CVE-2026-54307: n8n Workflow Automation Auth Bypass Flaw

CVE-2026-54307 Overview

CVE-2026-54307 is a broken authorization vulnerability [CWE-863] in n8n, an open source workflow automation platform. A member-level user with editor access to a shared workflow can reference credentials they do not own through specific public API endpoints. The platform enforced credential ownership checks only partially, enabling cross-user credential access. The flaw affects instances where workflow sharing is enabled and at least one workflow has been shared with a member-level user assigned the Editor role. Maintainers fixed the issue in versions 1.123.55, 2.25.7, and 2.26.2.

Critical Impact
An authenticated Editor on a shared workflow can read credentials owned by other users, exposing secrets used to authenticate to downstream services.

Affected Products

n8n versions prior to 1.123.55
n8n versions prior to 2.25.7
n8n versions prior to 2.26.2

Discovery Timeline

2026-06-23 - CVE-2026-54307 published to NVD
2026-06-23 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-54307

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in n8n's public API surface that handles credential references within shared workflows. n8n allows workflow owners to share workflows with other members as Editors. When an Editor interacts with a shared workflow, the API must verify that any credential the user references belongs to that user or has been explicitly shared. The affected releases enforced this check only on a subset of code paths.

A member-level Editor could craft requests against specific public API endpoints to reference credential identifiers owned by other users. Because ownership validation was incomplete, the request succeeded and returned or applied credentials that the caller had no entitlement to use. The issue maps to [CWE-863] Incorrect Authorization, where the authorization decision is reachable but applies the wrong policy.

Exploitation does not require administrative privileges. The attacker needs only a valid member account and an active Editor assignment to at least one shared workflow. According to the GitHub Security Advisory, the affected endpoints are part of the public API rather than internal-only routes.

Root Cause

Credential ownership checks were applied inconsistently across the public API. Several endpoints validated that the requesting user had access to the workflow but failed to revalidate ownership of every credential referenced in the request payload. This partial enforcement allowed an Editor to substitute another user's credential identifier into an otherwise authorized workflow action.

Attack Vector

The attack is network-reachable and requires low privileges. An authenticated Editor on a shared workflow sends a request to an affected public API endpoint that accepts a credential reference. By supplying the identifier of a credential owned by a different user, the attacker triggers the workflow logic against that credential. Confidentiality impact is high because secrets used for third-party integrations can be invoked or disclosed across tenant boundaries within the same n8n instance.

The vulnerability is described in prose form because no public proof-of-concept code has been released. See the GitHub Security Advisory GHSA-pmqw-72cg-wx85 for additional vendor detail.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-54307

Indicators of Compromise

Public API requests from member-level accounts that reference credential identifiers not owned by the requesting user.
Workflow executions that successfully use credentials whose owner is different from the workflow's last editor.
Unexpected outbound connections from n8n to third-party services tied to credentials of users who did not initiate the run.

Detection Strategies

Audit the n8n execution database for runs where the credential owner differs from the workflow editor or executing user.
Enable and review n8n audit logging for public API endpoints handling credentials, focusing on GET and POST operations issued by accounts with the Editor role.
Correlate API access logs with the credential ownership table to flag mismatches in real time.

Monitoring Recommendations

Forward n8n application and reverse-proxy logs to a centralized log platform and alert on credential reference patterns by non-owner accounts.
Monitor the rate of public API calls per member-level account and baseline normal Editor behavior to surface anomalies.
Track third-party API usage tied to credentials and alert when the invoking user is not the credential owner.

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-54307

Immediate Actions Required

Upgrade n8n to 1.123.55, 2.25.7, or 2.26.2 depending on the release branch in use.
Inventory all shared workflows and identify member-level users assigned as Editors.
Rotate credentials that were accessible through any shared workflow during the exposure window.
Review public API access logs for suspicious credential references prior to patching.

Patch Information

The maintainers fixed the authorization gap in n8n 1.123.55, 2.25.7, and 2.26.2. The patches extend credential ownership validation across all affected public API endpoints so that Editor-level access to a shared workflow no longer grants the ability to reference credentials owned by other users. Refer to the n8n GitHub Security Advisory for the full fix description and version matrix.

Workarounds

Disable workflow sharing until the instance is upgraded to a fixed release.
Revoke Editor assignments on shared workflows and restrict sharing to trusted users only.
Restrict public API access at the network layer to administrative IP ranges where feasible.

bash

# Upgrade n8n using npm to a fixed release
npm install -g n8n@2.26.2

# Or pull the patched Docker image
docker pull n8nio/n8n:2.26.2
docker stop n8n && docker rm n8n
docker run -d --name n8n -p 5678:5678 n8nio/n8n:2.26.2