Secret disclosure via expression parser mismatch
Published Jul 15, 2026 · Updated Jul 15, 2026
Permission bypass in n8n before 1.123.61, 2.27.4, and 2.28.1 allows remote authenticated users to read external secret values. Credential validation recognizes fewer external-secret expression forms than the runtime expression engine, so crafted references evade the externalSecret:list scope check and resolve during workflow execution. Exploitation requires credential create or update permission, Advanced Permissions, and a configured external secrets provider; the consequence is unauthorized secret disclosure.
Summary
What happened
Permission bypass in n8n before 1.123.61, 2.27.4, and 2.28.1 allows remote authenticated users to read external secret values. Credential validation recognizes fewer external-secret expression forms than the runtime expression engine, so crafted references evade the externalSecret:list scope check and resolve during workflow execution. Exploitation requires credential create or update permission, Advanced Permissions, and a configured external secrets provider; the consequence is unauthorized secret disclosure.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-59259
- Published
- Jul 15, 2026
- Updated
- Jul 15, 2026
- Vendor
- n8n
- Product
- n8n
- Classifications
- CWE-639, T1212
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jul 15, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Jul 15, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=0 <1.123.61
- Affected versionversion=0 <2.27.4
- Affected versionversion=0 <2.28.1
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
No public exploit references are available in this record.
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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