Critical n8n Flaw (CVSS 9.9) Enables Arbitrary Code Execution Across Thousands of Instances
Vulnerabilities mentionedAll →
| CVE | Vulnerability | CVSS | EPSS | Flags | Affected | Exposure | Published |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2025-68613 | Authenticated RCE in n8n Workflow Automation Expression Evaluation n8n, an open source workflow automation platform, contains a critical remote code execution vulnerability (CVE-2025-68613, CWE-913) in its workflow expression evaluation system, affecting versions starting at 0.211.0 and prior to 1.120.4, 1.121.1, and 1.122.0. The flaw is triggered when expressions supplied by authenticated users during workflow configuration are evaluated in an execution context that is not sufficiently isolated from the underlying runtime, allowing the attacker to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the n8n process. Successful exploitation can result in full compromise of the affected instance, including unauthorized access to sensitive data, modification of workflows, and execution of system-level operations. Any self-hosted or cloud n8n deployment running an affected version is exposed, with public scans indicating roughly 24,700 instances remain exposed on the internet. The flaw was added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2026-03-11, EPSS places the 30-day exploitation probability at 99.1% (100th percentile), and Akamai has documented a ZeroBot malware campaign targeting n8n instances. Do: Upgrade immediately to n8n 1.120.4, 1.121.1, or 1.122.0 (or later), as the flaw is in CISA KEV and actively exploited by the ZeroBot malware campaign documented by Akamai. If immediate upgrade is not possible, restrict workflow creation and editing permissions to fully trusted users and run n8n in a hardened environment with restricted OS privileges and network access, keeping in mind these mitigations do not fully eliminate the risk. Review instances for signs of compromise, including unexpected workflow changes and suspicious process activity, and apply BOD 22-01 requirements if the product is used in federal cloud services. | 8.8 | 99% | KEV PoC |
| large≈24,700 internet-exposed n8n instances (public internet scan counts cited in exploit reporting) |
Full article290 words · extracted from thehackernews.com · click to collapse
Ravie LakshmananDec 23, 2025Vulnerability / Workflow Automation
A critical security vulnerability has been disclosed in the n8n workflow automation platform that, if successfully exploited, could result in arbitrary code execution under certain circumstances.
The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2025-68613, carries a CVSS score of 9.9 out of a maximum of 10.0. Security researcher Fatih Çelik has been credited with discovering and reporting the flaw. The package has about 57,000 weekly downloads, according to statistics on npm.
"Under certain conditions, expressions supplied by authenticated users during workflow configuration may be evaluated in an execution context that is not sufficiently isolated from the underlying runtime," the maintainers of the npm package said.
"An authenticated attacker could abuse this behavior to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the n8n process. Successful exploitation may lead to full compromise of the affected instance, including unauthorized access to sensitive data, modification of workflows, and execution of system-level operations."
The issue, which affects all versions including and higher than 0.211.0 and below 1.120.4, has been patched in 1.120.4, 1.121.1, and 1.122.0. Per the attack surface management platform Censys, there are 103,476 potentially vulnerable instances as of December 22, 2025. A majority of the instances are located in the U.S., Germany, France, Brazil, and Singapore.
In light of the criticality of the flaw, users are advised to apply the updates as soon as possible. If immediate patching is not an option, it's advised to limit workflow creation and editing permissions to trusted users and deploy n8n in a hardened environment with restricted operating system privileges and network access to mitigate the risk.
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