CVE-2026-1470

n8n contains a critical Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability in its workflow Expression evaluation system. Expressions supplied by authenticated users during workflow configuration may be evaluated in an execution context that is not sufficiently isolated from the underlying runtime. 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.

Attacker obtains valid n8n credentials via phishing, credential stuffing, or a shared/default service account. They create or modify a workflow and embed a malicious JavaScript expression (e.g., using require('child_process').execSync(...)) in a node's expression field. When the workflow executes, the expression evaluates outside the intended sandbox, spawning a reverse shell to attacker infrastructure. From there, the attacker extracts the n8n credentials vault—harvesting OpenAI API keys, database URIs, and OAuth tokens—then pivots to connected AI services, injects poisoned data into RAG vector databases, or exfiltrates training data and proprietary workflows. The entire attack chain from initial access to data exfiltration is achievable in under 30 minutes by a moderately skilled attacker.