CVE-2026-59259
MEDIUM 6n8n before versions 1.123.61, 2.27.4, and 2.28.1 contains a permission bypass vulnerability in external secrets handling caused by a mismatch between the static validation check and the runtime expression engine. An authenticated user with credential create or update permissions but without the externalSecret:list scope can embed external secret references into credentials in forms the static validation does not detect; these references resolve at workflow execution time, exposing secret values the user is not authorized to access. This issue only affects instances where an external secrets provider is configured and Advanced Permissions are in use.
No known exploitation, public exploit, or elevated probability at this time. Track for changes.
Exploitation likelihood
0.3%chance of exploitation in 30 days · 24th percentile
Impact if exploited
6CVSS 4.0 · MEDIUM
- ConfidentialityHigh
- IntegrityNone
- AvailabilityNone
What an attacker needs
- ✓Access: Reachable over the network — no local access needed
- ⚠Privileges: Requires a low-privilege account
- ✓User interaction: No user interaction needed
- ✓Complexity: No special conditions — reliably repeatable
- ⚠Requirements: Specific conditions must be present
✓ lowers the bar for an attacker · ⚠ raises it
Proof of concept & exploit code
- github-search Search GitHub for public PoC repos
Test against your own equipment
curl -s https://vulnpedia.com/cve/CVE-2026-59259/poc.jsonMachine-readable PoC index for this CVE (for automation).Listed for defensive triage, patch verification, and authorized testing on systems you own. Machine-readable: /cve/CVE-2026-59259/poc.json
Weakness (CWE)
- CWE-639: Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key
CVSS vector
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
Known Affected Software Configurations
| Vendor | Product | Version range |
|---|---|---|
| N8n | N8n | < 1.123.61 |
| N8n | N8n | ≥ 2.0.0 and < 2.27.4 |
| N8n | N8n | 2.28.0 |
| N8n | N8n | 2.28.0 |
All CVSS metrics
- MEDIUM 6 v4.0 · CNA Primary
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N - MEDIUM 6 v4.0 · NVD Secondary
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X - MEDIUM 6.5 v3.1 · NVD Primary
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N