Raw vector
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:L/SC:L/SI:L/SA:L/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:XSummary
CVE-2026-42226 is a high-severity Missing Authorization (CWE-862) vulnerability in N8N N8N. Its CVSS base score is 7.1 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Steal Application Access Token (T1528); ranked at the 18th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to AC-3 (Access Enforcement) and AC-6 (Least Privilege) — see the control section below for these in your framework.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2026-27093
Vulnerability Data
n8n is an open source workflow automation platform. Prior to versions 1.123.33 and 2.17.5, the dynamic-node-parameters endpoints did not verify whether the authenticated caller was authorized to use a supplied credential reference. An authenticated user with access to a shared…
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workflow could supply a foreign credential ID in the request body, causing the backend to decrypt and use that credential in a helper execution path where the caller also controls the destination URL. This allowed the caller to force the backend to authenticate against attacker-controlled infrastructure using a credential belonging to another user, effectively exfiltrating a reusable API key. The issue is not limited to any single node type; any node that resolves credentials dynamically through these endpoints may be affected. This issue has been patched in versions 1.123.33, 2.17.5, and 2.18.0.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise TechniquesAI
Why these techniques?
Vulnerability enables authenticated users to steal other users' application API keys/tokens by bypassing authorization checks on credential references and forcing their use against attacker-controlled endpoints.
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Control response
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
Directly enforces authorization checks before allowing use of a supplied credential ID in dynamic-node-parameter requests.
Ensures users receive only the minimal privileges needed, preventing access to foreign credentials belonging to other users.
Enforces information-flow rules that would block unauthorized credential objects from being resolved and sent to attacker-controlled endpoints.
Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Explicitly requires defining, enforcing, and reviewing authorizations and least privilege, directly preventing missing authorization checks.
Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Requiring authentication and credentials before any access occurs eliminates the absence of authorization checks that would otherwise allow an unauthenticated actor to reach protected resources.
Requiring formal authorization of every access request before rights are granted ensures that checks for required permissions are performed, preventing missing authorization checks from being introduced.
Mandatory authorization checks and central records of granted rights ensure that every access attempt is preceded by an explicit decision rather than relying on missing checks.
Segregating the approval of access rights from their implementation provides an independent check that reduces the impact of missing authorization checks in the resulting system configuration.
By requiring competent outsiders to verify that every function enforces the need-to-know principle, the control lowers the likelihood that missing authorization checks persist undetected.
Defining authorization responsibilities and reviewing risk-treatment progress throughout the project lifecycle catches missing authorization checks before the system is deployed.