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NVD / CVE Program· CNA GitHub_M

CVE-2026-42231: n8n: Prototype Pollution in XML Webhook Body Parser Leads to RCE

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Monitor (action score 37/100)

  • Public proof-of-concept code exists (GitHub); there is no record of exploitation in the wild.
  • Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.85% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 58.4% of all records.
  • Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it. A low-privileged account is enough. No user action is required. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
  • According to CISA the attack is automatable: targets can be found by mass scanning.
  • Fixed version: n8n (npm) 2.17.4, 2.18.1, 1.123.32.
  • Mentioned 1 time in Turkish national cyber security advisories (siberguvenlik.gov.tr).

Low priority for now. Upgrade to n8n (npm) 2.17.4, 2.18.1, 1.123.32 or later.

Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it

Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS

n8n is an open source workflow automation platform. Prior to versions 1.123.32, 2.17.4, and 2.18.1, a flaw in the xml2js library used to parse XML request bodies in n8n's webhook handler allowed prototype pollution via a crafted XML payload. An authenticated user with permission to create or modify workflows could exploit this to pollute the JavaScript object prototype and, by chaining the pollution with the Git node's SSH operations, achieve remote code execution on the n8n host. This issue has been patched in versions 1.123.32, 2.17.4, and 2.18.1.

CriticalCVSS 9.4 · v4.0—Proof of concept Fix available
Published
May 4, 2026
Updated
Jun 17, 2026
EPSS
0.8% · 58th percentile

Report tools

JSON

Action score

37

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
37 / 40 · 9.4 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
0 / 30 · 0.8%

CISA SSVC decision

Exploitation
none
Automatable
yes
Technical impact
total

Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.

CNA vs NVD score

NVD
—
CNA · GitHub_M
9.4
NVD has not scored this yet; the score shown is the CNA’s.

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

The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.

Get told when this record changes

  • Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
  • Proof of concept exists, no weaponized module
  • A fix has been released

If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.

Follow CVE-2026-42231

When you'll hear from us

  • when it enters CISA KEV
  • when exploit code appears or is weaponized
  • when the record is updated (including a fixed version)
  • when EPSS rises 20 points in a week

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Noroxi analysis

What does it mean in your environment?

The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.

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Affected systems

Is your version affected?

Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.

VendorProduct
n8nn8n

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • n8n n8nbefore 1.123.32
  • n8n n8n2.17.0 and later · before 2.17.4
  • n8n n8n2.18.0

Versions reported by the vendor

Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (GitHub_M). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.

  • n8n-io n8n

    • < 1.123.32, >= 2.17.0, < 2.17.4, >= 2.18.0, < 2.18.1affected

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
npmn8nfrom 2.17.0 · before 2.17.42.17.4
npmn8nfrom 2.18.0 · before 2.18.12.18.1
npmn8nbefore 1.123.321.123.32

Same product

n8n: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2025-68613n8n Vulnerable to Remote Code Execution via Expression InjectionKEV
    95Now
  • CVE-2026-21858n8n Vulnerable to Unauthenticated File Access via Improper Webhook Request Handling
    63This week
  • CVE-2026-1470Authenticated users can bypass the Expression sandbox mechanism to achieve full remote code execution on n8n’s main node.
    45Plan

Published before and after this one in the same product

  • ← EarlierCVE-2026-42228May 4, 2026 · n8n: Hijacking of Unauthenticated Chat Execution
    25Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2026-42230May 4, 2026 · n8n: Open Redirect in MCP OAuth Consent Flow
    20Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2026-42232May 4, 2026 · n8n: XML Node Prototype Pollution to RCE
    37Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / packageFixed versionSource
npm:n8n1.123.32Package registry (OSV)
npm:n8n2.17.4Package registry (OSV)
npm:n8n2.18.1Package registry (OSV)

Exploit status

Proof of concept available

A public proof of concept or detection signature exists. Exploit knowledge is out there; don't delay patching.

Evidence

  • Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub ×1

Noroxi does not host or link to exploit code. Metasploit module names and Nuclei template ids are shown (names, not code); Exploit-DB entries and PoC repositories are given as counts only.

Public exploit evidence
SourceKindDate
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHubstars:02026-05-07

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

  1. Published
  2. First PoC+2 d
  3. TodayNov 10, 2026+190 d

No history yet (it accumulates with the daily EPSS job).

Patch and commit links

Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.

No commit or PR link among the references.

Credits

All researchers

Finders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.

No credits in the CNA record.

Variant candidates

Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.

  • CVE-2026-422320 days apartn8n: XML Node Prototype Pollution to RCE
    37Monitor
  • CVE-2026-3369640 days apartn8n Vulnerable to Prototype Pollution in XML & GSuiteAdmin node parameters lead to RCE
    37Monitor
  • CVE-2026-4478950 days apartn8n: HTTP Request Node Pagination Prototype Pollution to RCE
    37Monitor
  • CVE-2026-4479150 days apartn8n: XML Node Prototype Pollution Patch Bypass
    37Monitor
  • CVE-2026-5431250 days apartn8n: Microsoft SQL Node Prototype Pollution
    28Monitor
  • CVE-2026-5920666 days apartn8n: Prototype Pollution via Workflow Credentials Leads to Unauthenticated User and Project Enumeration
    28Monitor

Chain candidates

An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.

  • CVE-2026-422300 days apartn8n: Open Redirect in MCP OAuth Consent Flow
    20Monitor

Bug bounty scope

No known public program.

Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).

National notice (Türkiye Cybersecurity Directorate / USOM)

Official security notices citing this record; remediation advice is on the agency's page.

All national notices →

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
  • A low-privileged account is enough.
  • No user action is required.
  • No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality
Integrity
Availability
Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
X

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-1321 · Improperly Controlled Modification of Object Prototype Attributes ('Prototype Pollution')

CVSS vector

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

nvd-secondary

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

Change log

  1. Fix✗ → ✓

For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →

References

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records