CVE-2026-33660
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 2.14.1, 2.13.3, and 1.123.26, an authenticated user with permission to create or modify workflows could use the Merge node's "Combine by SQL" mode to read local files on the n8n host and achieve remote code execution. The AlaSQL sandbox did not sufficiently restrict certain SQL statements, allowing an attacker to access sensitive files on the server or even compromise the instance. The issue has been fixed in n8n versions 2.14.1, 2.13.3, and 1.123.26. Users should upgrade to one of these versions 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 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 confidenceAuthenticated users with workflow creation/modification permissions can exploit the Merge node's 'Combine by SQL' mode, which uses AlaSQL with an insufficient sandbox. This allows reading local files on the n8n host and achieving remote code execution through unrestricted SQL statements.
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< 1.123.27>= 2.0.0, < 2.13.3= 2.14.0CVSS 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
- 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check installed n8n versionRun 'n8n --version' from the command line, or check the version displayed in the n8n UI footer, or inspect the package.json file in the n8n installation directoryAffected if The version is less than 1.123.27, or between 2.0.0 and 2.13.3 (exclusive), or exactly 2.14.0
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Identify workflows using the Merge nodeIn the n8n UI, open the Workflows view and search for workflows containing the Merge node, or query the n8n database (if accessible) in the workflows table for nodes with type 'n8n-nodes-base.merge'Affected if Any active or inactive workflows contain the Merge node
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Check for 'Combine by SQL' mode usageOpen each workflow containing the Merge node and inspect the node configuration; look for the 'Combine by' dropdown set to 'SQL' option, which activates the AlaSQL functionalityAffected if Any workflow has Merge node configured with 'Combine by SQL' mode enabled
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Review workflow permission assignmentsIn n8n, go to Settings > Users or the IAM/permissions section to see which users or roles have workflow creation or modification rights; check if untrusted users have these permissionsAffected if Users with workflow create/modify permissions are not fully trusted or if the instance allows self-service user registration with workflow access
You are affected if your n8n version falls within the vulnerable ranges AND any workflow uses the Merge node with 'Combine by SQL' mode AND untrusted users have workflow modification permissions.
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 · scoped1.123.272.13.3
Upgrade to n8n versions 2.14.1, 2.13.3, or 1.123.26 or later. If immediate upgrade is not feasible, limit workflow permissions to fully trusted users or temporarily disable the Merge node via the NODES_EXCLUDE environment variable (note: these workarounds are incomplete mitigations).
Upgrade to n8n version 1.123.27+, 2.13.3+, or 2.14.1+ depending on your current branch
- 1. Identify the current n8n version running in your environment
- 2. For n8n version 1.x: Upgrade to version 1.123.26 or later (e.g., 1.123.27)
- 3. For n8n version 2.x (< 2.13.3): Upgrade to version 2.13.3 or later
- 4. For n8n version 2.14.0: Upgrade to version 2.14.1 or later
- 5. After upgrade, verify the n8n instance is running the patched version
- 6. If upgrading is not immediately possible, set the NODES_EXCLUDE environment variable to 'n8n-nodes-base.merge' to disable the vulnerable Merge node
- 7. As an additional temporary measure, restrict workflow creation and editing permissions to only fully trusted users
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2026-33660 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
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-2026-33660 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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