Auth bypass in N8n
CVE-2026-86996
n8n is an open source workflow automation platform. Prior to 2.37.7 and 2.38.2, the workflow setting named This workflow can be called by was enforced by the Execute Workflow node but not when a workflow was attached to an Agent as a tool. A user able to build an Agent could invoke a restricted workflow and read its returned data. The affected path is packages/cli/src/modules/agents/tools/workflow-tool-factory.ts, where executeWorkflow omitted SubworkflowPolicyChecker.checkForProject. This issue is fixed in versions 2.37.7 and 2.38.2.
Vulnerability class: Broken Access Control
Published · last modified .
CVSS v3 metric
CVSS v3 base score 5.4 (Medium). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N.
EPSS exploit prediction
EPSS: 0.003 (20.9th percentile), scored .
Very low probability of exploitation in the next 30 days; routine patching cadence is appropriate. 21st percentile — 20.9% of CVEs in the catalogue have a lower EPSS than this one. How to read EPSS.
EPSS over last 30 days · oldest: 0.003 · newest: 0.003 · change: 0.000
Affected products
- N8n
- N8n-Io N8n — versions < 2.37.7, >= 2.38.0, < 2.38.2
Weakness classification (CWE)
References
- github.com/n8n-io/n8n/security/advisories/GHSA-7hgx-277f-7vmg (Mitigation, Vendor Advisory)
- github.com/n8n-io/n8n/releases/tag/n8n@2.37.7 (Release Notes)
- github.com/n8n-io/n8n/releases/tag/n8n@2.38.2 (Release Notes)
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2026-86996?
- CVE-2026-86996 is a medium-severity vulnerability in N8n, classified under Missing Authorization. CVSS score: 5.4/10. Published 2026-09-08.
- How severe is CVE-2026-86996?
- Medium severity. CVSS v3 base score is 5.4 out of 10.