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N8nApplication

CVE-2026-42231

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-05-04
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 1.123.32 / 2.17.4 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 1.123.32, 2.17.4, and 2.18.1, a flaw in the xml2js library used to parse XML request bodies in n8n's webhook handler allowed prototype pollution via a crafted XML payload. An authenticated user with permission to create or modify workflows could exploit this to pollute the JavaScript object prototype and, by chaining the pollution with the Git node's SSH operations, achieve remote code execution on the n8n host. 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 confidence

A prototype pollution vulnerability in the xml2js library used to parse XML request bodies in n8n's webhook handler allows authenticated users with workflow permissions to inject malicious properties into JavaScript object prototypes via crafted XML payloads. Chaining this with the Git node's SSH operations enables remote code execution.

MitigationUpgrade n8n to version 1.123.32, 2.17.4, or 2.18.1 which contain the patched xml2js library. Additionally, restrict workflow creation/modification permissions to trusted users only.

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:< 1.123.32>= 2.17.0, < 2.17.4= 2.18.0

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 installed n8n version
    Run `n8n --version` or check the version in package.json, Docker container labels, or the n8n UI footer
    Affected if The version is less than 1.123.32, or between 2.17.0 and 2.17.3 inclusive, or exactly 2.18.0
  2. Confirm xml2js is in use
    Check if xml2js is listed in the n8n installation dependencies: run `npm list xml2js` in the n8n directory or examine the package-lock.json
    Affected if xml2js version is present and the webhook handler processes XML payloads
  3. Verify webhook handler is accessible
    Check if webhooks are enabled in n8n settings. Look for webhook URLs in the UI under Settings > Webhooks or in individual workflow configurations
    Affected if Webhooks are enabled and reachable by authenticated users
  4. Check for Git node usage
    Inspect workflow configurations for Git node instances. Look for workflows that use the Git node with SSH operations enabled
    Affected if Git node with SSH operations is configured in any active workflow
  5. Review user role permissions
    Examine n8n user roles and permissions. Specifically check if any non-admin users have workflow creation or execution permissions
    Affected if Users other than administrators have workflow permissions, allowing them to craft the exploit payload

You are affected if your n8n version is in the vulnerable ranges AND webhooks process XML AND users with workflow permissions can access the system.

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 1.123.32 / 2.17.4 or later
Fixed in 1.123.322.17.4
Interim mitigation

Upgrade n8n to version 1.123.32, 2.17.4, or 2.18.1 which contain the patched xml2js library. Additionally, restrict workflow creation/modification permissions to trusted users only.

Recommended fix High confidence

1.123.32 (for 1.x users), 2.17.4 (for 2.17.x users), or 2.18.1 (for 2.18.0 users)

  1. Identify your current n8n version by checking the running container or installation
  2. If using version 1.x: Upgrade to version 1.123.32 or later
  3. If using version 2.17.x: Upgrade to version 2.17.4 or later
  4. If using version 2.18.0: Upgrade to version 2.18.1 or later
  5. For Docker installations: Pull the new image (e.g., docker pull n8nio/n8n:1.123.32) and recreate the container
  6. For npm installations: Run 'npm install -g n8n@latest' or specify the version (e.g., 'npm install -g [email protected]')
  7. For self-hosted installations: Follow your platform's standard upgrade procedure
  8. After upgrade, verify the n8n service is running correctly and test webhook functionality

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

Fix this in N8n Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
8.0 hours of engineering $1,390
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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-2026-42231 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • 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