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N8nApplication

CVE-2026-27497

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-02-25
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 1.123.22 / 2.9.3 or later.
See remediation →
94/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable Zero-click

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 · unedited
n8n is an open source workflow automation platform. Prior to versions 2.10.1, 2.9.3, and 1.123.22, an authenticated user with permission to create or modify workflows could leverage the Merge node's SQL query mode to execute arbitrary code and write arbitrary files on the n8n server. The issues have been fixed in n8n versions 2.10.1, 2.9.3, and 1.123.22. Users should upgrade to one of these versions or later to remediate all known vulnerabilities. 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 disable the Merge node by adding `n8n-nodes-base.merge` to the `NODES_EXCLUDE` environment variable. 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 confidence

Authenticated users with workflow creation/modification permissions can exploit the Merge node's SQL query mode to achieve arbitrary code execution and write arbitrary files on the n8n server, resulting in complete system compromise.

MitigationUpgrade immediately to n8n versions 2.10.1, 2.9.3, or 1.123.22 or later. If immediate upgrade is not feasible, limit workflow permissions to fully trusted users only or temporarily disable the Merge node via the NODES_EXCLUDE environment variable.

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
N8nApplication
Affected:< 1.123.22>= 2.0.0, < 2.9.3>= 2.10.0, < 2.10.1

CVSS 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
High
Availability
High

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

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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check n8n version
    Run 'n8n --version' from command line, check the Docker container label, or query the n8n API endpoint '/healthz' to retrieve the version string
    Affected if The installed version is less than 1.123.22, or is 2.0.0 through 2.9.2, or is 2.10.0
  2. Identify workflows using Merge node
    Query the n8n API at '/workflows' to retrieve all workflow definitions, then search the 'nodes' array in each workflow for any entry where 'type' contains 'n8n-nodes-base.merge' or 'type' equals '@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.merge'
    Affected if There exists at least one active or saved workflow containing a Merge node
  3. Check Merge node SQL query mode configuration
    In each workflow containing a Merge node, inspect the 'parameters' object for the Merge node and look for a 'mode' or 'sqlMode' parameter set to a value enabling SQL queries, or check for 'operation' parameter set to 'executeQuery' or similar SQL execution option
    Affected if Any Merge node in a workflow has SQL query mode enabled (not set to 'merge' or 'combine' but rather an SQL execution mode)
  4. Verify workflow permissions for users
    Check user roles and permissions via the n8n API endpoint '/users' or by reviewing role assignments in the UI under 'Settings' > 'Users', focusing on whether any non-admin users have 'workflow:create' or 'workflow:update' permissions
    Affected if There are authenticated users other than admins with the ability to create or modify workflows

The environment is affected if n8n version is in the vulnerable range AND at least one workflow uses the Merge node with SQL query mode enabled AND there exists a user with workflow creation/modification permissions who could exploit this.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 1.123.22 / 2.9.3 / 2.10.1 or later
Fixed in 1.123.222.9.32.10.1
Interim mitigation

Upgrade immediately to n8n versions 2.10.1, 2.9.3, or 1.123.22 or later. If immediate upgrade is not feasible, limit workflow permissions to fully trusted users only or temporarily disable the Merge node via the NODES_EXCLUDE environment variable.

Recommended fix High confidence

Upgrade to n8n version 1.123.22 (if on 1.x), 2.9.3 (if on 2.0.0-2.9.x), or 2.10.1 (if on 2.10.0)

  1. 1. Identify current n8n version by checking the n8n UI (footer) or running `n8n --version` CLI command
  2. 2. Determine the appropriate upgrade path based on current version: if on 1.x branch upgrade to 1.123.22+, if on 2.0.0-2.9.x upgrade to 2.9.3+, if on 2.10.0 upgrade to 2.10.1+
  3. 3. Backup n8n database and any custom workflows before upgrading
  4. 4. Stop the n8n service
  5. 5. Upgrade n8n to the appropriate fixed version using the package manager or installation method originally used (e.g., `npm install -g n8n@<version>` for npm, or pull the relevant Docker image tag)
  6. 6. Restart n8n service
  7. 7. Verify the upgrade was successful by checking the version number in the UI
  8. 8. As a precautionary measure, confirm that the NODES_EXCLUDE environment variable includes `n8n-nodes-base.merge` if non-trusted users have workflow access
Caveat Review n8n release notes for breaking changes between your current version and the target fixed version before upgrading

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in N8n Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation3.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
11.0 hours of engineering $1,900
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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 sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-27497 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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