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N8nApplication

CVE-2026-42234

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, an authenticated user with permission to create or modify workflows containing a Python Code Node could escape the sandbox and achieve arbitrary code execution on the task runner container. This issue only affects instances where the Python Task Runner is 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 confidence

In n8n workflow automation platform prior to versions 1.123.32, 2.17.4, and 2.18.1, an authenticated user with workflow creation/modification permissions can exploit the Python Code Node to escape the sandbox container and achieve arbitrary code execution on the task runner. This vulnerability only affects instances with the Python Task Runner feature enabled.

MitigationUpgrade n8n to version 1.123.32, 2.17.4, or 2.18.1. If immediate upgrading is not feasible, disable the Python Task Runner if not required for business operations.

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. Identify n8n installation version
    Run 'n8n --version' from the command line, check the UI footer for the version number, or inspect the package.json file in the n8n installation directory. Compare this version against the affected ranges: < 1.123.32, >= 2.17.0 and < 2.17.4, or exactly 2.18.0.
    Affected if Your installed version falls into any of these ranges: < 1.123.32, >= 2.17.0 to < 2.17.4, or exactly 2.18.0.
  2. Verify Python Task Runner is enabled
    Access the n8n UI and navigate to Settings > Executives > Task Runners, or check your n8n configuration file for a setting related to enabling the Python Task Runner feature. Look for a configuration flag that enables or disables the Python execution environment.
    Affected if The Python Task Runner feature is currently enabled in your n8n instance.
  3. Confirm user role permissions
    Review the role-based access control settings in n8n to determine which users or roles have workflow creation or workflow modification permissions. Check the user management section of the UI or inspect the roles configuration.
    Affected if Any authenticated user role possesses workflow creation or workflow modification permissions.

You are affected if your n8n version is in the vulnerable range AND the Python Task Runner is enabled AND users with workflow modification permissions exist in your 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. If immediate upgrading is not feasible, disable the Python Task Runner if not required for business operations.

Recommended fix High confidence

1.123.32 (for 1.x users) or 2.17.4/2.18.1 (for 2.x users)

  1. Backup your n8n instance and database before upgrading
  2. Identify your current n8n version to determine the correct upgrade path
  3. If running version 1.x (< 1.123.32): Upgrade to version 1.123.32 or later
  4. If running version 2.x (>= 2.17.0, < 2.17.4): Upgrade to version 2.17.4 or later
  5. If running version 2.18.0: Upgrade to version 2.18.1
  6. After upgrade, verify the n8n version matches the expected patched release
  7. Test workflows that use the Python Code Node to confirm proper sandbox functionality
Caveat Review release notes for any breaking changes between your current version and the target 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
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,720
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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-2026-42234 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