CVE-2026-86077: n8n Anonymous Approval-Gate Bypass Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-35jj-42hp-8gmq
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CWE-862
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-86077 is a MODERATE anonymous approval-gate bypass vulnerability (CWE-862: Missing Authorization) affecting n8n libraries in the npm ecosystem. The issue involves anonymous approval-gate bypass via reused resumetoken over the chat websocket. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.38.2, 2.37.7.

CVE-2026-86077 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-86077
GHSA Identifier GHSA-35jj-42hp-8gmq
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score N/A
CWE Classification CWE-862: Missing Authorization
Affected Product n8n
Package Ecosystem npm
Published Date
Last Updated

How to Fix CVE-2026-86077

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: 2.38.2 
npm install n8n@2.38.2
n8n fixed: 2.37.7 
npm install n8n@2.37.7
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-2026-86077, 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 2.38.2), 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 `/chat` WebSocket route resumed a paused execution from a resume token without checking that the node being resumed was a chat node. n8n hands that token to anonymous form submitters, so a party with no account could present it on the chat route and release an execution waiting at an approval gate, the control an author puts in front of an action considered too consequential to automate. The patch restricts resume over the chat route and Chat Hub to chat-capable node types. ## Patches The issue has been fixed in n8n versions 2.37.7 and 2.38.2. 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: - Restrict n8n instance access to fully trusted users only. - Avoid workflows that combine a Form Trigger with non-chat approval gates (Send-and-Wait, Telegram/Slack/Gmail HITL, or plain Wait nodes) on publicly accessible instances. - Audit recent executions of such workflows for unexpected completion without a corresponding approval callback. These workarounds do not fully remediate the risk and should only be used as short-term mitigation measures.

CVE-2026-86077 Affected n8n Versions

2 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.38.22.37.7
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
n8n
npm/n8n
npm
≥ 2.38.0
< 2.38.2
2.38.2
n8n
npm/n8n
npm
< 2.37.7
2.37.7

References

GitHub Advisory / Wiki ADVISORY
https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/security/advisories/GHSA-35jj-42hp-8gmq
NVD — CVE-2026-86077 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-86077
n8n Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n
n8n Release RELEASE
https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/releases/tag/n8n@2.37.7
n8n Release RELEASE
https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/releases/tag/n8n@2.38.2

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-86077?
CVE-2026-86077 is a security vulnerability in n8n involving Anonymous Approval-Gate Bypass via Reused resumeToken over the Chat WebSocket under CWE-862: Missing Authorization.
Which n8n versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.38.2, 2.37.7 across affected packages: n8n.
What version fixes CVE-2026-86077?
Upgrading to 2.38.2, 2.37.7 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is n8n affected?
Yes, n8n is affected in releases prior to 2.38.2, 2.37.7. Upgrade your dependency to 2.38.2, 2.37.7 or later.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-86077?
CVE-2026-86077 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-2026-86077?
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-35jj-42hp-8gmq",
  "modified" : "2026-09-10T20:37:00Z",
  "published" : "2026-09-10T20:37:00Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-86077" ],
  "summary" : "n8n: Anonymous Approval-Gate Bypass via Reused resumeToken over the Chat WebSocket",
  "details" : "## Impact\n\nThe `/chat` WebSocket route resumed a paused execution from a resume token without checking that the node being resumed was a chat node. n8n hands that token to anonymous form submitters, so a party with no account could present it on the chat route and release an execution waiting at an approval gate, the control an author puts in front of an action considered too consequential to automate. The patch restricts resume over the chat route and Chat Hub to chat-capable node types.\n\n## Patches\n\nThe issue has been fixed in n8n versions 2.37.7 and 2.38.2. Users should upgrade to one of these versions or later to remediate the vulnerability.\n\n## Workarounds\n\nIf upgrading is not immediately possible, administrators should consider the following temporary mitigations:\n- Restrict n8n instance access to fully trusted users only.\n- Avoid workflows that combine a Form Trigger with non-chat approval gates (Send-and-Wait, Telegram/Slack/Gmail HITL, or plain Wait nodes) on publicly accessible instances.\n- Audit recent executions of such workflows for unexpected completion without a corresponding approval callback.\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:N/UI:N/VC:L/VI:L/VA:N/SC:L/SI:L/SA:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "n8n"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "2.38.0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.38.2"
      } ]
    } ]
  }, {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "n8n"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.37.7"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/security/advisories/GHSA-35jj-42hp-8gmq"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-86077"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/releases/tag/n8n@2.37.7"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/releases/tag/n8n@2.38.2"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-862" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-09-10T20:37:00Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-09-08T22:19:16Z"
  }
}