CVE-2026-42227
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 1.123.32, 2.17.4, and 2.18.1, an authenticated user with a valid API key scoped to variable:list could read variables from projects they are not a member of by supplying an arbitrary projectId query parameter to the public API variables endpoint. The handler queried the variables repository directly without enforcing project membership checks, bypassing the authorization-aware service layer used by the internal enterprise controller. If variables were misused to store sensitive information such as credentials or tokens, they should be rotated immediately. This issue only affects licensed enterprise or team deployments with multiple projects and the variables feature enabled. This issue has been patched in versions 1.123.32, 2.17.4, and 2.18.1.
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 confidencen8n workflow automation platform versions prior to 1.123.32, 2.17.4, and 2.18.1 contain an IDOR vulnerability where the public API variables endpoint with variable:list scope allows authenticated users to read variables from projects they are not members of by supplying an arbitrary projectId query parameter, because the handler bypasses the authorization-aware service layer and queries the repository directly without project membership enforcement.
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< 1.123.32>= 2.17.0, < 2.17.4= 2.18.0CVSS 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 installed n8n versionRun `n8n --version` or check the version in package.json, docker image tag, or the UI footerAffected if Version is less than 1.123.32, or between 2.17.0 and 2.17.4 inclusive, or exactly 2.18.0
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Verify public API is enabledInspect n8n configuration file (config.yaml or environment variables) for `N8N_PUBLIC_API_ENABLED=true` or check if the `/api/v1` endpoint respondsAffected if Public API is enabled and accessible
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Confirm API authentication is configuredCheck if basic auth or header auth is configured for the public API in config.yaml or environment variables (`N8N_PUBLIC_API_KEY`, `N8N_AUTH_ACTIVE`, etc.)Affected if API authentication is active and users can obtain API credentials
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Identify users with variable:list scopeReview user roles and scopes in n8n, specifically check which API keys or tokens have the `variable:list` scope assignedAffected if Any authenticated user possesses the variable:list scope on their API credentials
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Verify project membership isolationTest the vulnerability by creating a second project, assigning a user who is NOT a member of that project, and attempting to call GET /api/v1/variables?projectId=<target_project_id> with that user's API tokenAffected if User can read variables from a project they do not belong to by supplying an arbitrary projectId parameter
You are affected if your n8n version falls within the vulnerable ranges AND the public API with variable:list scope is enabled and accessible to authenticated users who are not members of all projects.
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 · scoped1.123.322.17.4
Upgrade to n8n versions 1.123.32, 2.17.4, or 2.18.1 and rotate any sensitive credentials or tokens stored in variables that may have been exposed.
1.123.32 (for 1.x) or 2.17.4 / 2.18.1 (for 2.x)
- 1. Back up your n8n database and configuration before upgrading
- 2. Stop the n8n service
- 3. If running version 1.x: upgrade to version 1.123.32 or later
- 4. If running version 2.17.x: upgrade to version 2.17.4 or later
- 5. If running version 2.18.0: upgrade to version 2.18.1 or later
- 6. Restart the n8n service
- 7. Verify the upgrade was successful by checking the n8n version
- 8. If variables were used to store sensitive credentials or tokens, rotate them immediately as a precautionary measure
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing5.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,752.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2026-42227 — 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-2026-42227 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