CVE-2026-59259 json
n8n - Permission Bypass via Expression Parser Mismatch in External Secrets
published 2026-07-15 3 mo ago modified 2026-10-29 10 d ago also GHSA-jp7m-xcgx-57qm , EUVD-2026-44635
- cvss
- 6.5
- version 3.1, NVD
- cisa kev
- Not listed
- not in CISA's catalog
- epss
- 0.4%
- EPSS 0.4% chance of exploitation in 30 days, percentile 38%
- public exploits
- 0
- none known
Summary
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.
Patch / fix
- npm n8n 1.123.61, 2.27.4, 2.28.1
- n8n n8n 1.123.61, 2.27.4, 2.28.1
CISA SSVC
- Exploitation
- none
- Automatable
- no
- Technical impact
- partial
- Assessed
- 3 mo ago
Exploit prediction
0.44% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 38% of all scored CVEs (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-08).
CVSS scores
| assigned by | version | score | vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| CNA | 4.0 | 6.0 | 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 |
| CNA | 4.0 | 6.0 | 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 |
| NVD | 3.1 | 6.5 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N |
Affected packages
| ecosystem | package | affected | fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| npm | n8n | <1.123.61 >=2.28.0, <2.28.1 >=2.0.0-rc.0, <2.27.4 |
1.123.61 2.28.1 2.27.4 |
Affected products
- n8n n8n
Classification
- Weakness
-
- CWE-639 Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key
References
-
github.com
/n8n-io/n8n/security/advisories/GHSA-jp7m-xcgx-57qm
vendor-advisory, web
-
vulncheck.com
/advisories/n8n-permission-bypass-via-expression-parser-mismatch-in-external-secrets
third-party-advisory, web
-
nvd.nist.gov
/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-59259
advisory
-
github.com
/n8n-io/n8n
package
-
github.com
/n8n-io/n8n/releases/tag/n8n@1.123.61
web
-
github.com
/n8n-io/n8n/releases/tag/n8n@2.27.4
web
-
github.com
/n8n-io/n8n/releases/tag/n8n@2.28.1
web
Sources
- CVE List CVE-2026-59259
- GitHub Advisory GHSA-jp7m-xcgx-57qm
- NVD CVE-2026-59259
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