instances where an external secrets provider is configured and Advanced Permissions are in use.

GHSA-q6mx-qvhp-fqmg Affected Duplicate Advisory Versions

1 component(s)
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
n8n
npm/n8n
npm

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/security/advisories/GHSA-jp7m-xcgx-57qm
NVD — GHSA-q6mx-qvhp-fqmg NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-59259
www.vulncheck.com/advisories/n8n-perm... WEB
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/n8n-permission-bypass-via-expression-parser-mismatch-in-external-secrets

Frequently Asked Questions

What is GHSA-q6mx-qvhp-fqmg?
GHSA-q6mx-qvhp-fqmg is a security vulnerability in Duplicate Advisory involving External Secrets Permission Bypass via Expression Parser Mismatch under CWE-639: Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key.
Which Duplicate Advisory versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches across affected packages: n8n.
What version fixes GHSA-q6mx-qvhp-fqmg?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is n8n affected?
Yes, n8n is affected in releases prior to Latest secure release. Upgrade your dependency to Latest secure release or later.
What is the CVSS score of GHSA-q6mx-qvhp-fqmg?
GHSA-q6mx-qvhp-fqmg has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.5 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with GHSA-q6mx-qvhp-fqmg?
GHSA-q6mx-qvhp-fqmg is classified under CWE-639: Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key (The system's authorization functionality does not prevent one user from gaining access to another user's data or record by modifying the key value identifying the data.).
How can I check npm dependencies for GHSA-q6mx-qvhp-fqmg?
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-q6mx-qvhp-fqmg",
  "modified" : "2026-07-22T22:21:02Z",
  "published" : "2026-07-15T12:32:03Z",
  "withdrawn" : "2026-07-22T22:21:02Z",
  "aliases" : [ ],
  "summary" : "Duplicate Advisory: External Secrets Permission Bypass via Expression Parser Mismatch",
  "details" : "## Duplicate Advisory\n\nThis advisory has been withdrawn because it is a duplicate of GHSA-jp7m-xcgx-57qm. This link is maintained to preserve external references.\n\n## Original Description\nn8n before versions 1.123.61, 2.27.4, and 2.28.1 contains a permission bypass vulnerability in external secrets handling caused by a mismatch between the static validation check and the runtime expression engine. An authenticated user with credential create or update permissions but without the externalSecret:list scope can embed external secret references into credentials in forms the static validation does not detect; these references resolve at workflow execution time, exposing secret values the user is not authorized to access. This issue only affects instances where an external secrets provider is configured and Advanced Permissions are in use.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N"
  }, {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "n8n"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      } ]
    } ],
    "database_specific" : {
      "last_known_affected_version_range" : "< 1.123.61"
    }
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/security/advisories/GHSA-jp7m-xcgx-57qm"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-59259"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/n8n-permission-bypass-via-expression-parser-mismatch-in-external-secrets"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-639" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-07-22T22:21:02Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-07-15T12:18:17Z"
  }
}