CVE-2026-42227
CVE-2026-42227 is a security vulnerability in n8n. O3 Security confirms whether CVE-2026-42227 is actually reachable in your code before you act, and blocks exploitation at runtime until you patch.
n8n: Public API Variables IDOR Allows Cross-Project Secret Disclosure
Blast Radius
Weekly download volume for affected packages — a proxy for how broadly this vulnerability is deployed.
n8nnpmDescription
n8n is an open source workflow automation platform. Prior to versions 1.123.32, 2.17.4, and 2.18.1, an authenticated user with a valid API key scoped to variable:list could read variables from projects they are not a member of by supplying an arbitrary projectId query parameter to the public API variables endpoint. The handler queried the variables repository directly without enforcing project membership checks, bypassing the authorization-aware service layer used by the internal enterprise controller. If variables were misused to store sensitive information such as credentials or tokens, they should be rotated immediately. This issue only affects licensed enterprise or team deployments with multiple projects and the variables feature enabled. This issue has been patched in versions 1.123.32, 2.17.4, and 2.18.1.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📦npm | n8n | all versions | 1.123.32 |
| 📦npm | n8n | ≥ 2.18.0&&< 2.18.1 | 2.18.1 |
| 📦npm | n8n | ≥ 2.0.0&&< 2.17.4 | 2.17.4 |
Detection & mitigation playbook
Open-source dependencyDetect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for n8n. O3's reachability analysis confirms whether the vulnerable code path is actually invoked in your application, so you act on real exposure instead of every transitive match.
Fix
Update n8n to 1.123.32 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2026-42227 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 pinpoints whether CVE-2026-42227 is reachable in your code and exactly where to fix it, then blocks exploitation in production at runtime until the patched version is deployed.
Tailored to CVE-2026-42227. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2026-42227 in your dependencies?
O3 detects CVE-2026-42227 across npm dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.