CVE-2026-59259
n8n - Permission Bypass via Expression Parser Mismatch in External Secrets
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.
INFO
Published Date :
July 15, 2026, 12:18 p.m.
Last Modified :
July 15, 2026, 12:18 p.m.
Remotely Exploit :
Yes !
Source :
[email protected]
Affected Products
The following products are affected by CVE-2026-59259
vulnerability.
Even if cvefeed.io is aware of the exact versions of the
products
that
are
affected, the information is not represented in the table below.
No affected product recoded yet
CVSS Scores
| Score | Version | Severity | Vector | Exploitability Score | Impact Score | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 4.0 | MEDIUM | 83251b91-4cc7-4094-a5c7-464a1b83ea10 | ||||
| CVSS 4.0 | MEDIUM | [email protected] |
Solution
- Update n8n to version 1.123.61 or later.
- Update n8n to version 2.27.4 or later.
- Update n8n to version 2.28.1 or later.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth
information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to
CVE-2026-59259.
| URL | Resource |
|---|---|
| https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/security/advisories/GHSA-jp7m-xcgx-57qm | |
| https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/n8n-permission-bypass-via-expression-parser-mismatch-in-external-secrets |
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-59259 is
associated with the following CWEs:
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification
(CAPEC)
stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and
approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-59259
weaknesses.
We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).
Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.
The following list is the news that have been mention
CVE-2026-59259 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2026-59259 vulnerability over time.
Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.
-
New CVE Received by [email protected]
Jul. 15, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Affected [{'vendor': 'n8n', 'product': 'n8n', 'versions': [{'status': 'affected', 'version': '0', 'lessThan': '1.123.61', 'versionType': 'semver'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '1.123.61', 'versionType': 'semver'}], 'packageURL': 'pkg:npm/n8n', 'defaultStatus': 'unaffected'}, {'vendor': 'n8n', 'product': 'n8n', 'versions': [{'status': 'affected', 'version': '0', 'lessThan': '2.28.1', 'versionType': 'semver'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '2.28.1', 'versionType': 'semver'}], 'packageURL': 'pkg:npm/n8n', 'defaultStatus': 'unaffected'}, {'vendor': 'n8n', 'product': 'n8n', 'versions': [{'status': 'affected', 'version': '0', 'lessThan': '2.27.4', 'versionType': 'semver'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '2.27.4', 'versionType': 'semver'}], 'packageURL': 'pkg:npm/n8n', 'defaultStatus': 'unaffected'}] Added 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. Added CVSS V4.0 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 Added CWE CWE-639 Added Reference https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/security/advisories/GHSA-jp7m-xcgx-57qm Added Reference https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/n8n-permission-bypass-via-expression-parser-mismatch-in-external-secrets