What is CVE-2026-86994?

CVE-2026-86994 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in n8n (npm), affecting versions < 1.123.76. It is fixed in 1.123.76, 2.38.2, 2.37.7. The application does not perform an authorization check before performing a sensitive operation.

Which versions of n8n are affected by CVE-2026-86994?

n8n (npm) versions < 1.123.76 is affected.

Is there a fix for CVE-2026-86994?

Yes. CVE-2026-86994 is fixed in 1.123.76, 2.38.2, 2.37.7. Upgrade to this version or later.

Is CVE-2026-86994 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2026-86994 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.

What actually determines whether CVE-2026-86994 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-2026-86994?

Upgrade: n8n to 1.123.76 or later, n8n to 2.38.2 or later, n8n to 2.37.7 or later.

CVE-2026-86994 in n8n

Q: Which versions of n8n are affected by CVE-2026-86994?

n8n (npm) versions < 1.123.76 is affected.

Q: Is there a fix for CVE-2026-86994?

Yes. CVE-2026-86994 is fixed in 1.123.76, 2.38.2, 2.37.7. Upgrade to this version or later.

Q: Is CVE-2026-86994 exploitable, and should I be worried?

Whether CVE-2026-86994 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.

Q: What actually determines whether CVE-2026-86994 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.

Q: How do I fix CVE-2026-86994?

Upgrade: n8n to 1.123.76 or later, n8n to 2.38.2 or later, n8n to 2.37.7 or later.

Summary

n8n: Cross-User Active Workflow ID and Lifecycle Event Disclosure via Missing userId Filter

Workarounds

If upgrading is not immediately possible, administrators should consider the following temporary mitigations:

Restrict n8n instance access to fully trusted users only.
Avoid provisioning global:member accounts for untrusted users until the instance is patched.

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

Impact

The endpoint /rest/active-workflows returned every active workflow ID on the instance to any member, regardless of sharing, and workflow activation, deactivation and publication push events were broadcast to every connected client, carrying workflow IDs, version IDs and activation-error detail across users. The patch scopes both the listing and the push events through the sharing service, so a user only sees workflows they can access.

The application does not perform an authorization check before performing a sensitive operation. Typical impact: unauthorized access to restricted functionality or data.

Affected versions

n8n (< 1.123.76) n8n (>= 2.38.0, < 2.38.2) n8n (>= 2.0.0, < 2.37.7)

Security releases

n8n → 1.123.76 (npm) n8n → 2.38.2 (npm) n8n → 2.37.7 (npm)

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.

Already deployed Kodem?

See it in your environment New to Kodem? Get a demo →

Remediation advice

The issue has been fixed in n8n versions 1.123.76, 2.37.7, and 2.38.2. Users should upgrade to one of these versions or later to remediate the vulnerability.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-86994? CVE-2026-86994 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in n8n (npm), affecting versions < 1.123.76. It is fixed in 1.123.76, 2.38.2, 2.37.7. The application does not perform an authorization check before performing a sensitive operation.
Which versions of n8n are affected by CVE-2026-86994? n8n (npm) versions < 1.123.76 is affected.
Is there a fix for CVE-2026-86994? Yes. CVE-2026-86994 is fixed in 1.123.76, 2.38.2, 2.37.7. Upgrade to this version or later.
Is CVE-2026-86994 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-86994 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-2026-86994 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-2026-86994?
- Upgrade n8n to 1.123.76 or later
- Upgrade n8n to 2.38.2 or later
- Upgrade n8n to 2.37.7 or later