A significant security flaw has been discovered in n8n, a popular workflow automation tool. This vulnerability, identified as CVE-2026-56776, allows an authenticated user with limited “read-only” access to a workflow to bypass security restrictions and trigger its execution. This means that a user who should only be able to view a workflow could unintentionally or maliciously cause it to run, potentially leading to unauthorized actions like making outbound API calls, changing data, or causing other unwanted side effects in connected systems.
CVE Details
- Product Name: n8n
- Published: July 8, 2026
- Severity: HIGH (CVSS v3.1 score: 7.4)
- Status: Analyzed
Affected Products
This vulnerability impacts specific versions of n8n. The affected versions include:
- n8n versions prior to 1.123.55
- n8n versions prior to 2.25.7
- n8n versions prior to 2.26.2
The issue primarily affects n8n instances that utilize the “Evaluations” feature, especially in setups where Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) project roles grant users workflow:read permissions without explicitly granting workflow:execute permissions.
Current Status
The vulnerability has been thoroughly analyzed and confirmed.
Severity Level
CVE-2026-56776 is rated with a HIGH severity level, with a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.4. This rating indicates that the vulnerability presents a significant risk due to its potential impact. An attacker only needs low privileges and no user interaction is required for exploitation, making it a serious concern for affected systems. Successful exploitation could lead to unintended consequences, including data manipulation and unauthorized external communications from the n8n instance.
Possible Solutions
To protect your n8n instance from this authorization bypass vulnerability, it is crucial to implement the available fixes:
- Apply Patches: The issue has been officially addressed and fixed in n8n versions 1.123.55, 2.25.7, and 2.26.2. Users are strongly advised to upgrade their n8n installations to one of these versions or any later release to fully mitigate the vulnerability.
If immediate upgrading is not feasible, the following temporary workarounds can help reduce the risk, but they do not fully eliminate it:
- Restrict Workflow Access: Limit access to sensitive workflows to only those users who are fully trusted and require explicit execution permissions.
- Audit RBAC Roles: Review your project’s Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) assignments. Ensure that users with
workflow:readaccess on critical workflows are also legitimately permitted to execute them, or adjust permissions accordingly.
These workarounds should only be considered short-term measures until the recommended patches can be applied.
References
https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/security/advisories/GHSA-hv7x-3×78-gx53
https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/n8n-incorrect-oauth-scope-validation-in-workflow-test-run-endpoint
