CVE-2026-42226: N8n N8n's Credential Authorization Bypass Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-r4v6-9fqc-w5jr
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CVSS 8.5
CWE-862
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-42226 is a HIGH (CVSS 8.5) n8n's credential authorization bypass vulnerability (CWE-862: Missing Authorization) affecting N8n libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves n8n's credential authorization bypass in dynamic-node-parameters allows foreign api key replay. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.17.5, 1.123.33.

CVE-2026-42226 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-42226
GHSA Identifier GHSA-r4v6-9fqc-w5jr
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 8.5
CWE Classification CWE-862: Missing Authorization
Affected Product N8n
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 8.5

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:C/C:H/I:N/A:L).

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

How to Fix CVE-2026-42226

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: 2.17.5 
npm install n8n@2.17.5
n8n fixed: 1.123.33 
npm install n8n@1.123.33
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-2026-42226, 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 2.17.5), 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-862: Missing Authorization, where the product does not perform an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action. 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 The `dynamic-node-parameters` endpoints did not verify whether the authenticated caller was authorized to use a supplied credential reference. An authenticated user with access to a shared workflow could supply a foreign credential ID in the request body, causing the backend to decrypt and use that credential in a helper execution path where the caller also controls the destination URL. This allowed the caller to force the backend to authenticate against attacker-controlled infrastructure using a credential belonging to another user, effectively exfiltrating a reusable API key. The issue is not limited to any single node type; any node that resolves credentials dynamically through these endpoints may be affected. ## Patches The issue has been fixed in n8n version 2.18.0. 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: - Restrict n8n access to fully trusted users only. - Avoid sharing workflows with users who should not have access to the credentials those workflows reference. These workarounds do not fully remediate the risk and should only be used as short-term mitigation measures.

CVE-2026-42226 Affected N8n Versions

2 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.17.51.123.33
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
n8n
npm/n8n
npm
≥ 2.17.0
< 2.17.5
2.17.5
n8n
npm/n8n
npm
< 1.123.33
1.123.33

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/security/advisories/GHSA-r4v6-9fqc-w5jr
NVD — CVE-2026-42226 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-42226
N8n Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-42226?
CVE-2026-42226 is a security vulnerability in N8n involving n8n's Credential Authorization Bypass in dynamic-node-parameters Allows Foreign API Key Replay under CWE-862: Missing Authorization.
Which N8n versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.17.5, 1.123.33 across affected packages: n8n.
What version fixes CVE-2026-42226?
Upgrading to 2.17.5, 1.123.33 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is n8n affected?
Yes, n8n is affected in releases prior to 2.17.5, 1.123.33. Upgrade your dependency to 2.17.5, 1.123.33 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-42226?
CVE-2026-42226 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.5 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:L.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-42226?
CVE-2026-42226 is classified under CWE-862: Missing Authorization (The product does not perform an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action.).
How can I check npm dependencies for CVE-2026-42226?
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-r4v6-9fqc-w5jr",
  "modified" : "2026-05-08T01:31:25Z",
  "published" : "2026-04-29T21:22:26Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-42226" ],
  "summary" : "n8n's Credential Authorization Bypass in dynamic-node-parameters Allows Foreign API Key Replay",
  "details" : "## Impact\nThe `dynamic-node-parameters` endpoints did not verify whether the authenticated caller was authorized to use a supplied credential reference. An authenticated user with access to a shared workflow could supply a foreign credential ID in the request body, causing the backend to decrypt and use that credential in a helper execution path where the caller also controls the destination URL. This allowed the caller to force the backend to authenticate against attacker-controlled infrastructure using a credential belonging to another user, effectively exfiltrating a reusable API key.\n\nThe issue is not limited to any single node type; any node that resolves credentials dynamically through these endpoints may be affected.\n\n## Patches\nThe issue has been fixed in n8n version 2.18.0. Users should upgrade to this version or later to remediate the vulnerability.\n\n## Workarounds\nIf upgrading is not immediately possible, administrators should consider the following temporary mitigations:\n- Restrict n8n access to fully trusted users only.\n- Avoid sharing workflows with users who should not have access to the credentials those workflows reference.\n\nThese workarounds do not fully remediate the risk and should only be used as short-term mitigation measures.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:L"
  }, {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:L/SC:L/SI:L/SA:L"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "n8n"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "2.17.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.17.5"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "n8n"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.123.33"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/security/advisories/GHSA-r4v6-9fqc-w5jr"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-42226"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-862" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-04-29T21:22:26Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-05-04T19:16:04Z"
  }
}