CVE-2026-25052: N8n N8n's Improper File Access Controls Vulnerability

CRITICAL
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-gfvg-qv54-r4pc
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CWE-367
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-25052 is a CRITICAL n8n's improper file access controls vulnerability (CWE-367: Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition) affecting N8n libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves n8n's improper file access controls allow arbitrary file read by authenticated users. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.5.0, 1.123.18.

CVE-2026-25052 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-25052
GHSA Identifier GHSA-gfvg-qv54-r4pc
Severity CRITICAL
CVSS v3.1 Base Score N/A
CWE Classification CWE-367: Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition
Affected Product N8n
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

How to Fix CVE-2026-25052

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: 2.5.0 
npm install n8n@2.5.0
n8n fixed: 1.123.18 
npm install n8n@1.123.18
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-2026-25052, 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 2.5.0), 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-367: Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition, where the product checks the state of a resource before using that resource, but the resource's state can change between the check and the use in a way that invalidates the results of the check. 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 A vulnerability in the file access controls allows authenticated users with permission to create or modify workflows to read sensitive files from the n8n host system. This can be exploited to obtain critical configuration data and user credentials, leading to complete account takeover of any user on the instance. ## Patches The issue has been fixed in n8n version 1.123.18 and 2.5.0. Users should upgrade to this version or later to remediate the vulnerability. ## Workarounds If upgrading is not immediately possible, administrators should consider the following temporary mitigations: - Limit workflow creation and editing permissions to fully trusted users only. - Restrict access to nodes that interact with the file system, particularly the "Read/Write Files from Disk" and "Git" nodes. These workarounds do not fully remediate the risk and should only be used as short-term mitigation measures. ## Resources - [n8n Documentation — Blocking nodes](https://docs.n8n.io/hosting/securing/blocking-nodes/) — how to globally disable specific nodes --- n8n has adopted CVSS 4.0 as primary score for all security advisories. CVSS 3.1 vector strings are provided for backward compatibility. CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVE-2026-25052 Affected N8n Versions

2 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.5.01.123.18
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
n8n
npm/n8n
npm
≥ 2.0.0
< 2.5.0
2.5.0
n8n
npm/n8n
npm
< 1.123.18
1.123.18

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/security/advisories/GHSA-gfvg-qv54-r4pc
NVD — CVE-2026-25052 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-25052
N8n Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-25052?
CVE-2026-25052 is a security vulnerability in N8n involving n8n's Improper File Access Controls Allow Arbitrary File Read by Authenticated Users under CWE-367: Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition.
Which N8n versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.5.0, 1.123.18 across affected packages: n8n.
What version fixes CVE-2026-25052?
Upgrading to 2.5.0, 1.123.18 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is n8n affected?
Yes, n8n is affected in releases prior to 2.5.0, 1.123.18. Upgrade your dependency to 2.5.0, 1.123.18 or later.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-25052?
CVE-2026-25052 is classified under CWE-367: Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition (The product checks the state of a resource before using that resource, but the resource's state can change between the check and the use in a way that invalidates the results of the check.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2026-25052?
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-gfvg-qv54-r4pc",
  "modified" : "2026-02-04T19:53:38Z",
  "published" : "2026-02-04T18:25:29Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-25052" ],
  "summary" : "n8n's Improper File Access Controls Allow Arbitrary File Read by Authenticated Users",
  "details" : "## Impact\n\nA vulnerability in the file access controls allows authenticated users with permission to create or modify workflows to read sensitive files from the n8n host system. This can be exploited to obtain critical configuration data and user credentials, leading to complete account takeover of any user on the instance.\n\n## Patches\n\nThe issue has been fixed in n8n version 1.123.18 and 2.5.0. Users should upgrade to this version or later to remediate the vulnerability.\n\n## Workarounds\n\nIf upgrading is not immediately possible, administrators should consider the following temporary mitigations:\n\n- Limit workflow creation and editing permissions to fully trusted users only.\n- Restrict access to nodes that interact with the file system, particularly the \"Read/Write Files from Disk\" and \"Git\" nodes.\n\nThese workarounds do not fully remediate the risk and should only be used as short-term mitigation measures.\n\n## Resources\n\n- [n8n Documentation — Blocking nodes](https://docs.n8n.io/hosting/securing/blocking-nodes/) — how to globally disable specific nodes\n\n--- \nn8n has adopted CVSS 4.0 as primary score for all security advisories. CVSS 3.1 vector strings are provided for backward compatibility.\n\nCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "n8n"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "2.0.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.5.0"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "n8n"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.123.18"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/security/advisories/GHSA-gfvg-qv54-r4pc"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-25052"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-367" ],
    "severity" : "CRITICAL",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-02-04T18:25:29Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-02-04T17:16:23Z"
  }
}