Vulnerability-Lookup

GHSA-7HGX-277F-7VMG

Vulnerability from github – Published: 2026-09-08 21:33 – Updated: 2026-09-08 21:33

Summary

n8n: Agent Workflow Tool Bypasses Sub-Workflow Caller Policy

Details

Impact

A workflow's "This workflow can be called by" setting was enforced by the Execute Workflow node but was not consulted when the same workflow was attached to an Agent as a tool. A user who could build an Agent could therefore call a workflow that its owner had restricted, and read back what it returned. The patch applies the sub-workflow caller policy on the Agent tool path.

Patches

The issue has been fixed in n8n versions 2.37.7 and 2.38.2. Users should upgrade to one of these versions or later to remediate the vulnerability.

Workarounds

If upgrading is not immediately possible, administrators should consider the following temporary mitigations: - Restrict n8n instance access to fully trusted users only. - Audit workflows attached as Agent tools and review their caller policy settings. - Remove sensitive workflows from Agent tool configurations until the instance is patched.

These workarounds do not fully remediate the risk and should only be used as short-term mitigation measures.

Severity

5.3 (Medium)


                  
                    CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:L/VI:L/VA:N/SC:L/SI:L/SA:N

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{
  "affected": [
    {
      "package": {
        "ecosystem": "npm",
        "name": "n8n"
      },
      "ranges": [
        {
          "events": [
            {
              "introduced": "2.38.0"
            },
            {
              "fixed": "2.38.2"
            }
          ],
          "type": "ECOSYSTEM"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "package": {
        "ecosystem": "npm",
        "name": "n8n"
      },
      "ranges": [
        {
          "events": [
            {
              "introduced": "0"
            },
            {
              "fixed": "2.37.7"
            }
          ],
          "type": "ECOSYSTEM"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "aliases": [
    "CVE-2026-86996"
  ],
  "database_specific": {
    "cwe_ids": [
      "CWE-862"
    ],
    "github_reviewed": true,
    "github_reviewed_at": "2026-09-08T21:33:47Z",
    "nvd_published_at": null,
    "severity": "MODERATE"
  },
  "details": "## Impact\n\nA workflow\u0027s \"_This workflow can be called by_\" setting was enforced by the Execute Workflow node but was not consulted when the same workflow was attached to an Agent as a tool. A user who could build an Agent could therefore call a workflow that its owner had restricted, and read back what it returned. The patch applies the sub-workflow caller policy on the Agent tool path.\n\n## Patches\n\nThe issue has been fixed in n8n versions 2.37.7 and 2.38.2. Users should upgrade to one of these versions or later to remediate the vulnerability.\n\n## Workarounds\n\nIf upgrading is not immediately possible, administrators should consider the following temporary mitigations:\n- Restrict n8n instance access to fully trusted users only.\n- Audit workflows attached as Agent tools and review their caller policy settings.\n- Remove sensitive workflows from Agent tool configurations until the instance is patched.\n\nThese workarounds do not fully remediate the risk and should only be used as short-term mitigation measures.",
  "id": "GHSA-7hgx-277f-7vmg",
  "modified": "2026-09-08T21:33:47Z",
  "published": "2026-09-08T21:33:47Z",
  "references": [
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/security/advisories/GHSA-7hgx-277f-7vmg"
    },
    {
      "type": "PACKAGE",
      "url": "https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/releases/tag/n8n@2.37.7"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/releases/tag/n8n@2.38.2"
    }
  ],
  "schema_version": "1.4.0",
  "severity": [
    {
      "score": "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:L/VI:L/VA:N/SC:L/SI:L/SA:N",
      "type": "CVSS_V4"
    }
  ],
  "summary": "n8n: Agent Workflow Tool Bypasses Sub-Workflow Caller Policy"
}

CVE-2026-86996 (GCVE-0-2026-86996)

Vulnerability from cvelistv5 – Published: 2026-09-08 21:15 – Updated: 2026-09-09 13:52

Title

n8n: Agent Workflow Tool Bypasses Sub-Workflow Caller Policy

Summary

n8n is an open source workflow automation platform. Prior to 2.37.7 and 2.38.2, the workflow setting named This workflow can be called by was enforced by the Execute Workflow node but not when a workflow was attached to an Agent as a tool. A user able to build an Agent could invoke a restricted workflow and read its returned data. The affected path is packages/cli/src/modules/agents/tools/workflow-tool-factory.ts, where executeWorkflow omitted SubworkflowPolicyChecker.checkForProject. This issue is fixed in versions 2.37.7 and 2.38.2.

