CVE-2026-59259: n8n — Fix

Description

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.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

6.5

MEDIUM

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

EPSS — Exploit Prediction

0.0032

Probability of exploitation

0.24%

Percentile rank

EPSS estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. A higher score means more likely to be exploited.

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-639 CWE-639

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Versions
n8n	n8n	< 1.123.61
n8n	n8n	2.0.0 — 2.27.4
n8n	n8n	All
n8n	n8n	All

References

Advisories & Patches

https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/security/advisories/GHSA-jp7m-xcgx-57qm

Other References

https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/n8n-permission-bypass-via-expression-parser-mismatch-in-external-secrets

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-59259? +

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. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.5 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2026-59259? +

CVE-2026-59259 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 6.5 out of 10, rated MEDIUM. This is a medium-severity vulnerability that should be remediated as part of regular maintenance. The EPSS score is 0.0032, placing it in the 0th percentile for exploitation probability.

What products are affected by CVE-2026-59259? +

CVE-2026-59259 affects products from n8n, specifically: n8n. Check the affected products table above for specific version ranges.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2026-59259? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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