Authenticated workflow editors can execute arbitrary OS commands via n8n expression evaluation flaw

Summary

The open-source workflow automation platform n8n has released patches for a critical remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability. The flaw exists within the expression evaluation engine, where crafted expressions can bypass isolation boundaries. An authenticated user with permissions to create or modify workflows can exploit this behavior to trigger unintended system commands on the host running the application.

Successful exploitation grants the attacker the same privileges as the n-8n process. This level of access enables unauthorized data access, workflow modification, and full control over the affected instance.

Technical details

The vulnerability centers on how n8n evaluates expressions provided during workflow configuration. Under specific conditions, these expressions are evaluated in an execution context that lacks sufficient isolation from the underlying runtime environment.

This lack of sandboxing allows a user to escape the intended expression logic and execute commands directly on the host system. The issue was identified following previous research into CVE-2025-68613, indicating a recurring pattern in how expressions are handled within the platform's evaluation engine.

Affected products and fixed versions

To address these vulnerabilities, n8n has released several patched versions across different release branches. Users should identify their current version and upgrade to one of the following or later:

Defender guidance

Immediate patching is the only full remediation for this vulnerability. If your organization cannot perform an immediate upgrade, implement these temporary mitigations to reduce risk:

• Restrict Permissions: Limit workflow creation and editing capabilities strictly to fully trusted users. This reduces the attack surface by preventing unauthorized or low-privileged users from injecting malicious expressions.
• Environment Hardening: Deploy n8n instances within hardened environments. Ensure the process runs with restricted operating system privileges and has limited network access to prevent lateral movement if a compromise occurs.

These workarounds are short-term measures and do not fully eliminate the underlying risk.