n8n Sandbox Escape Lets Workflow Editors Run OS Commands as the n8n Process
N8n, a workflow automation platform, had a high-severity expression-sandbox escape that could allow authenticated workflow editors to execute operating system commands on the server. The vulnerability stemmed from a flawed identifier-rewriting mechanism and a second blind spot in property checks. While the vendor has released patches, users should review workflows and hunt for suspicious shell commands and credential usage.
N8n has patched a high-severity expression-sandbox escape that could let an authenticated workflow editor execute operating-system commands on the server. Security Joes discovered the flaw while probing n8n's February fix for CVE-2026-27577 for another bypass. The affected ranges are <2.31.5 and >=2.32.0,<2.32.1.
N8n fixed the flaw in versions 2.31.5 and 2.32.1. It tracks the issue as GHSA-gv7g-jm28-cr3m, rates it High with a CVSS 4.0 score of 8.7, and no CVE had been assigned as of July 27, 2026.
Administrators should update rather than rely on n8n's interim guidance to restrict instance access and workflow editing to fully trusted users. The advisory describes those controls as incomplete, short-term mitigations. It lists no patched 1.x release and does not say whether n8n Cloud was affected.
Exploitation requires a valid account with permission to create or modify workflows. It does not require action from another user. A successful exploit executes commands with the privileges of the n8n process. Security Joes, in a report shared with The Hacker News, said that access could expose N8N_ENCRYPTION_KEY and allow decryption of credentials stored in n8n. It could also open paths to connected databases, internal services, and cloud endpoints.
Researchers identified the residual escape on July 14 and reported it through n8n's vulnerability disclosure program on July 15. N8n published the fixed releases on July 22. Defenders should review recently created or modified workflows for unexpected arrow functions or obfuscated JavaScript. They should also hunt for shells, PowerShell, curl, or wget spawned as children of the n8n or Node.js process. Credentials should be rotated where suspicious workflow execution or host command activity is found.
The finding extends a series of expression-sandbox escapes n8n has patched since 2025. It follows CVE-2026-27577, a 9.4-rated escape fixed in February after researchers found the process object slipped through the same identifier-rewriting layer untransformed.