Executive brief
n8n is a workflow automation tool used to connect different software services. A security flaw allows users with limited access to shared workflows to steal sensitive authentication credentials (like API keys) used in those workflows. This could allow an unauthorized user to gain access to external services and data that they should not be able to reach.
Technical details
An information disclosure vulnerability exists in n8n when the N8N_EXPRESSION_ENGINE is set to 'vm'. Authenticated users with 'use-only' editor access to a shared workflow can exploit the HTTP Request node's pagination feature to read sensitive headers. Specifically, the '$request' object exposes credential-populated headers during pagination expression evaluation. An attacker can craft a custom expression to copy these secrets into item data and exfiltrate them via subsequent nodes, bypassing domain restrictions. The issue is fixed in versions 1.123.61, 2.27.4, and 2.28.1.
Affected products
- n8n-io n8n < 1.123.61, >= 2.0.0-rc.0 < 2.27.4, >= 2.28.0 < 2.28.1
Timeline
- 2026-06-24: disclosed
- 2026-07-09: advisory: NVD publication
- 2026-07-22: patched: GitHub Advisory reviewed and updated