CVE-2026-27496
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedn8n is an open source workflow automation platform. Prior to versions 1.123.22, 2.9.3, and 2.10.1, an authenticated user with permission to create or modify workflows could use the JavaScript Task Runner to allocate uninitialized memory buffers. Uninitialized buffers may contain residual data from the same Node.js process — including data from prior requests, tasks, secrets, or tokens — resulting in information disclosure of sensitive in-process data. Task Runners must be enabled using `N8N_RUNNERS_ENABLED=true`. In external runner mode, the impact is limited to data within the external runner process. The issue has been fixed in n8n versions 1.123.22, 2.10.1 , and 2.9.3. Users should upgrade to this version or later to remediate the vulnerability. If upgrading is not immediately possible, administrators should consider the following temporary mitigations: Limit workflow creation and editing permissions to fully trusted users only, and/or use external runner mode (`N8N_RUNNERS_MODE=external`) to isolate the runner process. These workarounds do not fully remediate the risk and should only be used as short-term mitigation measures.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceAn authenticated user with workflow creation/modification permissions can exploit the JavaScript Task Runner (when enabled via N8N_RUNNERS_ENABLED=true) to allocate uninitialized memory buffers. These buffers may contain residual data from prior Node.js operations including secrets, tokens, and other sensitive in-process data, resulting in information disclosure.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data< 1.123.22>= 2.0.0, < 2.9.3= 2.10.0CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check n8n versionRun `n8n --version` or check the version in your package.json / docker image tag. Compare against affected ranges: < 1.123.22, >= 2.0.0 and < 2.9.3, or exactly 2.10.0Affected if Running an affected version number listed above
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Verify JavaScript Task Runner is enabledCheck if environment variable N8N_RUNNERS_ENABLED is set to true. Run `echo $N8N_RUNNERS_ENABLED` or inspect your container/runtime environment configurationAffected if N8N_RUNNERS_ENABLED equals true (case-sensitive)
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Confirm workflow permission scopeReview user roles and permissions in n8n. Check if any user account has workflow:create or workflow:update permissions enabled. Inspect n8n user management UI or API endpoint /usersAffected if At least one non-service account has workflow creation or modification permissions
You are affected if you run an affected n8n version, have N8N_RUNNERS_ENABLED=true, AND have users with workflow creation/modification permissions - all three conditions must be true.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scoped1.123.222.9.3
Upgrade to n8n versions 1.123.22, 2.9.3, or 2.10.1 or later. If immediate upgrade is not possible, limit workflow creation/editing permissions to fully trusted users and/or use external runner mode (N8N_RUNNERS_MODE=external) as temporary mitigation.
1.123.22 for v1.x, 2.9.3 for v2.0.x-2.8.x, or 2.10.1 for v2.10.0
- 1. Identify the currently running n8n version by checking the Docker container, package.json, or n8n health endpoint
- 2. Based on the current version, determine the appropriate upgrade path: for versions < 1.0.0 upgrade to 1.123.22 or later; for versions >= 2.0.0 and < 2.9.3 upgrade to 2.9.3 or later; for version 2.10.0 upgrade to 2.10.1 or later
- 3. Backup the n8n database and configuration files before upgrading
- 4. For Docker deployments: pull the new image (e.g., `docker pull n8nio/n8n:1.123.22` or `n8nio/n8n:2.9.3` or `n8nio/n8n:2.10.1`) and recreate the container
- 5. For npm installations: run `npm install -g n8n@<fixed-version>`
- 6. Verify the upgrade was successful by checking the n8n version after startup
- 7. If upgrading is not immediately possible, enable external runner mode by setting environment variable `N8N_RUNNERS_MODE=external` and `N8N_RUNNERS_ENABLED=true` as a temporary mitigation
- 8. Review user permissions and limit workflow creation/editing to fully trusted users until the upgrade can be completed
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-27496 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data