Severity

5.3 (Medium)


                        
                          CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:L/VI:L/VA:N/SC:L/SI:L/SA:N

SSVC

Exploitation: none Automatable: no Technical Impact: partial

CISA Coordinator · CISA-ADP (v2.0.3)

Decision recorded 2026-09-09 13:51 UTC

CWE

CWE-862 - Missing Authorization

Assigner

GitHub_M mitre root

References

3 references

URL	Tags
https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/security/advisories…	x_refsource_CONFIRM
https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/releases/tag/n8n@2.37.7	x_refsource_MISC
https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/releases/tag/n8n@2.38.2	x_refsource_MISC

Impacted products

1 product

Vendor	Product	Version
n8n-io	n8n	Affected: < 2.37.7 Affected: >= 2.38.0, < 2.38.2

Show details on NVD website

JSON

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{
  "containers": {
    "adp": [
      {
        "metrics": [
          {
            "other": {
              "content": {
                "id": "CVE-2026-86996",
                "options": [
                  {
                    "Exploitation": "none"
                  },
                  {
                    "Automatable": "no"
                  },
                  {
                    "Technical Impact": "partial"
                  }
                ],
                "role": "CISA Coordinator",
                "timestamp": "2026-09-09T13:51:38.290871Z",
                "version": "2.0.3"
              },
              "type": "ssvc"
            }
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        "providerMetadata": {
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          "orgId": "134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0",
          "shortName": "CISA-ADP"
        },
        "title": "CISA ADP Vulnrichment"
      }
    ],
    "cna": {
      "affected": [
        {
          "product": "n8n",
          "vendor": "n8n-io",
          "versions": [
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "\u003c 2.37.7"
            },
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "\u003e= 2.38.0, \u003c 2.38.2"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "descriptions": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "value": "n8n is an open source workflow automation platform. Prior to 2.37.7 and 2.38.2, the workflow setting named This workflow can be called by was enforced by the Execute Workflow node but not when a workflow was attached to an Agent as a tool. A user able to build an Agent could invoke a restricted workflow and read its returned data. The affected path is packages/cli/src/modules/agents/tools/workflow-tool-factory.ts, where executeWorkflow omitted SubworkflowPolicyChecker.checkForProject. This issue is fixed in versions 2.37.7 and 2.38.2."
        }
      ],
      "metrics": [
        {
          "cvssV4_0": {
            "attackComplexity": "LOW",
            "attackRequirements": "NONE",
            "attackVector": "NETWORK",
            "baseScore": 5.3,
            "baseSeverity": "MEDIUM",
            "privilegesRequired": "LOW",
            "subAvailabilityImpact": "NONE",
            "subConfidentialityImpact": "LOW",
            "subIntegrityImpact": "LOW",
            "userInteraction": "NONE",
            "vectorString": "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:L/VI:L/VA:N/SC:L/SI:L/SA:N",
            "version": "4.0",
            "vulnAvailabilityImpact": "NONE",
            "vulnConfidentialityImpact": "LOW",
            "vulnIntegrityImpact": "LOW"
          }
        }
      ],
      "problemTypes": [
        {
          "descriptions": [
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              "cweId": "CWE-862",
              "description": "CWE-862: Missing Authorization",
              "lang": "en",
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        }
      ],
      "providerMetadata": {
        "dateUpdated": "2026-09-08T21:15:38.432Z",
        "orgId": "a0819718-46f1-4df5-94e2-005712e83aaa",
        "shortName": "GitHub_M"
      },
      "references": [
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          "url": "https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/security/advisories/GHSA-7hgx-277f-7vmg"
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        },
        {
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          "tags": [
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          "url": "https://github.com/n8n-io/n8n/releases/tag/n8n@2.38.2"
        }
      ],
      "source": {
        "advisory": "GHSA-7hgx-277f-7vmg",
        "discovery": "UNKNOWN"
      },
      "title": "n8n: Agent Workflow Tool Bypasses Sub-Workflow Caller Policy"
    }
  },
  "cveMetadata": {
    "assignerOrgId": "a0819718-46f1-4df5-94e2-005712e83aaa",
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    "cveId": "CVE-2026-86996",
    "datePublished": "2026-09-08T21:15:38.432Z",
    "dateReserved": "2026-09-08T16:44:23.781Z",
    "dateUpdated": "2026-09-09T13:52:43.147Z",
    "state": "PUBLISHED"
  },
  "dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
  "dataVersion": "5.2"
}

Sightings

Author	Source	Type	Date	Other

Nomenclature

Seen: The vulnerability was mentioned, discussed, or observed by the user.
Confirmed: The vulnerability has been validated from an analyst's perspective.
Published Proof of Concept: A public proof of concept is available for this vulnerability.
Exploited: The vulnerability was observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
Patched: The vulnerability was observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.
Not exploited: The vulnerability was not observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
Not confirmed: The user expressed doubt about the validity of the vulnerability.
Not patched: The vulnerability was not observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.

Detection rules are retrieved from Rulezet.

The MITRE ATT&CK techniques below are AI-generated suggestions, inferred from the description of the vulnerability by the CIRCL/vulnerability-attack-technique-classification-roberta-base model, served locally by ML-Gateway. They have not been verified by an analyst and are provided for guidance only.
The approach is described in our paper Mapping CVEs to MITRE ATT&CK Techniques: A Curated Gold-Set Classifier and the Limits of LLM-Assisted Label Expansion.