Summary
n8n: Legacy Expression Evaluator Sanitizer Bypass Leads to Authenticated Code Execution
Workarounds
If upgrading is not immediately possible, administrators should consider the following temporary mitigations:
- Restrict n8n instance access to fully trusted users only.
- Switch to the non-legacy expression engine by setting
N8N_EXPRESSION_ENGINE=vm.
These workarounds do not fully remediate the risk and should only be used as short-term mitigation measures.
Impact
The legacy expression evaluator's computed-member sanitizer can be bypassed by an authenticated user with workflow create or modify permissions. Successful exploitation grants the attacker host-level code execution as the n8n process.
The legacy expression engine is the default engine in affected versions.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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The issue has been fixed in n8n versions 1.123.64, 2.29.8, and 2.30.1. Users should upgrade to one of these versions or later to remediate the vulnerability.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-65591? CVE-2026-65591 is a high-severity security vulnerability in n8n (npm), affecting versions < 1.123.64. It is fixed in 1.123.64, 2.30.1, 2.29.8.
- Which versions of n8n are affected by CVE-2026-65591? n8n (npm) versions < 1.123.64 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-65591? Yes. CVE-2026-65591 is fixed in 1.123.64, 2.30.1, 2.29.8. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-65591 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-65591 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2026-65591 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix CVE-2026-65591?
- Upgrade
n8nto 1.123.64 or later - Upgrade
n8nto 2.30.1 or later - Upgrade
n8nto 2.29.8 or later
- Upgrade