CVE-2026-42226
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 1.123.33 and 2.17.5, the dynamic-node-parameters endpoints did not verify whether the authenticated caller was authorized to use a supplied credential reference. An authenticated user with access to a shared workflow could supply a foreign credential ID in the request body, causing the backend to decrypt and use that credential in a helper execution path where the caller also controls the destination URL. This allowed the caller to force the backend to authenticate against attacker-controlled infrastructure using a credential belonging to another user, effectively exfiltrating a reusable API key. The issue is not limited to any single node type; any node that resolves credentials dynamically through these endpoints may be affected. This issue has been patched in versions 1.123.33, 2.17.5, and 2.18.0.
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 confidenceIn n8n prior to versions 1.123.33/2.17.5, the dynamic-node-parameters endpoints failed to validate whether an authenticated user was authorized to access a supplied credential ID. An authenticated attacker with access to a shared workflow could supply a foreign credential ID and control the destination URL, causing the backend to decrypt and use the victim's credential to authenticate against attacker-controlled infrastructure, enabling API key exfiltration.
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< 1.123.33>= 2.17.0, < 2.17.5CVSS 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
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/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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Identify installed n8n versionRun `n8n --version` or check the version displayed in the n8n UI (usually at the bottom of the left sidebar). If using Docker, check with `docker ps` and inspect the container image tag.Affected if The version is below 1.123.33, or is 2.17.0 through 2.17.4 (for the 2.x branch).
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Review shared workflow configurationsExamine workflows that are shared among multiple users or teams. Look for workflows that reference credentials (check the credential selection dropdowns within node configurations).Affected if Shared workflows exist that contain credential references accessible to multiple users.
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Inspect credential ownership and permissionsNavigate to Settings > Credentials in the n8n UI. Review which credentials are owned by different users and check if any credentials are shared or accessible beyond their owner.Affected if Credentials exist that are shared across users or accessible to users who did not create them.
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Monitor outbound network traffic from n8n serverUse network monitoring tools (tcpdump, Wireshark, or cloud provider VPC flow logs) to capture outgoing HTTP/HTTPS requests from the n8n server. Look for requests to unfamiliar or attacker-controlled domains.Affected if The n8n server is making outbound requests to unknown or suspicious external domains, especially from credential-related operations.
You are affected if your n8n version falls within the vulnerable range (below 1.123.33 for 1.x or 2.17.0-2.17.4 for 2.x) AND you have shared workflows containing credentials that other authenticated users can access.
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 · scoped1.123.332.17.5
Upgrade to n8n versions 1.123.33, 2.17.5, or 2.18.0 which contain the authorization patch for credential reference validation.
n8n 1.123.33+ (1.x branch) or 2.17.5+/2.18.0+ (2.x branch)
- Identify which major version branch you are currently running (1.x or 2.x)
- If running 1.x version: Upgrade to n8n version 1.123.33 or later
- If running 2.x version: Upgrade to n8n version 2.17.5 or later (alternatively 2.18.0)
- After upgrading, verify the fix by testing that the dynamic-node-parameters endpoint properly enforces authorization checks for credential references
- Review the release notes for your target version to check for any breaking changes or migration requirements
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2026-42226 — 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-2026-42226 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
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