GHSA-777w-rpr6-c52h
n8n: Privilege Escalation and Code Execution via Full Public API Key Scope Assignment to Token Exchange JWTs
Blast Radius
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Description
Impact
JWTs issued through the Token Exchange module were assigned all Public API key scopes, regardless of the acting user's actual role. A low-privileged user who could obtain a valid external JWT trusted by a configured issuer could therefore use the resulting access token to invoke administrator-only Public API operations, such as role escalation, user creation, and user deletion.
The issue only affects instances where the Token Exchange feature and the Public API are enabled (N8N_TOKEN_EXCHANGE_ENABLED=true, N8N_ENV_FEAT_TOKEN_EXCHANGE=true) and the attacker can obtain an external JWT accepted by a configured trusted key. Role escalation additionally requires an Advanced Permissions license; Community Package installation additionally requires N8N_COMMUNITY_PACKAGES_ENABLED=true and N8N_UNVERIFIED_PACKAGES_ENABLED=true.
Patches
The issue has been fixed in n8n version 2.30.1 and 2.29.8. Users should upgrade to this version or later to remediate the vulnerability.
Workarounds
If upgrading is not immediately possible, administrators should consider the following temporary mitigations:
- Disable the Token Exchange feature by setting
N8N_TOKEN_EXCHANGE_ENABLED=falseorN8N_ENV_FEAT_TOKEN_EXCHANGE=false. - If Token Exchange cannot be disabled, restrict Public API access at the network level to trusted clients only.
- Disable unverified Community Package installation by setting
N8N_UNVERIFIED_PACKAGES_ENABLED=falseto eliminate the code execution path.
These workarounds do not fully remediate the risk and should only be used as short-term mitigation measures.
Affected Packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Vulnerable range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📦npm | n8n | ≥ 2.30.0&&< 2.30.1 | 2.30.1 |
| 📦npm | n8n | all versions | 2.29.8 |
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 2.30.1 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms GHSA-777w-rpr6-c52h 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 GHSA-777w-rpr6-c52h 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 GHSA-777w-rpr6-c52h. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GHSA-777w-rpr6-c52h in your dependencies?
O3 detects GHSA-777w-rpr6-c52h across npm dependencies and uses function-level reachability to confirm whether the vulnerable code path is actually reachable — not just present. No false positives.