CVE-2023-27562: N8n Path Traversal Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-p58x-7733-vp9m
Share
CVSS 6.5
CWE-22
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2023-27562 is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.5) path traversal vulnerability (CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')) affecting N8n libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves n8n directory traversal vulnerability. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 0.216.1.

CVE-2023-27562 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2023-27562
GHSA Identifier GHSA-p58x-7733-vp9m
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 6.5
CWE Classification CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
Affected Product N8n
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 CVE-2023-27562

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: 0.216.1 
npm install n8n@0.216.1
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-2023-27562, 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 0.216.1), 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-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal'), where the product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory. 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

The n8n package prior to version 0.216.1 for Node.js allows Directory Traversal.

CVE-2023-27562 Affected N8n Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
0.216.1
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
n8n
npm/n8n
npm
< 0.216.1
0.216.1

References

NVD — CVE-2023-27562 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-27562
N8n Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/pull/5522
N8n Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/pull/5523
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/commit/40b97846483fe7c58229c156acb66f43a5a79dc3
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/commit/fb07d77106bb4933758c63bbfb87f591bf4a27dd
N8n Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n
N8n Release RELEASE
https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/releases/tag/n8n%400.216.1
N8n Security Information SECURITY
https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20230622-0007
www.synacktiv.com/sites/default/files... WEB
https://www.synacktiv.com/sites/default/files/2023-05/Synacktiv-N8N-Multiple-Vulnerabilities_0.pdf

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2023-27562?
CVE-2023-27562 is a security vulnerability in N8n involving n8n Directory Traversal vulnerability under CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal').
Which N8n versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 0.216.1 across affected packages: n8n.
What version fixes CVE-2023-27562?
Upgrading to 0.216.1 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is n8n affected?
Yes, n8n is affected in releases prior to 0.216.1. Upgrade your dependency to 0.216.1 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2023-27562?
CVE-2023-27562 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 CVE-2023-27562?
CVE-2023-27562 is classified under CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') (The product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2023-27562?
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-p58x-7733-vp9m",
  "modified" : "2023-05-17T21:32:37Z",
  "published" : "2023-05-10T15:30:22Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2023-27562" ],
  "summary" : "n8n Directory Traversal vulnerability",
  "details" : "The n8n package prior to version 0.216.1 for Node.js allows Directory Traversal.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "n8n"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "0.216.1"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-27562"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/pull/5522"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/pull/5523"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/commit/40b97846483fe7c58229c156acb66f43a5a79dc3"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/commit/fb07d77106bb4933758c63bbfb87f591bf4a27dd"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/releases/tag/n8n%400.216.1"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20230622-0007"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.synacktiv.com/sites/default/files/2023-05/Synacktiv-N8N-Multiple-Vulnerabilities_0.pdf"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-22" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2023-05-11T20:44:25Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2023-05-10T15:15:08Z"
  }
}