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Scrape Timestamp (UTC): 2026-01-28 12:49:00.466

Source: https://thehackernews.com/2026/01/two-high-severity-n8n-flaws-allow.html

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Two High-Severity n8n Flaws Allow Authenticated Remote Code Execution. Cybersecurity researchers have disclosed two new security flaws in the n8n workflow automation platform, including a crucial vulnerability that could result in remote code execution. The weaknesses, discovered by the JFrog Security Research team, are listed below - Successful exploitation of the flaws could permit an attacker to hijack an entire n8n instance, including under scenarios where it's operating under "internal" execution mode. In its documentation, n8n notes that using internal mode in production environments can pose a security risk, urging users to switch to external mode to ensure proper isolation between n8n and task runner processes. "As n8n spans an entire organization to automate AI workflows, it holds the keys to core tools, functions, and data from infrastructure, including LLM APIs, sales data, and internal IAM systems, among others," JFrog said in a statement shared with The Hacker News. "This results in escapes giving a hacker an effective "skeleton key" to the entire corporation." To address the flaws, users are advised to update to the following versions - The development comes merely weeks after Cyera Research Labs detailed a maximum-severity security flaw in n8n (CVE-2026-21858 aka Ni8mare) that allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to gain complete control over susceptible instances. "These vulnerabilities highlight how difficult it is to safely sandbox dynamic, high‑level languages such as JavaScript and Python," researcher Nathan Nehorai said. "Even with multiple validation layers, deny lists, and AST‑based controls in place, subtle language features and runtime behaviors can be leveraged to bypass security assumptions." "In this case, deprecated or rarely used constructs, combined with interpreter changes and exception handling behavior, were enough to break out of otherwise restrictive sandboxes and achieve remote code execution."

Daily Brief Summary

VULNERABILITIES // Critical n8n Flaws Enable Remote Code Execution Risks

JFrog Security Research uncovered two high-severity vulnerabilities in the n8n workflow automation platform, which could lead to authenticated remote code execution.

The vulnerabilities allow attackers to hijack an entire n8n instance, posing significant risks when operating in "internal" execution mode.

n8n's internal mode in production environments is flagged as risky, with recommendations to switch to external mode for better process isolation.

The platform's wide integration with core organizational tools and data makes it a critical target, potentially offering attackers access to sensitive information.

Users are urged to update to the latest versions to mitigate these security flaws and protect against potential exploitation.

These findings follow a recent disclosure of a maximum-severity flaw (CVE-2026-21858) in n8n, highlighting ongoing security challenges in sandboxing dynamic languages.

The vulnerabilities expose the complexities in securing high-level languages like JavaScript and Python, where subtle features can bypass security measures.